Officers

Policy For Field Officers In New Guinea

“T HAVE heard it asked, ‘What is 1 the use of going to the School of Pacific Administration?’" said Australian Territories Minister Paul Hasluck, addressing the 261 men who received their diplomas at: the School in Sydney in December., “I have noticed that many public; servants do not know exactly what; they are doing—their usefulness isi limited because they cannot under stand how their task fits into the' general plan of administration,” he went on. “Well, it is essential that in New Guinea we should know what we are doing, in the broader sense. That is one of the objects of this School. We hope that the officers who pass through this School will have a broader aware ness of our administrative problem.

“Some people have said that the Territories would be much better off if only our general policy were made more clear. There are a dozen ways in which one may indicate the broad purpose of policy: but that is not enough in itself—we want a general directive to guide us.

“Our over-riding purpose in New Guinea is the advancement of native welfare, and that is the measuring-stick which we must apply to all our major problems.

Our further policy is to secure the best possible future relations between, ourselves and the natives. Any further problems will be resolved in accord with those two major objec tives.

“What really matters is not pro nouncements in Canberra, but how the job is done in the field in New Guinea, by the men on the spot. The training which you have had here is designed to assist you in fitting your daily task into the overall ad ministrative plan.”

The Minister said that all the 26 graduates already had served in the field in New Guinea; and they now were qualified to pass on to higher jobs. Their graduation was wel comed by all concerned, because such men were very much needed in the Territories. He warmly con gratulated them on their success.