Higher Costs!

Chimbus: Shorter Term- Higher Costs!

FROM July I, Papua-New Guinea employers will have their High-f land labour for a shorter period! and it will cost them more.

Maximum period for which a Highland native will be able to enter into a labour agreement will be 18 months as against the present two years: and a “handling fee” of 10/- will become due in respect of each native signed on. The re duction of the term of agreement is because “of the present effect on native administration of the High! land Districts resulting from pro longed absence of natives from the area.”

After spending three months in his village, the native, however, will be available for re-engagement. 1 The handling fee is to partly off set the cost to the Administration of rationing, etc., while native labourers are waiting to go to their employers, or after they have re turned to the Highlands.

Editorial Note

Highland labour is on the whole not popular. Although it is con ceded that the availability of Chimbus (as Highlanders are gener ally called) has considerably eased the pressure on the labour market, these Highlanders are regarded as second-best. Employers say they are “dumb” (hard to teach) or lazy.

As they must do all their travel! ling from the Highlands by plana and as there is a time lag befoul they adapt themselves eveij partially to regular work, they are expensive labour.

From July 1, employers will get at most, about 12 months’ effective work from them —then they must fly them back to the Highlands. In the circumstances, it will be small wonder if employers feel that the six months now clipped off the conli tracts would be of much more use to them than to the Highlanderlj returned prematurely to their native heath.

The press hand-out, which speaks baldly of “present effect on native Administration,” needs clarification As the natives are to be permittee* to re-engage in employment aftefi three months at home, the effect of “prolonged absences” surely cannot be lessened to any great degree. In effect, all the new legislation seem* to do is to give the Chimbus thre# months’ holiday at home every 18 months, instead of every 2 years* and NG industry pays.

II Monsieur Maurice Pambrun, son of M. Georges Pambrun and Madams Pambrun, was married to Mdllef Andree Copie, daughter of M.

Julien Copie and Madame Copie! at the Catholic Cathedral, Papeete, Tahiti, on May 16.