[?]Visory Councils

[?]Ard Elections

[?]Ssible At

[?]Rt Moresby

(From Our Own Correspondent) tE Administrator of Papua-New Guinea (Brigadier D M.

Cleland) told the Port Moresby n Advisory Council on April 26 , if ward members wanted the t of being elected, he would be ng to arrange for ward elec s immediately. •igadier Cleland said he was e willing to extend the work functions of the Council as it a stepping-stone to local gov nent. re Administrator had been in i to address the Council as a It of members’ complaints about r treatment by the Adminis ion, especially when the council upted to get some facts on elec ty expenditure. ime members told the Admin tor at the April meeting that thought little or nothing had i achieved by the Council in the 12 months, and some of them dered whether they were not ing their time. le Administration had given

them little co-operation and had even treated them with contempt, they said.

BRIGADIER Cleland replied that Council members could advise on any matter where a decision had not been made on a top level.

That did not mean that they could not discuss matters freely and criticise, he said, after a member had indicated that he wasn’t happy with the suggestion of a “gag” on members, but at the same time it did not mean that members would get every document they asked for.

The Administrator, after all. had to retain the decision on some matters, and had to reserve the right not to take advice if he con sidered he was in a better position to make the decision.

Brigadier Cleland told the Council that ward members did not repre sent the people in the wards from which they were appointed, because they had not been elected by those people—they had been appointed by him.

But if they wanted the right of being elected, he would be willing to arrange ward elections immediately.

He said he was quite willing to extend the work and functions of the Council, as it was a stepping stone to local Government.

THE Administrator told Mr. James that he would have within 48 hours the electricity trading

accounts (which Mr. James had asked for in the Legislative Council in March).

He added that if Council members could show that there was an in equitable distribution of electricity charges affecting the small con sumer he was quite willing to con sider the matter.

The Council later received notice of a motion for the next meeting “that ward elections be held in Port Moresby.’’

Another point of importance to other TAC’s: The Administrator said in answer to a question from Mrs. T. Weston that there was no reason why Councils could not have replies from the Government for every letter the Council wrote. (Port Moresby residents have not shown any desire that the local TAG should take on the functions of local government, if a Town Council were set up after the manner of Australian Town, Muni cipal or Shire Councils, it would have to levy rates and taxes (from which Moresby residents are at present mercifully free) and manage its own financial affairs). v The Polynesian Association of Sydney provided a special evening’s entertainment for personnel of HMNZS Pukaki, which called en route to Far East waters in May.

RNZN personnel include a large percentage of Maoris and some Islanders.