More Reports of

Talk of Bureaucrats and Dictators

More Reports of “Liveliness 99 on Norfolk

Despite the visit of the Secretary of the Department of Territories to Norfolk Island in January, Norfolk Islanders still intend to petition the Queen for removal of newly imposed taxes.

WHEN the Secretary of the Aus tralian Department of Terri tories, Mr. C. R. Lambert, accompanied by the Economist (Mr. Gleeson), stepped off the plane from Norfolk Isiand. in Sydney, on January 13, a friend greeted him thus: “May I offer congratulations on your New Year’s honour (the CBE), your rise in pay announced to-day (from £3,000 to £4,500 per annum) and on your escape uninjured from Norfolk Island!”

Mr. Lambert smiled wryly. “They are not as bad as they have been represented,” he said. “They are up set about the new ad valorem taxes, of course. But, while taxes on luxury items have been raised in some cases, taxes on certain food stuffs and other necessities have been either reduced or removed altogether. The Norfolk Islanders, like people everywhere, must meet tne new costs of living. The public finances there have not been revised for thirty years.”

BUT the visit of the Departmental chief and his economist did little to soothe the Islanders (see January PIM). The whole community (850 persons, all told) is in a ferment, and the petition to the Queen, praying for the removal of oppressive taxes, and of “dictator ship,” so that some form of demo cratic government may be intro duced, has been signed by most of the householders, and will go for ward to Her Majesty.

Copies of this and other docu ments are being prepared for dis tribution among members of the Australian Parliament.

NI says it will not resume the peace and calm which have made it famous until “the power of bureaucracy”—which it has chal lenged in such forthright fashion— has been broken.

Bureaucracy, however, points out that NI enjoys freedom from in come taxation. NI replies that, if one takes into consideration the facts that they are obliged to pay heavily at the Custom House for most of the goods they import, and that the sea freight from Sydney to NI is no less than £lB per ton, they are more heavily taxed than re sidents of NSW.

Bureaucracy says that NI should engage more in agricultural produc- H? 11 * retorts that most of its allotments of land are from ! acre to 1 acre — what IS the use of that for agriculture? And where is there any ? market for its products, any- Bureaucracy says NI must contribute more to the cost of its Administration. NI answers furiously that it already raises, in public revenue, over £20,000 per annum (Mr. Lambert’s own figures), and this should be ample for the government of 850 people.

NI also points out that no less than 42 public servants have their headquarters at Kingston, NI, and that their salaries last year totalled some £30,000. It points out that it costs some £6,000 per annum to maintain a totally unnecessary Ad ministrator and Government House at Kingston—and that that would provide a weekly pension of 50/- per week for 50 aged and indigent people, of whom there are many in NI. ntt NI admits that Australia contributes between £15,000 and £20,000 per annum for the upkeep of the Administration. But (asks NI) what does Australia gain from that,

when the 850 Norfolk Islam could govern themselves with t; own £20,000 per annum reve:i without any subsidy from Austra NX is extremely bitter about fact that the new Administrs (Brigadier H. B. Norman) in the past couple of years sj some £63,000 of special grant on refurbishing of his house, and old stone offices and stores; Kingston, merely to bring solace comfort to an unnecessary Adr istration, whereas the expend! of that sum on NI generally m have established some sort of fitable industry. (At present, NI lives on over revenue derived from the sale little bean-seed, from the pri incomes of the many retired pe there, and from the tourist trafl One of Nl’s angriest charge that Bureaucracy has propose' impose a landing-charge per I on all visitors, the bulk of whorr the revenue-producing tourists.

Bureaucracy said that NI w have to provide more revenue essential services. NI prori pointed out that much revenue now wasted on a school sy; (£5,500 pa for 150 children) afforestation (which could be ca:. on by the community on a volur system).

NO punches were pulled in early in January, when S» tary Lambert and Econc Gleeson met the residents in pi meeting. Mr. Lambert divu figures covering revenue, exp« ture and Australian subsides — which the Island Council has seeking for a long time.

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A correspondent says: “The ax ence was shocked on hearing astronomical sums that had fc scattered among the various dep: ments, created for the governm of 850 people.”

Secretary and Economist seei anxious to find some way of mat NI “more self-supporting.” T were not impressed when amateur economist pointed out ti if the Administration were remo the recently-renovated bui’d: around Kingston Bay could turned into a delectable and w equipped holiday resort, comp with bathing beach, golf-cou tennis courts, etc , which would e: out of the consequent tourist tra all the revenue that NI wc normally require.

Mr. Lambert, at one stage, as a Councillor what value he thou Canberra placed upon NI. • Councillor retorted; One thousi loyal British subjects should h some value.”

Others pointed out that, in wars, NI contributed, in proporl to home population, a larger mi ber of volunteer fighters than other community in the Emp Moreover, the returned men been promised various rehabill tion privileges; but none of tM had received anything—not even of the famous grant of £63,000!

Each of the last three Admi: trators (said others) had had so fancy scheme for the economic vancement of the island: each sp funds on his plan; but, as e “little dictator” disappeared, plan disappeared with him.

“The people are 100 per cent, hind the president of our Coun Ray Nobbs, in his fight agaj Bureaucracy and Dictators!! writes our correspondent, rati flamboyantly; but that is an indl tion of Nl’s state of mind.

Since the petition to the Qu was promoted, Canberra has sho a livelier interest in NI affa Messrs. Lambert and Gleeson app to favour an attempt to revive whaling industry. Whaling exp*< have arranged a visit to the isls A high official of the War Ser- Homes Division is to visit the IsLJ on February 10.

And nothing more has been he? of the plan to put a head tax: tourists!