More Australians

Simogun Wants More Land for More Australians

Port Moresby, Nov. 6.

IT was a new experience this week to have Simogun, a native mem ber of the Legislative Council, complain about the Territory’s land policy—although most other people have done it.

And it was hot from the point of view of natives not having land, but from the point of view of Aus tralians not having it.

Simogun’s statement will make it difficult for the Territories Minister, Mr. Paul Hasluck, when next he says that native interests must be respected “at all costs.”

Simogun told the council during an adjournment that in the past the United Nations had prevailed on the Australian Government to make certain prohibitions, and it appeared now that “there was to be a prohibition on natives selling land.” He did not agree with this.

He said he would like to see the Australian Government buy land from the natives and make it avail able to Australian settlers. There were many natives, but too few Australians.

He said that there was much land throughout the Territory not being used. Although, with the increase in health, future native needs had to be provided for, he felt there was still enough land for the Govern ment to buy, and that Australians and the natives together could de velop the country.

He said, “If the Commonwealth Government does not take action to purchase land and make it available to Australians, there are other countries who are looking with covetous eyes on the open spaces of the Territory.

“I have heard that the Chinese would like to buy land in the Terri tory, and I also have heard that the Japanese have similar ideas. It is imperative that the Common wealth act and secure land for Aus tralian settlers.”

Mr. Whittaker States His

Views

Mr. George Whittaker, speaking on the same subject, said the Min ister for Territories took no cognis ance of the fact that an enormous mass of Asiatic and non-Asiatic people is likely soon to spill over :he lands of the South West Pacific.

Asiatic countries knew that New

Guinea land was empty land by their standards.

He said one mostly heard that natives were the paramount con sideration in all land matters and to a limited extent he agreed.

But the protection of European settlement in Australia and countries eastwards was an equally important consideration.

He added, “I submit that the welfare of the natives is not the most important consideration, but the national view is, and any policy which subjects our ultimate security and plans of defence to the theory that all European claims for land in this country must take a secondary place to native claims, is unsound and must lead ultimately to disaster.”

Mr. Whittaker has been an ex tremely busy man since his election to the Legislative Council on Oc tober 9. Between that date and the LegCo meeting which commenced on November 1, he visited Japan and Korea, and represented P-NG at the Federal Conference of the RSSAILA in Canberra.