‘Buka Boy’?

What Has Become Of The

A Plea for a Better Deal for Bougainville Natives

By Paul Mason

JJITTING on the ladder steps of a J dilapidated “house-kiap,” built on the outskirts of a village in he foothills in one of the most latrolled Sub-Districts in Bougain llle, my memory took me back 25 ears, to an occasion when I sat ooking from the same site, but rom a very different house-kiap.

The coconut palms in front of the nuse were then just making their oles. To-day, those that still re gained were tall palms nearly 30 ears old. Except for the Galup ut tree and the aged breadfruit ree. the vegetation was different, et the same.

The house-kiap was then the eoples’ pride. Theirs was to be the tentre from which the Patrols r ould work when opening up those reas to the way of “White,” and rogress.

What have we done for these eople?

Much of their civic pride has me. There is retrogression in their omes. their roads, their men’s

Paul Mason is one of the most ex perienced and highly-respected plan ters in New Guinea. He is a quiet, retiring man; and native conditions on Bougainville must be really bad, to have induced him to write in this strain.

Mason was one of the outstanding heroes of the Pacific war. He and Reed. an administration official, stayed behind on Bougainville and radioed Japanese air and naval move ments to the Americans in Guadal canal. The Americans afterwards said it was this information which gave them the final advantage in the critical Guadalcanal battles. Jap patrols, for months, hunted con stantly for the two famous Coast Watchers, but never actually caught them.

council houses—yes, even in the house-kiap itself.

Most enthusiasm is now centred around making easy money. Their own money is fast becoming obso lete.

A few are showing interest in aca

demic education; a few In intro duced projects. In the main they have outdone their mentors in seek ing security and leisure without work.

True, they have been through de vastating times from which they have not fully recovered.

The War? It did not affect directly this village in particular: but this Sub-District was affected perhaps more than any on Bougain ville. The taro blight did affect them badly, as it did everywhere on the island, and it still is a major factor in their lives; no new food has entirely replaced taro in their diet.

But it is their morale that mostly

has gone. That enthusiasm for the things that really make life worth living: pride in achievement; pride of possession; pride in things and position honestly won in the strife of life.

The post-war Administration has accomplished much, in spite of the great harm done during its raw in experienced early days. One of the

biggest weaknesses of the officers of the Department of District Services and Native Affairs is their smugness in their own achievements. Few will even believe that the conditions I refer to prevailed 15 years ago.

Some even believe their own re ports. It is not words or paper sent to Moresby that will put heart back into the people.

WHAT progress has the Bou gainville native made? A few have amassed power and pelf: But there has always been the powerful and the poor. Some have achieved part-medical and othei training, but their numbers are few T And these few are going, some to rise against us and blame us for the neglect of the many.

What of the health, wealth anc happiness of the rank and file? Few villages are better off than thev were 30 years ago. Their export: —and, therefore, their potentiaj imports—are less than they were before the war—not at infiateo money values, but in produce ano goods.

At one time they supplied most o:< the labour needs of the European plantations on the island, as well as many places outside the District and they brought the products oc their earnings back home.

To-day, almost no one leaves thu District to produce this unseen e» port, and a very small percentage work for European plantations.

There are about 800 to 900 natives from other islands working on Boui gainville to-dayl Their fares alom amount to some £25,000 per annum Their wages, rations, housing medical attention, etc., run into more than £75,000 per year. This i lost to Bougainville, and mostly to the native people themselves.

Is it any wonder that they are'

as a whole, poorer in worldly pos sessions than they were 15 years ago? They may have more of cer tain European goods, but these were mostly acquired through “spoils of war” and war damage payments. rjTHE “Buka boy”—as the Bou- JL gainville native was known throughout the Territory— was famous as a police-boy, and as a loyal, capable worker, and he held important jobs, both under the German regime and, later under jur own.

It was the Buka police-boys who vere used in the German time to luell the troublesome Manus latives. It was the Buka police- Doy who was used to establish a itation on notorious Malaita Island, n the British Solomons.

Alas, the fame of the Buka boy has passed. Racked with Cargo 2ult, get-rich-quick ideas, or sloth, le is a sorry example of his past.

The people have been told that n fifty years time they will be able ;o govern themselves. Their re ort was, We have always governed mrselves. In 50 years’ time, if past irogress is a criterion, few of those pho have adopted our ways will be eft to govern themselves, and the nountain people will still be Stone ige people, still governing them elves. rHE road back is no easy road.

It must be accomplished by the people themselves, under lear-sighted leadership. The Bou ainville people were, on the whole, ■ moral people. The Missions have one noble work; but many things re outside their scope and ability. [THE Education Department is do- L ing much to train and interest the natives in arts and crafts, nd giving natives at their schools balanced education. But these re a small percentage of the whole.

Not that literacy matters a great eal. In twenty years’ time we will e illiterate ourselves, with tele ision and new methods of commu ication. Tests show that the lajority of people forget what they ave been taught at school unless, irough life, their memory is con -antly refreshed. Still, these people re in grave need of being led and night how to adapt themselves to heir changing life; of being in pired to keep their own or our loral laws as may suit their condi ons; so that, with the loss of their wn culture, they can take on an ther that works for the good of hemselves and their land.

Health of course is the most im ortant factor. You cannot have vi ility and the necessary enthusiasm )r work and life, when riddled with lalaria, hookworm and yaws.

Many mountain villagers have

come, and are coming, down to the coast, only to become riddled with malaria. Malaria undermines their whole life, physically and mentally; kills the children, born and un born; weakens them and makes them more susceptible to respira tory diseases, as does hookworm.

OUR Health Department has al ways played a gallant part; but more can be done by patrols. They should inspire confi dence in our treatments. Patrols and examinations are essential, as the most damaging diseases are in sidious, and treatment is not sought until it is too late.

Better liaison, too, is required between PHD and DDS & NA.

A patrol officer will come along and encourage the mountain people to build their floors above the ground. This they do, with dire results.

From time immemorial these people have been used to an earth floor, with a fire in their houses at night, to ward off the cold and ven tilate their dwelling.

This is only one of the ways we mislead these people with changes for the worst. These mistakes are not made by cadet patrol officers, but by experienced officers.

It is better for the young cadets

to get out on patrol in approved areas and learn by their own mis takes, instead of being kept doing ;lerical work in the District Offices. ■ One DC said it was necessary to ceep cadets at the District Office to team to deal with the public.

One would think that a Cadet Patrol Officer was meant to go on Datrol, and learn about the natives n his village, and not the Euro >eans around a District Office. It vould be interesting to know what )art of their time is spent by patrol jfficers on patrol and what time is jpent doing office work. They isually rush out on Patrol, and rush jack to catch up with their office luties.

Patrols are the keynote of the vhole—PHD patrols, DDS & NA >atrols, and Agricultural patrols.

Chese patrols should not be rushed iff airs. Rushed patrols teach little md learn less in the rush from vil age to village—apparently to col ect data to include in the report of he patrol.

Mr. R. A. Woodgate, who went rom Queensland to Tonga five years go to be principal of Tupou College, iras ordained a minister of the Jethodist church while the Tonga Conference was sitting in July. He Iready held the degrees of BA and JEd.