At Muck-Raking

Murray Avoided Ward’S Attempts

Some Later Aspects of P-NG Administrator's Retirement

rHE retirement of Colonel J. K.

Murray from the Administrator lip of Papua-New Guinea has had lot of publicity in Australia during le month. Australian Territories linister Hasluck made a formal atement on May 15; Colonel Mur ry indicated later that he did not dire willingly; but the development ill is unexplained.

The ball was set rolling on May 5 by that incalculable ornament of atesmanship and incorrigible pur ler of political smells, Mr. “Eddie” fard. Mr. Ward said that Colonel lurray had been removed from ffice as part of the Government’s ampaign of “victimising” the ap aintees of the Socialist Government; lat the post of Administrator had be made vacant because it had been romised to Mr. D. M. Cleland; that [r. Spender, when Minister for Ter tories, had tried to make Colonel [urray’s position “so difficult and itenable” as to force his resignation -but Colonel Murray decided to lang on”.

Mr. Ward said that Colonel Mur .y’s original appointment had been ajected to by the Liberal Party be inse he “always displayed a great jmanitarian feeling towards the dive races and he was resisting, ith all the means at his disposal, the tempt by the Government to create iportunities for private enterprise exploit the native races in those rritories.” (All of which is a typical example : Mr. Ward in action. It was Mr. r ard who selected Colonel Murray 1946 for the position in Papua ew Guinea—not because Colonel urray had any special qualification r the position—he had had no ex ;rience whatever of tropical admin tration—but because, as well as :ing a man of some academic stinction, he was a convinced Soci ist. To get Colonel Murray into at post, Mr. Ward had to get rid Mr. Leonard Murray, Adminis ator of Papua. The manner in hich this was accomplished was le of the highlights of Mr. Ward’s torious occupancy of the Territories anistership. Yet this extraordin y gentleman howls because he inks that Minister Hasluck em oyed somewhat similar tactics in moving Colonel Murray and open g the way for Mr. Cleland!)

Mr. Ward then attacked Mr. Cle land’s qualifications; but it was a feeble effort. Apparently, Mr. Cle land’s chief disqualification is that he once was “a high official of the Liberal Party Organisation.” (Mr.

Cleland certainly was that. Further more, it was his genius for organ isation, more than any other single factor, which put the Menzies Gov ernment into office in 1949-50 with a thumping majority.) Mr. Ward also cited the case of Mr. W. Webster as evidence of his claim that the Menzies Government is “victimising” Socialist appointees.

Webster, it appears, was a good Socialist, and that seems to have been the only reason why the Soci alist Government appointed him a member of the British Phosphate Commission, which controls the phos phate industry on Nauru Island.

His services have been terminated.

Minister Hasluck said that Webster was dropped simply because the former Territories Secretary J. R.

Halligan now holds a position where he represents Australian Territories Department on such bodies as South Pacific Commission, Trusteeship Council, and so forth. Halligan al ready was Australia’s representative on the Christmas Island Phosphate Commission, and it was absurd that there should be someone else hold ing the same position on the similar Commission dealing with Nauru.

Therefore, Mr. Halligan took Mr.

Webster’s place on the BPC.

The Minister dealt scathingly with Mr. Ward’s reputation for “imput ing ulterior motives to other people”, and then passed on to the case of Colonel Murray. He said Colonel Murray had been Provisional Ad ministrator and Administrator of P-NG for six years. Hansard report: MR. HASLUCK . . . There is no fixed term of appointment for the Adminis trator of New Guinea, who holds his office during the pleasure of the Governor-General. Colonel Murray’s ap pointment as Provisional Administrator commenced on the Ist July, 1946, and therefore another year of service will be completed on 30th June next. Colonel Murray’s age is 63 years, which is con sidered rather advanced for service in a tropical country. In view of the long and difficult period of reconstruction through which he has served as Ad ministrator, it seemed to me that the question of the termination of his ap pointment should be considered. I do not wish to cast any reflection, in public, on the services that he has rendered to

The report is current in Sydney that Colonel J. K.

Murray, retiring Administrator of P-NG, will be invited to accept the official Labour nomination for a borderline seat in the Australian general election in 1954. Because of the expected “swing,” borderline seats in this election may become safe Labour seats.

Australia. I think that Australia can express its thanks to him for what he has done. But because a man has given good service for six years, it does not follow that at a time when very onerous duties are to be laid on the occupant of his office, he is certain to be able to sustain those duties. Until I hear that Colonel Murray himself has raised some objection to the arrangement that has been made, I do not propose to entertain the proposition that he con siders he has been dealt with unfairly.

DR. EVATT.—Was there any difference of opinion in relation to policy?

MR. HASLUCK.—No. The honorable member for East Sydney suggested that there had been differences of opinion.

There have been no differences of opinion between myself and Colonel Murray. The member suggested that Colonel Murray had resisted a policy of more intensive development which this Government is trying to inaugurate. That is not so.

MR. WARD. —I said that he had resisted the Government’s policy of allow ing private enterprise extended oppor tunities of exploiting the native races.

MR. HASLUCK.—In his latest version of his accusation, the honorable member for East Sydney is still incorrect. There has been no difference of opinion, nor has any contradictory view been ex pressed by Colonel Murray on the Government’s policy towards the natives or concerning land settlement. So far as I know, Colonel Murray is completely satisfied with the policy of the Govern ment and has certainly raised no objection to any aspect of it.

The Minister flatly denied that there

had been any arrangement made

with Mr. Cleland regarding the fu

ture Administratorship.

appointment of Mr. Cleland

. to the position, after June 30,

is regarded in well-informed circles

as certain, however—not as the result of any “bargain”, but because of Mr.

Cleland’s obvious qualifications. He

has made an excellent impression in

the Territories since he took over

the duties of Assistant Adminis

trator last year, and his confirmation

in the senior position would be well

received by all classes.

The question which the Parlia

mentary discussion left unanswered

concerns the terms of Colonel Mur

ray’s appointment.

It was apparent, while Mr. Spender

had charge of the Territories De

partment in 1950-51, that Minister

and Administrator were completely

(Continued on Page 119)

ut of sympathy. More than once, Ir. Spender expressed exasperation ecause his “New Guinea policy” r as not being implemented in the ay he expected. There was acute issatisfaction with the attitude of dlonel Murray. But (it was semi [Rcially explained) nothing could s done because Colonel Murray ad been appointed for a term of ve years, just before Mr. Ward left ffice at the end of 1949.

Now, Mr. Hasluck says that the dministrator holds office during “the easure of the Governor-General”, would have given Mr. Spender, if it the G.G., “pleasure” to have ter inated the appointment early in )51; yet no such action was taken.

This creates an outlook for Mr. leland that is rather blue. Ending s diatribe on May 15, Mr. Ward id: “When the Labour Party as mes office again we can reciprocate 7 rooting out of every position here we find them, people who have sen appointed by an anti-Labour ivernment merely because they hold political opinions.”

Next election will be in 1954 le position may alter in the next ' months; but at the moment Aus dian public feeling against the enzies-Fadden Government is so ong that, if there were a vote now, 2 Socialists would be returned to [ice. the ensuing three weeks, Colonel Murray received a great deal of blicity from newspaper articles, dresses to public and private meet ?s, and broadcasting. He discussed MG affairs at length, but he appears have made only one reference to > own position. He is reported to ve said in Brisbane on May 22 that would have liked to have continued office as Administrator; but “the sential thing is that in any change Administration the best interests the Commonwealth and the native oples will be conserved. Such a ange should be as smooth as pos »le.”

A study of innumerable reports Colonel Murray’s utterances indi tes that the following summary sresents his opinion of the situ on in P-NG, and of what ought be done there: • The Territories can provide sev d tropical products which Australia juires in large quantities. It is Lind economics to produce them P-NG, instead of buying them erseas. • In view of 'the strategic position,

it is a safe insurance to spend money on New Guinea development. “Better a New Guinea Line than a Brisbane Line,” he said. •To achieve measurable results in P-NG, expenditure must continue there at the rate of many millions per annum—more than the £6,000,000 p.a. now being provided by Australia. ° It was wrong to say that native standards of life can be lifted only slowly. If anything worth while was to be accomplished in New Guinea, it must be done largely by the native people themselves; therefore, Aus tralia must raise native living stan dards as rapidly as possible. • In the development of P-NG’s resources, Europeans must provide the know-how, but it cannot be suc cessfully carried out without the as sistance of the natives themselves.

That involved a huge programme on native health and education.

In all his utterances, Colonel Mur ray was consistent: He laid stress upon the welfare of the native people, and his belief that they should carry much of the burden of developing the territories 7 resources, rather than upon the plans for encouraging Euro pean people and new capital to enter the territories and exploit their re sources.

THERE is little doubt that Colonel Murray has been retired because Canberra is not happy about the way he has implemented the Menzies Government’s Territories policy.

Therefore, the eagerness of Mr. Ward and persons of his kind to stir up a political brawl might easily have led to an unprofitable and unpleasant controversy.

Fortunately, Colonel Murray re fused to allow himself to be used by