From Notes Made in New Guinea

By R. W. Robson

“Coons,” “Kongkongs,” Etc.

I FOUND that, following the Raluana case, Rabaul is a little vociferous on the subject of “coon.” A lot of people still use the term to mean a native worker, and it is not used offensively. It is so much easier to say than “native labourer.”

Rabaul tells me that the Chinese object strongly to the native name for a Chinese—“kongkong.” Some natives have retorted that if the Chinese will refrain from calling natives “bloody kanakas,” they will try to discourage “kongkong.”

Actually, “kongkong” has no offensive meaning. In the German time, a lot of the Chinese labourers who were brought in game from Hong Kong, and it became the practice to refer to them as “Hong Konffs.” The aspirate is not easy for the natives, and so the term naturally became “kong kong,” and has persisted since. It is not de rogatory.

While the Japanese were here, they forbade “kongkong,” and made the natives call the Chinese “China.” “China” is in use to some extent, but the easily-spoken “kong kong” is far commoner.

The native name for the Euro pean, or white man is “wittiman.”

It is in the same category as “coon,”

“kongkong” and “kanaka,” but the Europeans show no signs of suffer ing under it.

Need For A Bank Of

New Guinea

ALL leaders of the Territories’ commerce and industry especially the men in Rabaul —are emphatic and unanimous on the need for establishing some kind of bank which will provide finance for the new and expanded indus tries which the government is so anxious to encourage.

They do not criticise the existing banks—NS Wales and Common wealth are here, and ANZ is coming in—because those are merely branches of the Australian banks, whose primary function is to facili tate trading. What they want is a financial institution whose special purpose is to appraise the value of new projects, and the character of the men who will handle them, and then advance funds in accordance with a policy for encouraging de velopment.

Some favour an extension of the Rural Bank of Australia. Others advocate a new, special bank for the Territories, owned and directed jointly by Government and private enterprise. The history of all colonial development emphasises

the need for such an institution here.

There cannot be much progress, however, until there is a clearer policy announced regarding the re sumption of lands now nominally owned by natives; until lands are more readily available; and until it is easier to get titles.

I saw two good men hard at work out in the field—Mr. McCubbery, Commissioner who is restoring the land titles lost in the war, and Mr.

Mclnnes, brought from Australia recently to take charge of the Lands Department, and whose work already is earning general praise.

All this talk about the develop ment of P-NG resources, however, represents much useless beating of the political air, so long as Can berra allows itself to be influenced by the stupidities of the Trustee ship Council, and is afraid to deal boldly and efficiently with land.

Land is the basis of everything. Un less the Government overcomes its timidities in this direction, it might as well send a thousand or so officials back to Australia, and leave Papua-New Guinea as a sort of protected zoo, a happy hunting ground for anthropologists and post-war sociologists.

The District Governors

I WAS sorry to see District Com missioner D. C. Bates, from Madang, on Lae airstrip, head ed South, seeking urgent medical attention. Post-war, he has rendered most useful service in Rabaul and Madang, and is the type of officer whom the Territories can ill spare.

District Commissioner “Horrie”

Niall has just resumed his task at Lae, and DC Aitchison, who acted here during Mr. Niall’s 5-months’ leave, has departed to take charge in Kavieng. Both have a fine ad ministrative record, and are person ally popular.

It is remarkable how high all these District Commissioners gener ally stand in the regard of the unofficial public, although their de cisions often, as a matter of necessity, offend some section of opinion.

District Commissioner Keith McCarthy, in Rabaul, maintains his hold on popular regard, despite a little behind-the-scenes mud slinging during the Raluana affair.

The upshot of it all probably will be a clearer directive from HQ to District Commissioners in relation to native policy—which was con siderably confused by the thinking of the Ward-Murray regime, and the change of government.

McCarthy is booked for long leave in October, but I hear that per sonnel shortage in District Ser

vices er-cates a problem of finding: relief. McCarthy’s staff already is depicted, and it is likely that the efficient young McLean will be moved across from Sohano to Rabaul.

Incredible—But It Could

Happen

BOTH Suva and Papeete will have to look to their laurels as the prettiest towns in the South Pacific. Port Moresby is on their tail.

If anyone, 15 years ago, had sug gested that Moresby could develop beauty he would have been laughed at. Moresby then was a dilapidated, untidy and dusty little place—situ ation good, but condition dreadful But the post-war Administrations, plus private enterprise, have done wonders. Each side of the main street is now adorned with modern buildings. All side streets have been re-shaped, given concrete gutters and footpaths, planted with trees and flowers. Ela Beach, with its Casuarina Avenue and its bungalow buildings, is a charming place.

Moresby is in the “dry belt,” and no one ever thought it could acquire a tropical and luscious green. But well-selected trees are growing strongly, in and near the streets, and have assisted much to change the appearance of the town.

It needs only a continuance of this cooperation between govern ment and townsfolk for Moresby to become celebrated in song and story (and technicolor) for its beauty.

The Markham And Its

Bridge

HORNIBROOKS Limited are just beginning the construction of the 500-yards bridge across the Markham at Markham Point, eight miles out of and above Lae. The piers will have to go very deep into this shifting, ugly river-bed, if it is to withstand the river’s occasional terrific floods.

Only a few days ago, heavy rain inland,sent down a sudden mighty wall of water, which swept away one of the dongas just built for workmen on the bank.

These are good bridge-builders, and should know their job. The real problem lies in the two miles of road just built through sago swamps from the main Markham Valley-Nadzab road, across to the bridge. During recent heavy rains and floods, this road became heavily inundated and impassable—obvi ously, not a suitable highway for this area’s rainy season. I expect that High Authority will now have the road built up a bit —an ex pensive business.

The bridge-builders don’t care— their job is simply to construct a bridge in a designated position— but a certain gentleman up at Mumeng, who fought so consistently against that Markham Point site, may be getting a kick out of it.

Hotel Cecil’S Boss Returns

riTHE return of Mrs. Flo Stewart A to her new T Cecil Hotel, at Lae, after a visit to the Corona tion, and Europe, and America, was something worth seeing. Sister-in law Dorothy Stewart, and attractive young daughter Flora Stewart — who gave the hotel some notable finishing touches during the owner’s absence —had a welcome home expressed in flowers and de corations; the locals came in little parties to hear “Flo’s” accounts of bull-fighting in Spain and beauty in Honolulu; the dogs were in ecstacies; and even the house-boys —who hold the boss’s disciplinary measures in wholesome respect— could not contain their grins.

Right alongside her bonny bis hotel this enterprising woman now is erecting a huge new hall, com plete with stage, capable of accom modating any kind of public func tion, from the weekly dance to a theatrical production. The hotel can take 100 first-class travellers; and another double-story building, set back between the hotel and the hall, will accommodate a couple of score of second-class people.

Some effort should be made to develop a tourist traffic to the New Guinea Highlands—unique in the Pacific, and probably in the world— and this new hotel in Lae would be the sightseers’ natural stepping-off

place lor the Highlands,

Harnessing Highlands

Water

THE Administration now is taking many active steps to develop hydro-electric power for the benefit of the Central Highlands.

Old-timer Jim Ellis (he and Gordon Thomas were prisoners of the Japs in Rabaul, 1942-45) has gone to Goroka with a contract to erect lines to distribute power over a wide area thereabouts; and other minor schemes are under way.

Many streams run continuously down onto those Highlands plat eaus from the surrounding moun tains; and hydro-electric power may create something very important there before long.

Curiously, I was told by a man who knows the Eastern Highlands that there is a substantial seam of coal to be seen somewhere east wards of Goroka. Coal there' might render the development of hydro electric power unnecessary. The report is hard to believe. I know of no workable coal seam anywhere in the South Pacific Islands.

If The Roman Catholic Vicar Apos tolic of the Gilbert and Ellies Islands. Bishop Terrienne, visited Papua-New Guinea during July, first going to the Vunapope Catholic Mission near Kokopo, and then to the Yule Island Mission. He has recently visited Italy and France.