Speaks

Millions Wasted,

He Says

Public Servant

Speaks

On the Record

A PUBLIC servant of Papua and New Guinea, Mr. J. W. Miller, who did that most un-public-servant like thing—spent his leave crusading for an inquiry into alleged Territory

bungling received a flattering

amount of notice from the Southern press.

Whether the matter goes any further than that remains to be seen; present indications are that it is unlikely.

Mr. Miller, who is chief hospital engineer in the Territory, alleges that millions are being wasted in P-NG in inefficient administration.

He spent some time in Canberra during his leave, interviewing pri vate members on both sides of the House.

Some Govt, members are said to have felt that a thorough inquiry was necessary—but this was before Mr. Menzies’ outburst to his back-benchers in late May and his threat to resign if all Liberals did not fall into line. As the current session of Federal Parliament closes, indications are that there is a falling into line in order to avoid the sort of split that has discredited the Opposition party in recent months.

When the Minister for Territories, Mr. Hasluck, was asked a question in the House about Mr. Miller’s charges of inefficiency in P-NG, the Minister replied that he had no official information on the subject and that any criticism by a public

servant should be made through de partmental channels.

Even from Mr. Hasluck we might have expected a more intelligent answer than that. For all we know to the contrary, Mr. Miller may have tried to get a hearing through the approved channels; if he did not, then dozens of others have —and achieved nothing.

Mr. Hasluck may live in a lofty Ivory Tower —and there certainly are plenty of signs that he does— but it seems impossible that he has not yet grasped the fact that his administration in Papua and New Guinea is immensely unpopular with a large section of the com munity.

It may be said of course, that all administrations are unpopular and that in spite of the alleged bungling, Papua-New Guinea remains the most up-and-coming territory in the South Pacific. Perfectly true, of course—but neither is a reason why well-authenticated complaints should invariably he shuffled off with political platitudes.

Mr. Miller is not the only public servant who has had these things to say. But he is the only one who has—in the language of the day— stuck his neck out and said them “on” the record, instead of “off.”

Nautical Quartet

W. Tebb (upper left), a wartime frog now in shell-diving partnership with Mr. [?]unting, has returned to Samarai in the how” after purchasing equipment in [?] [?]ain R. N. Beim (upper right), head of [?]lebrides Trading and Shipping Co., owners [?]ila Star”, returning to Santo by Qantas a business visit to Sydney. [?]er: Mr. E. Thortveit, skipper of the Hebrides trader "Deutgan”, now refitting [?]dney, has returned to Santo. His place [?]een taken by Mr. A. Lendel (right), well in south-west Pacific waters as part of the trochus-fisher "Tamara” now re in Sydney.