SPC Begins Investigation

Population Decline In

Dutch N. Guinea

From Our Own Correspondent

Hollandia, Jan. 7.

'N the past, the arrival of Euro . peans in some parts of the Pacific has been followed by a decline in ative population, not altogether ttributable to introduced diseases, his trend is still going on in some reas and to investigate the cause f this phenomenon, the South acific Commission has chosen as pilot investigation project an prea tuated in the south of Dutch New uinea where the Marind Anim jople live. The appointment of i expert was left to the Nether nds Foundation for Cultural An iropology, which has chosen Dr.

Kooijman. He arrived at Merauke January to set up his base camp.

The problem will be approached om the medical as well as from ie anthropological side. Dr. ijlmer, Head of the Department Health Welfare at Hollandia, ill direct the medical part of the )rk.

Dr. Kooijman will be assisted by ither J. Verschueren, well known r his anthropological work in the ea during recent years.

“Several theories about the causes the decrease of population aongst the Marind Anim have

been suggested,” Dr. Kooijman said.

“There is the theory formulated by the British anthropologist, Rivers, giving as a cause the so-called ‘psychical depression’. According to this theory the arrival of Euro peans in these areas greatly in fluenced the population, because fierce customs like headhunting, and weird festivals, mostly accompanied by excesses of all kinds, were pro hibited; these prohibitions created a kind of ‘culture tiredness’.”

On the other hand it is an estab lished fact that the so-called “venereal granuloma” has affected the Marind Anim, and later on was followed by other infectious dis eases like the flu-epidemics of 1918.

It will be of assistance to Dr.

Kooijman that the Missionaries of the Holy Heart at Merauke have kept parish registers of the almost entirely Christianised population in South New Guinea for nearly 50 years. Another helpful source will be the reports of the Swiss anthro pologist, Mr. Wirz, of his investiga tions amongst the Marinds in 1922 and 1927.

Major H. M. McDonald, who re turned to New Zealand in January after a year with the Fiji Bat talion in Malaya, drew attention to the fact that the NZ Patriotic Fund Board provided Christmas parcels only for the New Zealand members of the Battalion—all of whom were, of course, officers. In pointing out

the very healthy financial state of the Patriotic Board funds, he said that New Zealand might well pro vide comforts for the Fijian soldiers, thereby building up goodwill to wards New Zealand in Fiji.

Mr. Charles (Taro) Coulon, Assistant Manager of Etablisse ments Donald Papeete, paid a brief holiday visit to Auckland in Dec ember, travelling by TEAL.