Territories Talk-Talk

By Tolala

mHE idea of coconuts planted A 33 ft apart—giving more elbow room —is something new, (PIM July p. 18) and is open to challenge.

Many of the old German plantings were 10 metres by 10 metres on the square, and that is somewhere about 32.8 ft. Most of the CPL plantations down in Bougainville, where Mr. Best is situated, were certainly planted 27 ft apart; but on the triangle, which is an advan tage, giving more space than on the square.

As for native palms being scat tered about, it has been my experi ence that native palms are usually closer together than on plantations,

because so many nuts are allowed to grow where they fall and the fittest survive.

There used to be a theory— whether correct or not, I am sub ject to correction —that a coconut’s roots extended a similar distance to that of the tip of the fronds; and these, at 27 ft, slightly overlapped, allowing (theoretically) the roots to interweave and act as an anchor in high winds.

Anyway, 360 bags (circa 24 tons) is nothing to write home about from 2,600 palms.

And talking about plantations generally, I notice in a June issue of the S.P. Post that Mr. Fred God son, of a Papuan estate, has some thing to say about coconut estates in Ceylon, and the comparative working methods ,in PNG. He reckons that labour units cost about 4/9 a day, as compared with 6/- in PNG, and there is a perm anent supply there.

I remember visiting Ceylon nearly 30 years ago, and was similarly im pressed, as a result of the success of the establishment of native com munities on the big estates, where the workers lived with their entire families and carried out their work under contract. This system was originally introduced into New Britain by “Queen Emma,” and her employees lived for many years under the community system.

When the Australian government took over they would not tolerate this form of what they termed “slavery”.

Talking of “Queen Emma”: she has been in the news lately in Sydney, as the result of an article in a Sunday paper—which was more or less correct, except for the state ment that she did not wish to visit.

Germany until shortly before the: 1914 war. This, of course, was not; so. Emma Kolbe visited Europe; long before World War I and wasi always persona grata in Germany., Also, she did not own the French] Islands (Witu) as these were the property of the New Guinea Com-pagnie and a stronghold of old Peter* Hansen; and between the two of 3 them there was a war which raged! for years. It was after Peter thatd Peter Hafen was named.

Danish farmers are up against thes British in the war against margar ine, according to recent news re ports. Only recently (Sept. 30) didf we hear that Minister Hasluck says that an extremely high import duty* on copra would be necessary tm eliminate the present price-differ ence between margarine and butter.'

Dairy producers in Australia do have a vote, and copra producers have none. And that’s something to be considered, with a Federal elec tion looming next year.

I always feel that copra producers should take care of the dairymen, who have no time for the producers of margarine’s raw material.

All sorts of people are having a slap at Pidgin English these days.

Latest to enter the lists is NSW Principal Librarian John Metcalfe, addressing members of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects— though goodness knows why they should be interested in this subject.

Said John Metcalfe: “Pacific Island natives must get a primary school education equal to our own . . . Pidgin is a sign of inferiority.

There is no doubt that many people would like to keep it so—the speech of the servant.”

So often these self-appointed critics rejoice in having a lightly veiled dig at employers of native labour, as though they were veri table slave-drivers, exploiting and brow-beating the dusky sunny faced children of the Pacific at every opportunity.

I wonder how many of these critics realise that the New Guinea people are among the lucky few world inhabitants who do not have to work or become servants unless they so desire. There is no eco nomic pressure which compels them to become employees of non-native enterprises. Economic pressure is only felt when appetites become en larged by civilised desires, which cannot be appeased by primitive supplies.

And talking of recruiting labour, I recall a recent article by Osmar White, entitled “Native Workmen Are Still the Only Product of the Rich, Unknown Sepik.” He refers to that portion of the Territory as a “Man Mine” and “the story of the , Sepik . . . not much to the credit of Australia as a colonial power ... it ranks, in sinister as sociations, with words like Limpopo and Lhassa and Gran Chaco and Haiti.” He infers that practically nothing has been done with the Sepik District by Australia, after 40 years, except to use it as a re cruitmg area. No mention is made of the years spent in oil explora tion or of the gold won in the dis trict. He does, however, admit that the raw product of the “Man Mine,” after regular food, medical attention and disciplined living, shows a vast improvement.

Actually the first time recruits .r?m the Sepik River area were ob tained was some 30 years ago, when 'he . Expro Board applied for a iPeciaJ permit to enter the district, t had been closed to all recruiting, )wmg to labour shortages on plan ,i, n .. the . Western Islands vmigo, Matty etc. Bob Palmer was

the skipper; Cliff Judd (at that time a member of the Common wealth Audit) was there as super cargo, and to see that all was on the up-and-up so long as the notor ious “Bluey” Ireland was the re cruiter. Recruits were a frowsy looking, ill-nourished hook-worm infested crowd at first; but after a few months’ treatment they made an exceptionally fine show and turned out good workers. They were happy and contented when their contracts expired and many re-signed; but this was not permitted until they returned first to their villages. It was the good reports given by these first recruits which were instru mental, to a large extent, in creat ing a fruitful ground for recruiting in the Sepik in years to come.

A great pity the non-natives of the Territory cannot acquire a United Front outlook, instead of the incessant sectional attitude which has prevailed—at any rate for the past 40 years. There have always been those sectional water-tight compartments of Officialdom, Com merce and Missions, and these or ganisations have been divided among themselves with their own intersectional jealousies and antag onisms.

As I write, the latest intersec tional flare-up appears to be caused by a spanner thrown into the works by Planter Allen, in his allegations regarding the Chinese residents of TNG, illegal entries, “red money”, and what have you.

Father Dwyer, MLC, supports the Chinese (as reported in PIM, Sept., p. 40) and is quite right when he challenges the statement that pre sent Chinese were descendants of coolies imported during the German time. Chinese coolies were imported by the Neu Guinea Compagnie, over 60 years ago, for work on tobacco and rubber plantations in the Madang area. The venture was un successful and most of the coolies were repatriated.

The Germans, however, were great sticklers for “face” and no white man was employed on any manual labour. Chinese artisans were imported for this work: car penters, engineers, painters, plum pers, cooks, boat-builders and the like. And very good artisans they proved to be. Chinatowns sprang up in the main ports where tailors, bootmakers, restaurants and small trade stores for natives were es tablished.

Nearly all these Chinese pros pered. White people used to say: “Of course they prosper. They have no overhead, they live on the smell of an oily rag.” They were parsi monious, frugal, avoiding debts; and woe to the man who failed to square up accounts by the New Year. From these are the majority of the present-day Chinese descended.

When the Chinese became land hungry the German government

set aside the south-western side of New Ireland for agriculture develop ment by the Chinese, and everyone was happy. In later years, the more prosperous Chinese got controlling interests in plantations outside that area, as a result of financial assis tance given to European planters.

In fact, at one time the “Three R’s” —Ah Tam, Akun and Ah Chee— were the recognised unofficial money-lenders of the Territory, and pulled many a European out of a jam.

Speaking personally—which of course one should never do—it is my opinion that had the Chinese re mained in their subservient position, as in days gone by, there would have been no question of their status.

Recently, mention was made in the Sydney Press regarding three big events in P-NG occurring in September—the declaration of British NG in 1884; the proclama tion of taking over old Geman-NG in 1914 (which was the time when the famous Pidgin-English pro clamation was read); and then Australia’s return on September 13, 1945. (Well do I remember Charlie Bates, Fairfax Ross and young John Gilmore commg down the side of the Ramale Hill!) There is another big event which is not usually mentioned. It hap pened on September 13, 1942, when Rabaul had its biggest bang ever— even greater than the 1937 eruption —when a bomb-dump in Matupi Farm was exploded during the Jap occupation. How it was touched off is still a mystery—to me. Probably some military Brass knows all about it. It was the biggest bang I have ever heard. • • • fl Mr. A. C. Cuff, supervisor of the native leper hospital at Übuia, Nor manby Island, in the D’Entre casteaux Group, Eastern Papua, re turned to the Territory from Syd ney late in September, after fur lough. He was accompanied by Mrs.

Cuff and their young daughter, Elizabeth. Mr. Cuff built the hos pital a couple of years ago; it is Government-owned, but staffed by the Methodist Mission. At present, the hospital is accommodating 75 patients. fl Dr. E. W. Gifford and Mr. Richard Shutler, Jr., both of the University of California, have completed their archaeological studies in New Caledonia, Their work, which was aided by the Wenner-Gren Founda tion for Anthropological Research, followed a pattern comparable to that done by Dr. Gifford in Fiji in 1947, Fifty-two sites were visited and surface collections made. It is hoped that the material will throw light on the origin and time of arrival of the indigenous popula tion of New Caledonia.