MRA Delegates
p. 89 · Read in the full issue
Papua Looks Fine to the MRA Delegates
From Our Own Correspondent
Port Moresby, Feb. 20.
rHE four Papuans—believed to be the first to travel outside the— Pacific area—who attended a doral Re-armament Conference in Jevlon and India recently, have re urned to Papua. They are Mr. .lerari Dickson, Member of the jegislative Council; his wife, Mrs. fera Dickson; Mr. P. Anakapu, and iliss Alice Wedega, all from the Cwato area near Samarai.
Back home in Papua they said tow shocked they had been to see he poverty and hunger in evidence n India, and to see people who lever knew what it was to have nough to eat or a place to serve ,s home. All agreed that they were r ery glad that Papua was their lome, and they now knew what a leautiful country it is.
Mr. Dickson said that conditions a India had made him realise what lot Australia was doing for 'apuans, how fortunate the country ras, and what long patience Aus ralia showed towards Papua.
Miss Wedega said she had found hat many educated Indians used heir knowledge only for their own dvancement and cared little for he less fortunate Indians. She ranted to make sure that when 'apuans were educated they were aught that knowledge must be used 3r Papua, not for themselves alone.
Iditorial Note On
Courtesy Titles
Our Port Moresby correspondent as asked us how we feel about the ew fashion of attaching the Eng sh courtesy titles of Mr., Mrs., or liss to natives of Papua and New ruinea. We have hitherto been re actant to apply English titles to he Islanders, especially Fijians, 'olynesians, Fiji-Indians, and others, hese titles have no real signific nce in the life and culture of these eople; and, until recent years vhen there has been an attempt -usually by well-meaning Aus •alian or New Zealand newspapers -to graft them on) none wanted lem. Most Pacific native peoples ither have chiefly titles, or none t all, and are called by their given ames; and, in any event, they sually had sufficient native dignity ot to feel any lack in this regard.
However, one bows to the inevit ble. “The moving finger writes,” ;c. If the Papuan and New Guinea atives feel that the English Mister” will help them, the Eng sh “Mr.” they shall have.
Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Bergstrand, ; BGD, Bulolo, NG, returned from tour of the United States, UK id the Continent in February.