Land Systems Come Under Fire In Ng

E. Highlands' Plain Talk to High Official

No holds were barred in Goroka, New Guinea Central High lands, on December 2, when an advocate of the Australian Terri tories Ministers new plan of land allocation and settlement in New Guinea met some of the plan’s foremost critics.

THE advocate was Mr. Rupert Wilson (the new Assistant Ad ministrator) and the critics were led by Mr. Jim Leahy and Mr. J. L. Taylor.

The PIM, in recent issues, has de scribed the Minister’s plan, and what is regarded as its defects. The Minister is trying to “mechanise and Departmentalise” the whole system of acquiring land from the natives and allotting it for new settlement; whereas those who really know the country, and appreciate the need for tying in European land settlement with the Administration’s obligation to improve native standards of life, insist that the most effective method of land settlement is to select the new settlers individually and screen them carefully before finally allow ing them to settle down beside native communities.

The Minister wants assessment of native land needs, purchases of native lands, soil surveys, decisions on what crops shall be grown, land subdivision, and disposal of land by tender to be made by Adminis tration officials, in accordance with an over-all official plan. The “old hands” point to the notable suc cess achieved in the East High lands District under Commissioner lan Downs, where prospective settlers were subjected to a pre liminary screening by a sympathetic District Commissioner: encouraged to go in personally and contact the natives and indicate the blocks of land they wanted and could acquire; and then were admitted only after the DC and his officers were satis fied that the natives did not need the land, that the price was right, that the personal relationship be tween the European and the natives would be beneficial to the natives, and that the European had the knowledge and the finance to be come a successful planter.

Sharpest criticism of the Min ister’s new plan—which makes land settlement mechanical and imper sonal—has come from Eastern High lands; and some of the critics obvi ously welcomed the chance of a talk with the Minister’s represent ative (Mr. Wilson).

THE Chairman (Mr. lan Downs, DC in Eastern Highlands) said that a special team, headed by Mr. Mclnnis (head of the Lands Department, who under the new plan is to assume most of the re sponsibility for new European land

settlement) had been recently in the Western Highlands and obtained several blocks of land for settlement.

The Eastern District local officials also had secured several blocks— including 6 in Kainantu and 3 in Goroka and details had been sent in to the Lands Department.

Mr. George Greathead: Are they going through under the old system or under the new tender system?

The chairman said the land avail able would be advertised; and the Land Board would consider all applications. There would be some fixed price for these blocks. They would not necessarily go to the highest tenderers.

Mr. Leahy expressed confusion regarding the Administration’s plans on soil survey, limitation of areas, and so forth. Was there a land policy?

The chairman said the Minister’s policy was set out in his letter of October 11, to the Farmers’ and Settlers’ Association.

Mr. Leahy said he could not be lieve that the soil surveys made in connection with Highlands land purchases could have been properly done in three weeks. If they called the old system haphazard, what could they call this? Why was the old system totally prohibited?

Mr. W. B. Blackley said that the F. and S. Association intended to press for a re-introduction of the old system.

The chairman said that “planned settlement’’ was desirable and necessary where sufficient areas of land were available to make a proper survey possible—such a plan to embrace sub-soil tests, sub division, provision of communica tions and other amenities. But in other circumstances the old system had its merits. There was need and room for both systems until the land available for settlement could meet the demand.

Mr. Leahy: But in small areas the new system is not worth while — in this District it is ridiculous.

The chairman: I agree—but this system was designed for the Terri tory as a whole, and the Territory needs it.

Mr. Leahy: No one objects to planning—but why stop genuine settlers from getting land under the old method? I should like to see the other system maintained.

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Mr. D. Mcßeath, the Rev. Fatlu A. Schaefer, and Pastor A.

Campbell supported Mr. Leahy in a( vocating “the individual approach The natives might favour a pa: ticular European settling amor them, and the Administration migl approve; but under the new syster no one could tell whether the pe: son whose application for land sui ceeded could maintain good n lations with and help the native no matter how acceptable he migl be to Land Board officials. “If tl old system is wiped out, it will be great drawback to the country ar will stop partnership between Eur< peans and natives, progressing sic by side,” said Father Schaefer.

Mr. J. L. Taylor said the Mil ister had been wrongly advised but no one knew who was his a< viser in this matter. Why the b mystery?

MR. WILSON, who had listen* to this discussion without r mark, now said that the bas factor in the Minister’s policy w; that land would be made availab for European settlement only wh< it was surplus to native needs. ] that respect, the old system hs disadvantages.

He said that the survey Western Highlands was done by party which included represen atives of Lands, Soils and Forestr and despite the short period th were there, the survey was thoroug The Board, which would deal wi applications for the blocks becomii available, would satisfy itself th applicants were genuine land-see! ers, that they knew something abo land use, and that they had su ficient finance to get along. T] investigation would be thoroug] when there were more than oi applicant of similar qualificatior there would be a ballot. The nc settlers must be a good example the natives: it was desired th European settlement be interspersi with native communities: but—ai this was where the Minister insist* on 'planned settlement —there mu be roads and communications ai similar amenities before Europea: could settle.

Mr. Leahy protested that all the things had been taken care of qui successfully in Eastern Distri under the old system—soil sum reading, care of native interes “Now you say stop and wait t the experts, and everything is he up! So far as this District is co cerned, this is just giving it anoth name—and taking six times long.”

Mr. Wilson said that the new tea knew their job and would do better survey. There had been ca£ of land speculation.