The Month In Papua-N. Guinea

More Thimbu’ Areas Opened to Recruiters

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, Oct. 3.

THE Central Highlands area from from which natives can be recruited for coastal jobs, has now been extended to the central section of the Waghi Valley, around Minj.

Previously the main sources fronn which recruits were drawn wem Goroka, Bena Bena and Chimbu-i -they are known generally as Chimin bus.

Right now, the Chimbus have nor. time to spare for work, as the aUx important sing-sings are either ini progress or the villages are juste recovering from the effect of thesis energetic celebrations.

So the middle Waghi and Mtil Hagen sub-districts have beens opened for recruiting. there are very large numbers o:o Minj natives eager to try their lucH in the world outside the valleys, anor it is believed they are of the righ|ri type.

Central Highlanders have made i very big difference in the labouiu position throughout the since they became available to em-n ployers two years ago.

Some groups have proved verji satisfactory; but others have wrunjn tears of anguish even from planter, 1 e case-hardened to the vagaries od native workers. However, that is noo dissimilar to reports on European employees today, or of any day foe that matter.

But good, bad or indifferent thd Chimbus’ addition to the labour force has helped to overcome thid acute shortage.

It will be interesting to see if thd Minj boys put up any records wheie they get to grips with that hithen to unknown quality, steady worM'

Demonstration By

Hanuabada

Hanuabada Native Village Coumi cil celebrated the first anniversary of its establishment under the nets Ordinance on September 15. Several thousand villagers and a considers able number of Europeans gatherer at Hanuabada for the occasion, ann the Council staged an excellent programme to mark the anniveno sary. The Administrator (Colomn Murray) and the Assistant Admimi istrator (Mr. D. M. Cleland) headed the official party, and were enters tained at the Council hall ancu taken on a tour of the village.

These were colourful natiwi: dances and a grand parade o scouts, rangers, cubs, girl guideb and other village organisations t the cricket ground for the Adminf istrator’s speech, and the Ceren monial Retreat staged by the polioli force band.

The Councillors had taken painf to have the village cleaned up fof the occasion, and its cleanliness ann tidiness might well have sia a standard for the whole comic munity.

The first Council with a village tax of £2 on every man raised £1,225. and so employed two village cono

[tables, labourers for hygiene and ■oad maintenance work, a village souncil clerk; paid for the fittings )f a Council Hall; allocated land or a village school and initiated dans for using land at Laloki for bod gardens.

It is considered that this experi nent in a new type of Village Council has worked out well, and s a concrete step towards teaching he natives to assume responsibili ies in a democratic organisation.

Similar Village Councils, with tatutory powers, have been estab ished in New Britain and Manus, md others are about to be set up n the Milne Bay area.

’Plane Accidents

After a long accident-free period, Jew Guinea aviation has had a lumber of serious accidents lately.

A Qantas Dragon aircraft, piloted iy Flight Officer Frederick George Jarlogie, crashed at Karanka, in he New Guinea Highlands, on September 21. The pilot, the only iccupant, was killed. He encount red bad weather, and a wing truck trees along the top of a idge, sending the machine crashing nto a gully.

On October 5, Gibbes Airways’

Jorseman made a crash landing iear Madang. Mr. Gibbes, who was he pilot, was unhurt, but the plane /as damaged.

Public Halls Available

The Port Moresby Library Institute Hall, on Douglas Street, has been extensively renovated. The Trustees have spent about £3,000 on repairs and alterations to this pre-war building, which now will be available for public functions.

This gives the town t\yo public

halls, as the Red Cross Hall was completed a few months ago.

It was not easy for either the Red Cross or the Library Institute to get these buildings erected, for today any construction work in the Territory means a battle for sup plies. Slowly, even if the pace at times slows to almost a standstill,

be town is developing, and over the ast two years a lot of hard solid rork has been done.

Another “Spleen” Case

A plantation assistant, James Jlen Swallow, 26, was acquitted in be Supreme Court on a charge of aving killed a Chimbu plantation worker.

Evidence showed the native, rawale, had not been well on the ight of July 16, and next morning r as carried from the native uarters, on an Abau plantation wned by Robinson River Planta ons Limited, to the sick line. Two atives who carried the sick man lleged that Swallow kicked him in le stomach. Swallow denied this, nd said he had immediately re- Dgnized that the native was very 1, and arranged for him to be iken to the hospital. He died bortly after. The post-mortem lowed that Gawale’s death was ue to a reupture of the spleen, and lere was no evidence from the ledical examination that he had een kicked.

Passing judgment, Mr. Justice lelly said that as the post-mortem filed to indicate that the deceased ad been kicked, he was not en tled to find that any kick had een given, and he found Swallow ot guilty.

Lore Red Cross Branches

Wanted

The Papua and New Guinea bvision of the Australian Red ross Society is launching a mem ership drive and an appeal for mds. At the annual meeting, on eptember 24, the chairman, Mr. J. [. A’Hearn, expressed disappoint lent at the Territories’ low mem ership and lack of branches.

The Society has 550 members in apua and New Guinea, and one ranch, which is at Wewak. The ew headquarters building at Port loresby, which cost nearly £9,000, as emptied the Society’s cash box. nd the raising of funds must now e a major task to carry on Red ross work and prepare for any tnergencies which may arise.

The Wewak Branch, with a mem ership of 40, in a small community, as set an excellent standard for ther centres. It is hoped to have ranches at Lae, Rabaul, Madang nd other areas.

The native Red Cross movement ow has five Junior Red Cross ranches. The Hanuabada group as the largest membership, and is oing an excellent job.

Appeals For Funds

The committee in charge of the PPeal for funds for a memorial to ie late Sir Hubert Murray corn rises Mr. Justice Gore (chairman), Ir. E. A. James (deputy chairman), ir. J. H. A’Hearn (secretary), Mr.

C. L. Anthony (assistant secretary) and Mr. W. N. Chester (treasurer).

The form which the memorial will take depends upon the amount sub scribed. A request has been made for suggestions from the general public.

Mr. H. M. King, Brisbane, who will be president of the Queens land Congregational Union in 1952, is the son of the late Rev. Joseph King, who was a missionary in Samoa in the 1860’s, and for 22 years was general secretary of the London Missionary Society for Australia and New Zealand. The president-elect is 71, and served in both World Wars.

By next year it is expected that passengers in Canadian Pacific Air lines planes on the Pacific service will be able to travel between Sydney and Nadi in about four hours. CPAL expect to introduce Comet jets to the Sydney-Hawaii service. These travel at 500 miles per hour—2oo mph faster than the fastest of the present planes in use in Pacific services.

Now that the NZ elections are over, increased numbers of tourists are arriving in Norfolk Island (says our correspondent). There were 39 on last Sunday's planes—all glad to be in the warmth and sunshine after experiencing New Zealand’s coldest winter.