They Still Talk about Land

Settlement Schemes in P-NG

(From Our Rahaul Correspondent )

Implementation Of A Land

Settlement Scheme in New Guinea is uppermost in the minds of a large proportion of Rabaul citizens.

Legislative Council candidates John Stokie and Don Barrett made it an important plank in their election platform: the RSL Rabaul Sub-branch has stressed it on behalf of Returned Servicemen; the

Asiatics have voiced their opinions in the Press.

But todate no encouragement has come from Canberra, despite pres sure from all sides.

Mr. J. R. Foldi, New Britain Dis trict Commissioner, gave some indi cation of higher-up policy when he recently told delegates from the RSL Sub-branch that instructions from Canberra disallowed purchase

of any native land except for < eminent utilities.

The South Pacific Post rep< that the Minister for Territ Mr. Hasluck. had stated tha native rights must be satisfied fore a Land Settlement Scl could be initiated. Later Mr. luc denied that he had made statement.

New Britain Native Lands ( missioner, Mr. Jack Read, has i the last month investigating land rights of the Matupi I; villagers. His investigations in one area are still incomplete, it is anyone’s guess when they be completed.

Much of this delay can be s buted to the lack of co-operatic the villagers who, like the pr bial Irishmen, don’t know what want and won’t be satisfied they get it.

The local RSL has stated unless a Soldiers’ Land Settle Scheme is implemented soon, Ex-Servicemen will be too o] take advantage of it. A Sol Settlement Scheme w naturally, embrace all Ex-Sei men throughout the Com] wealth: and though it is na that the League should watct interests of its members, it is that this is partly responsible the “sitting-on-the-fence” att of the Government.

It would entail vast expend and a huge administr machinery to police it in all it pects, and settling Servicemen, no knowledge of Territory condi or labour, on valuable land op up with Government capital, v present a grave risk of heavy fi cial loss.

It is possible that the Goi ment would listen more sympa ically to a more modified ge: Land Settlement Scheme: one would give first preference to turned Servicemen now in the T tory, second preference to Prot< Persons, and third preference tc Servicemen outside the Territ Mr. Keith McCarthy, ex- Britain District Commissioner, during his tenure of office, were he given authority to land in the New Britain Dij for Land Settlement, he would serve approximately 25 per cen any area so opened to satisfy fi needs of local natives.

The reserve percentage woul( course, vary, according to the of land and the density of pop tion of the indigines in the locs Put into effect, this idea woul sufficient argument to overcome Governmental qualms on beha. the natives.

A rapidly growing country i produce to survive and in t times, when land-starved nat are growing more aggressive their demands for more lii space, a population of less t three persons to the square mill in NG is an anomaly that mus altered one way or another.