In Papua-New Guinea

Current News Items From Our Correspondents In Papua-New Guinea

More Room, New Syllabus

For European Children

European schools in Papua-New Guinea will have a revised syllabus [or 1954 which will be adapted from those now in use in NSW and Queensland.

The Territory, in many ways, is jetter off with its schools than many Australian States. It is estimated that here about one teacher is used [or every 25 pupils. The figure in Australia is sometimes one teacher t 0 40—generally regarded as far too

high. , •

I Last year, the Lae Advisory Coun cil complained that the school was overcrowded and that it needed two new class-rooms. The two new class-rooms are expected to be opened early in the new school pear. The Lae school has three teachers.

Another Plane Crash

A Mandated Airlines Dragon was smashed about at Wewak on January 8, when it ran off the strip during take-off. Pilots Norman Lather and Bill Englebeck and a native passenger suffered bruises.

The aircraft was badly damaged about the wings and undercarriage and will need extensive repairs.

Most of the accidents at Wewak are caused by running off the strip, which is rough at the take-off end. (Mr. W. J. Mort, of the P-NG Civil Aviation Dept., said in Brisbane, where he arrived on leave recently, that the Department has tightened flying regulations in New Guinea to reduce small plane accidents. He said that there had been more than 12 small plane accidents in New Guinea in the last two years, and that all small planes, including Austers, now had to carry radio and were grounded in bad weather.

Searching for small planes lost in New Guinea, he said, had been very fostly).

Losuia Now Off Air-Route

The alighting area at Losuia, in the Trobriands, Papua, will not be used again as a regular alighting irea for flying-boats. It will be used only in emergencies.

The area is outside the reef and is regarded as too choppy most of the time to be satisfactory.

Sandringhams used to call there regularly.

DCA intend to maintain the area with marker buoys in case it is wanted during emergencies.

Rsl Affairs In Moresby

May Escape From Doldrums

The Port Moresby branch of the RSSAILA elected new office-bearers at its annual general meeting on

January 12.

The meeting this year was notable

for the big attendance of members in comparison with last year when only a few attended to take an in terest in the League. There has not been the interest in RSL affairs that one would normally expect in a town the size of Moresby.

The new president is Mr. W.

Watkins, who is the Crown Law Officer at Port Moresby. New vice presidents are the Director of Education, Mr. W. C. Groves, and the Commonwealth Department of Works construction manager, Mr.

Tom Brockington.

Mr. Vince Sanders was re-elected secretary.

The offices of Treasurer and committee were left vacant until a later meeting in February. The re tiring treasurer, Mr. Kidney, was in Australia, and it was felt the RSL could not elect a committee with out first hearing a treasurer’s re port.

The retiring President, Mr. Fred Edwards (who has since relinquished his position as acting manager of 9PA, and has returned to the ABC in Perth) made a verbal report on the year’s activities. He said activities had been covered in de tail in monthly reports during the year.

There was some criticism by

members that there was no written x report or a treasurer’s report, but J the meeting decided to accept the 6 verbal report from Mr. Edwards.

Before being farewelled, Mr. .

Edward was handed a certificate ; making him a life member of the ;

Rsl.

Big Rice Plantings In The I

Markham

About 1,000 acres of rice will be £ planted in the Markham Valley in x 1954. This is estimated to yield I roughly 1,000 tons.

In the Mekeo district of Papua, . natives are planting more than 100 ( acres this year. It will be cultivated i by family groups, replacing the £ former system of production by T . rural progress societies.

Kavieng Wharf

Work has begun on Kavieng’s new i overseas wharf. In January the £ contractors, Modern Constructions g Pty. Ltd., of Ipswich, Queensland,, began pile-driving.

The wharf contract is worth :67,000, but materials are on the Ite, and the Department of Works milt the approaches some time ago.

A year ago only the 2 “legs” of he “U” shaped wharf (one leg ihorter than the other) were in )lace. This state of affairs has •emained to impose berthing pro jlems for Masters of ships of all >ut small coastal vessels.

More Zebus For P-Ng

Cattle Breeding

The 22 cattle which were air-lifted rom Pakistan to Port Moresby in December, 1952, and which have >een held in special quarantine here since, will be released shortly [or breeding experiments in the territory.

Six Zebu cattle are being pur hased from the United States for similar experiments, but will spend heir term of quarantine in Aus tralia before being shipped to P-NG.

Although European breeds of jattle are doing very well in the lill and mountain country of P-NG, t is believed that in the hotter joastal regions, a Zebu-European ;ross will be more suitable. The long range plan, of course, is to nake P-NG independent of im ported meat supplies. That is a long way off yet. As each beast ,n the Territory at present repre sents an outlay of about £lOO in jold cash, eating local beef can still se classed as a millionaire’s hobby.

Feeding Moresby

The problem of feeding Port Moresby—the largest concentration Df European population in the Ter ritory—has recently been taking up he attention of the Administration.

Moresby is unfortunate from this point of view, as it is in the rain shadow of the Owen Stanley moun

tains and is the most arid spot in the Territory.

With a very small rainfall, fresh vegetable supplies have always been a problem. A considerable quantity of vegetables and fruit is brought in by air from the NG Highland's and Wau, but it is dear and supply never meets demand.

A survey has been made of suit

able market-garden land on the Laloki River, out of Moresby, and it is hoped that blocks will soon be made available to private in dividuals by the Administration. At the same time, natives outside the dry zone are being encouraged to grow produce for the town.

Port Moresby requires, as well as vegetables, about 9,000 pounds of

fresh meat per week—that is for about 18 beasts to be killed each week. This would require a local herd of about 6,000 cattle —many times the whole present cattle popu altion of the Territory.

It is believed that the southern coastal plains of Papua, including the trans-Fly area, are the most suitable cattle areas. There are one million acres of land in this area, surplus to native requirements, suit able for the purpose. This area would support 66,000 head of cattle.

If this number were run, a canning works and fertiliser factory near Port Moresby would be feasible.

Until these long-range plans come to fruition, of course, most of Moresby’s meals will continue to be ex-freezer—when they are not ex can.

Two Weeks At Wau For

Public Servants

The P-NG Administration will lease six fully-furnished holiday bungalows at Wau, New Guinea, for public servants’ between-leaves holidays.

The bungalows will allow local public servants to have the option of two weeks’ local leave at Wau— the two weeks to be deducted from the three months’ overseas leave they receive after every 21 months’ service.

The bungalows will rent for about £3/10/- per week, including the ser vices of a native servant.

With an elevation of 3,500 feet, Wau has a very pleasant climate.

Most European fruits and vegetables do well there; local milk is avail able, the days are warm and the nights pleasantly cool. If the local leave idea “takes,” the Administra tion will erect additional bungalows.

The experiment w T ill be watched with considerable interest; a great

many Territorians are wedded to. the idea of the three months leave South; and no substitutes will do. .

They Want A Papuan Flag I

The Milne Bay District Advisory Council has come int® the dis-e cussion over a Papuan flag.

Some time ago, the Port Moresby; Town Advisory Council suggesteo

iat the old pre-war flag of Papua ‘ flown again. The Milne Bay ;ople, at their January meeting, freed that the Papuan flag idea as a good one, but said the flag ould now embrace both territories.

They suggested a flag based on ie Australian Blue Ensign,

Ew Cadet Patrol Officers

Arrive

Nineteen new Cadet Patrol Officers ■rived in the Territory during inuary. They then began a six eeks’ induction course at Port oresby before being sent to widely fferent parts of Papua and New uinea, where they will get their ore practical training.

Until recently, cadets did a pre ninary course at the School of icific Administration, Sydney, but is felt these days that the initial Auction course is better at Port oresby. [ MEN Y AMY A NATIVES ON

Warpath

Nineteen natives who were in ilved in fighting in the Menyamya ■ea last December have been intenced to short terms of gaol, tiey were charged with riotous be tviour and assault.

In January, 11 more were await g trial on charges of murder and itempted murder.

Patrol officers arrested the 30 itives following a report that eight id been killed in fighting in the ienyamya area. The patrol who ent looking for the culprits found ie number killed to be 16, includ ig women and children.

Patrols will continue looking for ;her culprits; the Administration hopeful that some of the natives, )w in gaol, will when released, help ith some advice on how to pacify ie rest of their people.

Medical Benefits Scheme

Has Problems

The Papua-New Guinea Admin tration is considering a compre ensive medical benefits scheme for ie Territory.

A lot of hard work has been put ito it by some Administration ficials in the last couple of years, at the Administration and Can jrra cannot agree on how it should i handled.

In January, the Public Service ssociation of the Territory, with eadquarters at Port Moresby, was idressed on the problem of the iheme by the Director of Health, r. John Gunther. The Association as now decided to see if it can in the scheme itself, with the Ad

linistration’s support.

The plan on which the Associa on is working, is that Adminis ation officials will be compulsory embers and anyone else outside ie Public Service, voluntary. A

igular subscription would give

members a complete medical and

hospital coverage, even, it is hoped to the extent of providing cost of a fare to Australia for special treatment, if this is prescribed.

One difficulty concerns private practitioners and government Medical Officers, the latter in the Territory being in the majority.

What, for instance, would happen if a private practitioner decided that a patient should be sent to Australia, and the Health Department thought adequate treatment was available in the Territory?

The Flu Reached The

Highlands

Local quarantine restrictions were lifted on January 21. They were imposed in November to try to pre vent the then prevailing coastal influenza epidemic from reaching Highland and other remote areas.

Movement of personnel into these areas was not made without special precautions. The precautions were not successful in keeping the flu out of any of the areas intended; but

(Continued on Page 128)

(Continued from Page 125) they may have gone some way to preventing a large number of native deaths.

One of the first restricted areas to get the epidemic was Telefomin.

The attacks on Patrol Officers Szarka and Harris occurred about the same time as the restrictions were announced, but they could not be applied in that Sepik outpost as large numbers of men had to be flown in and out.

Plantation Labourers In

Fight

One native was killed and two seriously wounded when fighting occurred among natives on planta tions in the Kairuku Sub-District of Papua on January 22 after a native woman had been abducted.

The trouble started when an Abau native working on Kenosia Plantation abduc ed a local Kuni girl. He was then killed with toma hawks and spears, allegedly by Kuni natives from the plantation labour line.

Three plantations subsequently became involved in fighting until stopped by Europeans from local plantations.

Assistant District Officer H. C.

Gaywood, arrived at Kenosia from the Kairuka District Office on January 23, and reported that the situation was quiet again.

Following an investigation, three Kuni natives were charged with murder, one Musa labourer with at

tempted murder, seven Abau natives were charged with abduction, and six Musas with rioting.

In his report, ADO Gaywood com mended the prompt action taken at personal risk by the European staff of the Kanosia, Doa and Lolorua plantations, and said this had pre vented many casualties.

370 Go Home

The 370 natives who were evacu ated from Long Island in May last year, have been permitted to return to their old homes.

The evacuation followed an erup tion in a crater-lake on Long Island and the natives were sent to Saidor, on the mainlapd.

It is considered now, by the vucj canologists, that it is unlikely th;r the volcano on Long Island wi r ever be a danger to the islande:s who have asked to return home rn peatedly since their evacuation appears that the soil is richer oo Long Island, that they had t abandon large herds of pigs there-e and that anyway, they like it bettd than Saidor.

Composition Of Legislative

Council

The select committee set up la* November to investigate the corxr position of the Legislative Couno finished its work at the end c January and handed a copy of ii

There was a full attendance of Samaraui residents when District Com missioner, M. J.

Healy, opened the Samarai Branch of the Bank of New South Wales on January 7. The Bank of New South Wales first opened in Samarai in 1913 and served the com munity until the threatened Jap in vasion in 1942. This photo, by Sub - Inspector F. G.

Hoeter, shows the new premises.

eport to the Administrator, Brig hter D. M. Cleland, before he left or Australia in February.

He will be away several months n leave and will not make any nnouncement on the report until e returns in time for the next meet ig of the Legislative Council, about lay. . „ The committee sat in Po r t loresby and Rabaul and dealt with irge numbers of recommendations rom Advisory Councils and other rganisations.

Mangrove Bark Industry

Gets Going

The Territory’s new mangrove ark industry hopes to begin pro luction' by the middle of the year, ccording to the company’s man ger, Mr. C. R. Fisher.

An evaporator has already been nstalled at the works at Aird Hills, tear Kikori, and a boiler is to be nstalled there shortly.

The product from the mangrove s called cutch and is used for tan iing and dyeing. There is a sale or it in America and Japan, and he company, the New Guinea Jorneo Mangrove Company, intends o send it in that direction.

Madang Wants Permanent

Do’S

Madang people are taking a dim lew of the process of moving Dis rict Commissioners about.

The January meeting of the Town Advisory Council carried a resolu ion which viewed with concern the wactice of appointing temporary DC’s. It said the practice was a iisadvantage to the district, and igainst its progress.

The resolution asked that the Administration consider appointing lermanent DC’s and ADO’s at Madang.

There have been seven appoint nents as DC to Madang in the last ieven years. Present man is Mr.

V. B. Giles. (A few months ago, Mr. Elliott-Smith, formerly of the Papuan side, was appointed to Madang, but he has now gone on to Wewak to take the place of Mr.

A T. Temperley, who is on leave n Australia).

Papua’S Helicopter Pilot

An Australian, Robert Wilson, was presented with his helicopter ‘wings” at Port Moresby on Jan uary 29, thus creating some kind 3f a record.

DCA officials in the Territory, who passed Wilson, don’t know what the record is, but they think perhaps he’s the first Australian within the Australian Territories to be granted permission to com mercially operate a helicopter.

Wilson, who has had other flying experience, is employed by Bahamas Helicopters, who are carrying out a contract for APC. They are using three Bell machines, which are stationed at Everill Junction, in the west.

Until Wilson was put on, and trained by Bahamas’ chief pilot,

“Sandy” Wheeler, all the pilots were American.

It’s understood that Bahamas intend to retain a few more Australians. nr a rfttpr TTOTTTPPFn m , L ' UA illjK The Territory Dept, of Civil Aviation took delivery of a new Territory* for some new Anson will enable them to make more surveys, similar to that of the Baiyer River area last year.

This was the first of a new system

of aerial surveys, made as a com bined effort with DCA and District Services as the leading partners, The DCA men look for airfield sites, and have a general look at * he country while District Services inspects native populations and movements and seeks out patrol routes The'new Anson has a number of It is also fitted with Distance Measuring Equipment—a fairly re cent navigational aid which, it is

loped, will shortly be installed in ome of the main Territory centres.

’Rans-Busu Timber In June

In February, the company which 5 operating the big Trans-Busu imber lease, outside of Lae, had lalf-way completed a log-span ridge across the Busu.

The company, the Victorian firm f Murdoch and Murphy, hopes to iave the mill in operation by June, of the mill will start s soon as the bridge is finished.

Territory demands will have riority; this is a good thing for he Territory, which is still short f timber.

Police Officers Win Case

After a five-day trial, which reated a great deal of interest hroujhout the Territory, Sub-In pector Colin Evans was acquitted f a perjury charge on February 4.

Immediately after the acquittal, he Crown decided not to proceed nth a similar charge against Sub nspector Ernest Young.

Beth officers were members of he Criminal Investigation Branch dien, in December, they gave evid nce at the trial of a Port Moresby nan, John Mumford, who was harged with indecent assault on a lative woman.

Mumford alleged that Young and Evans had assaulted him while Uestioning him. The officers denied his.

The day that Mr. Justice Bignold vas to give his judgment in the ase, the Crown notified the Court hat it had fresh evidence, based in allegations of a native police unstable, Coro, that he had seen Gva-is assaulting Mumford at the :ib.

Mumford was acquitted, and both •fficers committed for trial on sharges of perjury and suspended fom duty.

Evans’ trial began in the Supreme Uourt at Port Moresby on January 18, and Evans pleaded not guilty. He lenied the assault and said that evidence by the police constable 3oro was a lie.

Mr. Justice Kelly’s judgment took ibout 11 hours to read. He said he lid not feel disposed to accept some 3f the evidence as sufficient cor roboration to prove assault.

The suspension of Evans and SToung was lifted the following day.

Another Legal Eagle For

Rabaul

t Mr. Warner Shand, a District Commissioner in the P-NG Service, has resigned to put up his shingle in Rabaul as a barrister and solicitor.

Mr. Shand, who is somewhat older than the usual law student, has spent his own time—and particularly his last long leave —in qualifying.

Territorians feel that he has earned any success that comes his way and wish him well.

In recent months he was posted to Rabaul to relieve DC McCarthy

whom it was thought was due for leave. However, Mr. McCarthy has remained in Rabaul.

Other Resignations

Other recent resignations from the P-NG service are ADO Reg Boyan and ADO Ken Jones. Mr.

Boyan was assistant Registrar of Co- Operative Assns. in the Territory and it is understood that he is going to Western Samoa to a similar sort of job.

Mr. Jones has bought a plantation in the Kokopo area.

Tough Native Survives

A native was rescued by the lighthouse vessel Wallach off the South coast of New Britain in mid- January. He was the sole survivor of a party of seven natives who were in a canoe which was badly damaged in a storm while they were on a voyage between Kitava in the Trobriands to Egum Atoll, about 50 miles to the S.E. They had begun th Afte°r y ?he had been in the damaged canoe for three days alone he decided to swim for

the land. He took some pieces of wood from the canoe and some of his personal belongings. He says he was in the sea for five days before being picked up.

When rescued he had on his small raft four bush knives, his lime pot and a small bag on his arm. He was still wearing a rami.

Telefomin Murder Suspects

At the end of January, 24 suspects were being held at Telefomin in connection with the inquiries into the Harris and Szarka murders last November.

The last eight were captured in mid-January after word had been received that they were in a village eight hours’ walk west .of the Gov eminent station Sepik District DC, Mr. S. Elliott- Smith, said that further investiga tions would continue until the task of locating the murderers of the two young patrol officers was corn plete.

To N/L Osdb

Ance—New One Coming Up

Some amendments to the present

P-NG Native Labour Ordinance came into force on January 21. (These amendments should not be confused with the proposed new NL Ordinance which, after receiving suggestions from employers in the Territory, is still doing the rounds somewhere between Canberra and Moresby).

The amendments were approved at the May, 1953, meeting of the P-NG Legislative Council and most people had forgotten about them.

It is believed that they received the Governor-General’s approval last July and since then have been de layed in Moresby.

The amendments provide for some alteration in the agreement form to be used by employers, to medical examination procedure,

holidays, accommodation, equip ment issues and place of paying off

time-expired labour

Better Aircraft Controt,

A new system of keeping check on the flight progress of aircraft ™aybe instit uted in Papua and New An official from the Department of Civil Aviation in Melbourne, Mr.

W. J. Barclay, was visiting the Ter ritory end of January to see whether the system can be installed at the main air centres at Port Moresby Lae and Madang y ’

The system is the same one operating at Sydney’s Kingsford- Smith airport, and overseas, and enables control officers to see where aircraft are in relation to each other

Their movements are recorded ok a panel.

Housing For Teachers

Both the Bulolo and Madanix k* anches of the Territory Parents, and Citizens’ Association wanr adequate housing for school teachx ers.

The Bulolo branch has complaineo? that accommodation for teachers ax Bulolo is “deplorable.” The Terri-i tory recently had a batch of new teachers from Australia, and an-x other party will arrive later in thei year. Many teachers are boardeo 1 ky townspeople in the Territory Public servants in Papua anoj New Guinea are to be allowed to: retire at 55.

During his visit in late January fu op *£ the Bulol ° plywood factory the Minister for Territories, Mri Hasluck, said the principle of thej lower retiring age (at present 60)0 had been approved.

He said officers were examining, amendments to the ordinance. One ol the matters to be worked outx was the difference in superannua-j limit contributions for the altereo the absence of any details! about the increased payments, most? public servants have been busilw workmg out their own figures. Somej of the older ones have declared thatfj it will mean a. few lump-sum pay-mems an strained budgets, if they? are to retire with their full pensiom St 00.