Assistant Administr
pp. 46-47 · Read in the full issue
Bitter Reflections on Canberra Policy
THERE have been large advertise ments in most Australian news papers, inviting applications for the post of Assistant Administrator of Papua and New Guinea, at a salary of £2,458 per annum, plus allowance. Applications closed on September 26.
What a reflection upon the vision of the Australian Government! And —what is more important—what a reflection by the Australian Gov ernment upon the administrative capacity of the principal officials in its Territories! With such evid ence before us, we almost despair of the future of Australian admin istration in the tropical islands of the Pacific.
Australia has had control of Papua for 60 years. The nation has been responsible for New Guinea administration for over 30 years.
During all that time, the Australian Government—according to itself— has been “seeking the best men available for training in the work of administration in the Terri tories.” At this very moment, there are huge advertisements in most newspapers, appealing to youths to offer themselves for cadetships in the Territories services.
No one can say that Australia has failed to get good men for these services. On the contrary, Australia has been very well served. Man for man, the administrative personnel in Papua-New Guinea will compare quite favourably with similar per sonnel in any part of the world.
Even the cynical old traders in the Islands have words of praise for many of the District chiefs and De partmental heads in Papua-New Guinea—and that is praise indeed.
Yet, for the last quarter-century, whenever an Islands Adminis- • tratorship of either major or minor character has become vacant, the ! incredible gentlemen of Canberra , have appointed some outsider to the ! post—usually a man who never has i had one hour of experience in tropical administration. The Pacific ; Islands Monthly, for 25 years, has < known these Islands Territories, and i the officials in them; and we say ' that the persistent selection of men j outside the services for appoint- ment to Administratorships is stupid and illogical and a cruel injustice ‘ to the many competent and ex- perienced officers within the ser- vices.
WHAT would happen to the s British Colonial Service if it f were administered, in such a je fashion, by the petty politicians who c strut their brief space as Ministers s in charge of Departments?
The young men of the British r Colonial Service know that, if they y qualify themselves by education r.
and achievement, they inevitably will move on up the ladder which leads to full governorship. Why, in the name of commonsense and common justice, are the same oppor tunities not given to the trained men of the Australian Territories service?
There are a score of men within the Territories services who are com .petent to act as Assistant Admin istrator. Why cast a reflection upon all of them by inviting the wide : world to come along and apply? ; Why not secure the loyalty and build the morale of an important * service by limiting the selection to men within that service?
In a quarter-century, the Admin istratorships of Papua, New Guinea, Nauru and Norfolk Island (we are not sure about Northern Territory) have been filled only once by the selection of a trained Territories official. That was when the late Captain Pinney was appointed to Norfolk Island. We cannot see that the Territories have gained any thing at all by the selection of “out siders.”
It is not a record likely to in spire the public service of Papua and New Guinea.
The NZ Civil Aviation Depart ment’s calibration aircraft arrived at Rarotonga on August 25 and carried passengers between Aitutaki and Rarotonga and return.