Territories Talk-Talk
pp. 27-29 · Read in the full issue
By Tolala
A CCORDING to an official spokes \ man, natives of New Britain this year are to receive £75,000 or war damage payment in settle nent of their various claims. Previ >us payments have been made.
From what I hear, and have read, latives in war devastated areas lave already received most sub tantial payments for similar com ►ensation. I would be the last to [uestion justifiable compensation to ither whites or natives, but I do be
ieve the Government’s generosity
las been overdone in an attempt 0 counter any criticism by UNO nembers, who might think that the poor natives” were overlooked rhen compensation was handed out.
As most people know, the natives lave fared extraordinarily well, rtiile many a white claimant for ustifiable compensation went away nly partly recompensed. The War )amage Commission ended with a urplus of £5 million after all pproved claims had been met. ’hat amount was socked away into Consolidated Revenue by the Jhifley government. Could it not le used now for settling native laims, instead of taking it out of he pockets of the Australian tax ay er?
Over the National broadcast re ently I heard Dr. C. M. Deland, f Adelaide, quoted as saying how angerous it was to rehabilitate labaul. He was a good cove, up in IG, as a medico, and also had a air for growing outsize tomatoes; ut I don’t know that he has any pecial qualifications for comment ig on seismic conditions around Rabaul. He was not in Rabaul at le eruption, so far as I remember, therwise he would not have made le radio statement that “a great ortion of the town was destroyed 1 1937.”
He was also incorrect in saying hat Dutch experts recommended le abandonment of the town. Pre imably he refers to Dr. Stehn, who lade an inspection of the area, )gether with Dr. Woolnough; and le former definitely stated in his Sicial report (and to me, person ily) that Rabaul could be rehabil ated, providing safety measures ere undertaken and systematic Dservations carried out.
It is not fair to the residents of abaul, or their relatives in Aus alia, to broadcast statements from persons. Life is quite rniplex enough in Rabaul at pre ;nt, without adding to the worries I the residents.
Now that it has been decided to md the P-NG police contingent to le Coronation—whether it is a
~, . r f good idea or not—satisfaction must be expressed that is in command, for he is a man who will not stand nonsense from anybody. That is, providing he has retained the sterling qualities he possessed when in charge of the police in Rabaul, pre-war. Ex guardsman and a strict dis ciplinarian, he has done more than most people realise to raise the standard of the P-NG police-boy.
I am not wholly in support of sending the contingent to London.
A great fuss will be made of the
lads in the Empire’s far-away cap ital, where members of all races are being given ostentatious hospitality —for political reasons, more than anything else. There is an economic side to this question, as well as a moral one.
But the decision is taken.
Authority says they are to go, and go they will, despite any protests.
Fiji’s excitement over the rhino ceros beetle may bring a smile to the face of the New Guineaites, who are well-acoustomed to the whole tribe of Dynastids, buzzing around the lighted verandas at night. But Fiji’s concern is well warranted, because the Rhinoceros, the Elephant and the Ceylon Red
Palm Weevil do cause enormous damage on coconut plantations.
Fiji’s Economic Botanist, Barney O’Connor, should know all about them. He served on the TNG Agricultural staff for some years before taking up his present duties.
Director Larry Dywer, of P-NG, well knows the danger and it is to be hoped he sees that native plantations, as well as European, keep the pests down. In the past, too often, Europeans were prosecuted under the Pests and Disease Ordin ance, while next door the groves of the apathetic natives were prolific breeding-grounds for the “bina tangs.”
So history repeats itself in the appearance of Jap poachers in New Guinea waters. It is hoped that the kid-glove handling will be
avoided now. Japanese officials made the same explanations back in the 1930’s as they are doing to day-inferring non-acceptance of responsibility for the deeds of their nationals. “They are pirates” and “they probably come from Okinawa, which is under American jurisdic tion,” they say.
No doubt NG reefs, rich in pearl shell and trocas, are a happy hunting-ground for “pirates” in swift-moving sampans. In pre-war days those poachers used to make Greenwich Island, in the South Carolines, their depot; and there were several Jap residents in the Western Islands who knew their way about.
It is good to hear of Skipper Brett Hilder’s success in the BSI stamp designing competition. I have not sighted the prize-winners, but I’m prepared to bet that the designs will be artistic at any rate. It’s a case of the gifts of the father descend ing upon the son. Everyone knows J. J. Hilder's work.
In point of area, probably the biggest painting job Brett Hilder did was when he camouflaged the old BP inter-islander Maiwarra to represent the KPM liner Van Rees, when War II broke out. The owners were not amused.
I see that Rabaul is to hold Coronation Day festivities once again. If they are anything like those held 16 years ago they will be worth seeing. The procession of decorated floats and cars was a pic ture, as it moved along the be flagged streets from the assembly point on the old Matupi Farm. The feu de joie, provided by the TNG police, was a spectacle which pleased everyone, and in particular Police Superintendent Johnny Walstab, who was a great stickler for ceremonial. Present-day Chief Judge Phillips made a fine record of the day with his movie-camera.
About a fortnight later, Rabaul was covered in ashes and mud. Vulcan had erupted.
A report last month in the SS Post describing the arrival from the Marshall Islands in Moresby of the UN four-man Mission, seems to in dicate that the Mission was not happy about its travelling arrange ments. It was “distressed” at the high cost to UN of air transport to Moresby in a DC4; and one spokes man throught Australia should pay for the trip.
The leader, M. de Marchent, said the Mission would report the re sult of its enquiries to UN, and that organisation may send recommenda tions to the Australian government, “which was not bound to follow the advice, but it would be wise to do so.” Sounds a bit like stand-over tactics.
I’m afraid I’m a bit George
Whittaker’s way, when he said, “there are too many people at Lake Success with cushy jobs.”
Rabaul TAG’S recent plea for the banning of sexy films, magazines and the like reminds me of the action taken in Rabaul some twenty-odd years ago when the local picture theatre censored its Dig posters and painted over leg shows and plunging neck-lines with Dlack printing ink. I don’t think it did much good. A few years ,ater there was a wave of sex jrimes throughout the town, which iaused the formation of the Citizens’
Association, to which I referred last nonth. Such action as banning ;ex pictures and literature is to be jommended, though. The job is to )olice the regulations.
Bits and Pieces: Engaged to Robin iluir, of Lindfield, NSW, is John lore-Lacy, eldest son of Com tiander Dyson, of Kallista, Vic. . *assed to her rest on March 30, Irs Eileen May May, wife of Dr. lay . . . Papers report Errol Flynn s faced with a £366,200 claim for ax arrears, and he’s looking for he chips. No hope for his NG reditors now. . . . Looks like more ompetition amongst the NG lissions. Miss Malia Santoro, of Salifornia, is headed for “cannibal Duntry west of Lae” for the New ’ribes Mission.