Native ‘Bigheads’ Om[?]
p. 140 · Read in the full issue
Coastal Ship
Kavieng, Nov. 10J
IN the District Court to-day 0 Dudley Young-Whitforde siding) two native seamen, Det Charlie, from the Madang distil were sentenced to six weeks’ prisonment for unlawful assault on the master (Captain Goya Heie of MV Mainiro.
Mr. Henry gave evidence that tr had “contemptuously returned" tf tobacco issue of two sticks. TI demanded “four sticks or nothix —in which latter case they propo« to get work ashore, “They did like the ship.”
He had ordered them to work forbade them to leave. They thri upon shouldered him aside seized the boat, in which they ro T c themselves ashore.
Supporting evidence was givenn the Mainiro’s engineer, Mr. W. new.
Mr. Young-Whitforde said conduct of the two seamen was U It was the custom of Sepik natiiJ if intent on causing harm, to gn together when approaching the i son against whom mischief was < tended. If either of the accm had had cause for complaint agae the captain, they should have proached him singly. He condemn the action of the two natives in t
ing the ship’s dinghy. Such actc
by crew members could leavo ship undermanned, and in dan should emergency arise.
Discussing the incident after Court hearing, Mr. Henry said: “T is a salutary lesson to a pair 'j malcontent ‘shrewdies,’ and a chd to the growing native notion thas contract is a kind of one-way doJ ment wherein all advantage lies w the boy, and employers may be fied at pleasure.
“The crews of vessels at anco —or anywhere, for that mattes: seem to be under the delusion tr their activities can be restricted t office hours and that the ships bot are useful conveniences for natives towards the pursuit of so<o engagements ashore.
“At any rate, there’s a differed already on this ship. I see no sy? pathy for the two now ashore—w have, as they asserted they wouc ‘found work.’ They seem to be ; garded not as martyrs, but as ing unlucky enough to back a IoJ —and as such not worth sympathi; Biggest rice crops in the historyy the Australian Northern Territti are now being planted. This shoo become an important industry.