Territories Talk-Talk

By Tolala

The Difficulties

of Voters Franchise in p-ng appears to be fraught with difficulties— according to a report in the South Pacific Post. An error is re ported in an electoral poster dis played in Rabaul, concerning the closing date for enrolment; other reports complained of delay in the arrival of electoral papers due to bad flying weather.

So altogether there is a some what unhappy feeling about the whole thing. If the franchise is to work out satisfactorily, Bureaucracy must take a realistic view of the situatiqn and use initiative—if that is possible. Distances, flying weather conditions and such must be allowed for. . . . Or does it really matter?

Premature Talk Over

Native Hangings

There has been more than a little talk over petitioning the Powers

That Be against the hanging of the Telefomin natives concerned in the massacre there last year.

The parents of the murdered officials, missions’ representatives and many others have all had much to say in the Australian Press and to me this all appears to be a bit premature, for the death sentences have not yet been confirmed and, from past experience, I should be very surprised if they are not com muted.

Justice in NG has always been tempered with mercy, where native murderers of Europeans have been concerned (some people have thought too much so) and statistics from the Supreme Court of the Territory show that a great majority of death sentences have been commuted to varying terms of imprisonment.

Surely the time for the hue and cry for commutation of the sent ences is after confirmation.

The ° ne outstanding example of pue death sentence being carried out in the face of political and a section of public opinion, was that passed

on the one and only European e executed in TNG, about 1935. was found guilty on three or f< counts of the wilful murder primitive natives in the Sepik a whilst recruiting. The execut took place in Rabaul and the le nervous member of that dawn pa near the prison compound appea to be the principal actor in grim tragedy. He seemed mi calmer than I felt, anyway.

When native executions did ti place in TNG they were usue carried out in the area where 1 crime was committed.

The Waria Syndicate

and Reparations

The hearing in Moresby of 1 German-American-Swedish Syn cate’s claim for mining rights 5,000 square miles of Morobe count opened on August 16 before 1 Lands Titles Commissioner. Accoi ing to a report in the South Pac\ Post, “A Government who lost war was responsible for reparatic . . . . individuals of that Gover ment who owned property in ( propriated lands were entitled keep that property. German i dividuals were allowed to rets their property despite the fact tt their Government had lost the w

K . The Government who won the par could sell land owned by people >n the losing side. . . frhis is the first time I have heard Germans in NG, after War I, and tollowing the Versailles Peace Creaty, having been allowed to “re am their property.” All ex-enemy lationals were “prescribed” and heir property expropriated and

igreements terminated.

[, An appeals board was set up and t number of appeals upheld, one eason being that the one-time per fectly good German citizens had be «me, as a result of the changed wst-war map of Europe, citizens of >oland, Czechoslovakia and so on. )ne case, which I remember, was hat of a one-time high government ifilcial being allowed to retain his (roperty, as his birth-place was in he new Poland.

It was really a sorry business in aany instances to deprive these doneer settlers of their hard-won ssets in that far-flung German olony, and the Territory lost a lot f experienced planters as a re ult. But that was not the worst f it: Each ex-enemy national re eived a receipt for the assets aken over by the Australian Gov rnment to be presented to the Ger lan Government from whom they rould receive payment.

Germany was credited in the Rep rations Fund, through the Inter ational Bank, on a gold basis, but tie German Government paid out ) its own nationals, on the receipts resented, in the existing inflated terman currency. I heard of many ases where the German owners of aluable plantations had received rom their own Government com ensation which enabled them only ) have “a really good dinner” or uy themselves a suit and a pair C shoes!.

Little wonder there were harsh jelings amongst old German NG lanters. Most of them, I think, re used that their own Government as to blame.

But with regard to the Syndicate’s [aim; I remember hearing of a lipment of mining machinery con [gned to the Waria Syndicate (or ime such name) being sunk or aptured at the outbreak of War I imewhere around Africa.

And now ? Well, it’s up to the ;gal eagles to prove or disprove [ties, agreements or what have you i a country which has been badly :arred, so far as titles are con erned, in two world wars.

Jative Secondary

chool Education The Moresby District Advisory louncil appears somewhat appre ensive concerning the housing of .ative students in Australia in lostels “where there was little super ision and they were left open to be influence of characters who ould do them a lot of harm.” . . . ►urely it was self-evident that such

doubtful liberties would be accorded native students when it was de cided to send them to Australia and that, I take it, was one of the main reasons for opposing such a step by persons who fully realised the un pleasant possibilities attendant on the return of these students.

Officialdom must take a realistic view of the situation if it desires to obviate future social complica tions.

Secondary schooling for natives should be given in the Territory and nowhere else. If, as reported by the Minister for the Navy in the House of Representatives, the Aus tralian Government can spend £15,400 for an officers’ mess building on Manus, £13,000 for the o/c’s re sidence, £3,000 for a swimming pool and a £239,000 building programme for cottages, surely finance could be found for the establishment of a secondary school in the Territory.

The Low Islands Mention of the Mortlock (not Mortlake) and Tasman Islands (Aug.

PIM, p. 130) conjures up nostalgic memories of those two typical tropical examples of Atoll Groups.

Both are the answer to the prayer of anyone desiring South Sea isola tion, and both were originally owned by Queen Emma, who transferred one of them—the Mortlocks—to one

of her staff—an Englishman named Highley, who died there.

His widow married again and as Mrs. Calder opened up Toboroi plant ation near Kieta, on Bougainville.

She met a tragic death in the Mort locks—result of a dynamite accident.

Little wonder these islands are

hard to find. As well as being low-lying, Mortlocks’ position the charts 20 years ago was ab ten miles out. In the old Gern days the Sumatra called at th islands every three months and fore War 11, WRC vessels kepi somewhat similar schedule.

I population figures must be on the increase if the figure of 437 is lorrect for the two groups. In 1939 the Mortlocks had only 166 heads to be counted and Tasman 101.

Visiting Yip’s

i Some people are looking for the reason of the recent visits to P-NG of top-line diplomats from Aus tralia. Indian, USA and German ambassadors have all been up hav ing a look-see. Apparently after first-hand information of a land which is well in the lime-light now and may be more so later on.

The Important

Month of September

" The month of September has been a historic month for New Britain.

In 1914 the AN & MEF landed at Kabakaul and the engagement on the Bitapaka Road (not far from the present war memorial) toot place with the German defenders, which was Australia’s first blooding in War I. On September 12 the famous proclamation was read in Rabaul and translated into Pidgm- English (I think it was by that old sea-dog Capt. Strasburg) and ended with “No more um Kaiser. God save um King!”

On September 13, 1945, the Aussies came again and took over from the Japs.

Raluanas and

Village Councils

A report from Rabaul states that there was some argument at the July meeting of the local TAG when Mr. Don Barrett, MLC, moved that unwilling Tolai natives should be forced into the village council set up.

The motion was defeated.

Administration Offi c i a 1 J. J- Murphy said the “people referred to” had a “perfect right to exercise their rights under constitutional law in opposing going into a council if they so wish.” And presumably, that is the official attitude in the matter.

No names of villages were men tioned but without very much trouble one could assume the de bate referred to the Raluana “in cident,” which was to have been determined when the Administrator returned from leave last April.

There has been a grim silence for some time on this subject, which might indicate officialdom is trying to forget the whole thing. Time will prove whether such tactics are wise.

Tension has always been high be tween Popis and Talatalas (RC’s and Methodists to the uninitiated) in the Tolai country ever since I can remember —more’s the pity.

There was an outburst of sectarian ism recently when a native truck driver crashed into some decorated arches at Vunadadir, erected for the celebrations of the Feast of the Assumption. RC Mission natives

who are alleged to have said that it was a Methodist “plot,” attacked the driver, as well as the local priest who went to his assistance. The donnybrook was broken up by Rabaul Medical Officer, Dr. Saave, who said that the Father tak ing most of the punishment.”

Fortunately, injuries were slight, but it’s a sad state of affairs when

religious fervour runs so high. Ai way, the driver claimed later tt he, too, was a Roman Catholic. * * * Bits and Pieces: Tariff Board quiry into exemption of import di for P-NG rubber producers op< m Melbourne on September Here s wishing them luck. . . Pass away in Sydney on August 8, E. (Nip) Burke, popular pre-v identity in Rabaul. He was a hap bloke. . . Ben Costello, son the late Ben of Gire Gire, 1 the news recently when he eras landed his plane in NSW and and his companions escaped inji and the plane was undamaged.

Passed to his rest in Melbourne August 30 Bishop Gerard Veste OBE, who for sixteen years u Vicar Apostolic at Vunapope a retired in 1937. He will always remembered for the good organis tion he carried out during the 19 eruption at Rabaul. A very fi gentleman.