Those Moresby Broadcasts

By Listener

I AM always keen to hear the daily broadcasts of “Papua and New Guinea News” that Moresby gives forth. This news is of great interest to those in the far flung corners of the Territory.

It's so nice to hear about the patrols who make contact in the mountains with fearsome cannibalis tic tribes who—never having seen white men before—are quickly paci fied. The most friendly relationships are established and all the hidden mysteries of the tribe are fully ex plained to the newcomers.

It seems quite simple for these modern patrol officers to persuade a few of the intelligentsia to acompany them to Port Moresby, where they can see Jeep accidents and become interested in the Boy Scouts —no, not from a culinary viewpoint, but with the idea that next year they appoint a tribal member to go over to a World Jamboree in Yugo-Slavia or the Gold Coast.

A while back we heard that a coco nut had fallen on a Chimbu native labourer at Kar Kar Island. It seems the poor lad was knocked quite un conscious and so lay for a time. But after three days, he arose again—as though from the dead—and made for the bush, and it seemed that an intensive search was being made for him.

My batteries faded out at this period; and although I know lots of planters feel strongly about Chimbu labourers, 1 do hope that he was found! I would have been most in terested to hear what damage was sustained by the coconut, which after all, is a valuable item and quite necessary at present to our economy.

There seems to be a lot of overlap ping when Departments are seeking new recruits in Australia. A while back 1 was intrigued to learn over the air that the Public Service Com missioner, the Director of District Services and the Police Chief were all touring Australia in search of special types for their departments, and seemed to be having some difficulty.

This all appeared to be a waste of public money. Now, at the same time the Department of Agriculture—

speaking from Moresby—announced

that it intended (intended, mark you) to shortly import a number of goats to the Territory. It seems to me that all this choosing should, in such cases, be left to a Department that definitely knows what it wants and does not have to go roaming round

Australia making announcements about types and temperament re quired in candidates.

As one who wrests a precarious living from the land —unhelped by extra allowances for wife, children, cchcoling, fares and Recreation or Long Leave —I was naturally con cerned to learn over the air that all kinds of new taxes and impositions were shortly to be levied on the denizens of the Territory. This will hit us all; but it may well be the Last Straw with people in the outside places, that are already hard hit by isolation, lack of essential services and have young families to rear and school.

A while ago it was announced to all listeners that the Administrator had said in one of his happy speeches, “The door is wide open for ‘Private Enterprise,’ in the Territory.” Many have been wondering if for Entry or Exit?