The Problem of the Half-Caste

Letter to the Editor

1/fAY we, through your columns, put ▼1 forward some difficult problems re garding the welfare of the half astes of Papua-New Guinea.

We have noticed that a great deal has een and will be done for the upbringing f the native race; but it seems that othing whatsover has been done for the alf-caste.

We are all under the impression that lere is no desire whatever to help and use our standard of living. This opinion based on,the fact that there is some idifference to the rights of the half iste as an individual.

Take education, for example. The lajority of our children have great faculties in trying to make progress on le education provided by the mission id Government schools: it is really more •r the natives than the H.C. We under and that New Guinea has schools for te Europeans and Asiatics. Are there ly differences between the Asiatics of ew Guinea and Papua? We would like know. New Guinea comes under the nited Nations and the other is Common salth Territory; but both are under te Administration. Therefore, we cannot e why we don’t have a school here only r half-castes. If there are any fees to -y. we are only too willing to pay.

Another problem is living conditions. It pears that the Government has no in ition of helping us to solve our prob ns. We are a sort of unknown race, mggling between freedom and hard ips.

The ambition of every self-respecting If-caste is to raise his or her standard living to that of a European, and we know we have every right to do so. it, somehow, for some reason which we n t know ourselves, we are deprived those rights. As we came from Euro m and Asiatic fathers, surely we should ve all the privileges of our fathers, sedom is just a word of seven letters hout a meaning to us.

Jnfortunately, there are unsurmount le barriers confronting us, such as :ial discrimination and high cost of ng with low wages. The latter has ced us to live on a level that can only considered as downright poverty.

Government has never made any •vision for anyone to act as our repre tative when dealing with matters con ning the progress and social welfare the half-caste people. If this was done, think it would bring the half-caste to ugher standard. The Government has le nothing to help the half-caste idren and their mothers—yet this is a ial problem found all over the world )ur only request is that some Gen eration be given us in this matter —we a people living under one King, one v and one Freedom.—l am, etc.,

. . Outcast,

t Moresby.

DITORIAL NOTE.— This is by no ins the first time that a plea has been te m these pages for some consider a- L for people of mixed race—not •« m T f apua " New G Uinea, but in the inc Islands generally. There are many pe ?P. e ’ and it is an improper and uel thing that better provision is not le for them, in the way indicated by correspondent. It has been shown n and again that the offspring of a jpean or Asiatic father, and an nds mother, are nearly always ner °J intelligence and well need qualities. If protected in child i, and educated, they are excellent ens; and today, all through the South

Seas, half-castes who have been given a chance are filling responsible positions, giving good service, and are accepted on their own merits as the equals of Euro peans and Asiatics. Our correspondent’s appeal is timely. We should try to find out how many half-castes there are in Papua-New Guinea.

Loss of £6,332 was incurred by Yonki Creek Gold N.L., New Guinea, for the year ended August 31, 1950. From 210 cubic yards 81 oz. was obtained by box ing and 28 oz. was recovered from 1,475 cubic yards by sluicing. Since the close of accounts 138 oz. had been recovered.

Owing to a failure of the pipe line the whole of the efforts are being concen trated on boxing, to accumulate funds to replace the pipe line.