There Never Was A Kau-Kau Racket

Official Makes Strong Denial

Allegations that there was, or had been, a conspiracy in the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea to rob the Administration and the local natives in order to enrich small groups, was “cate gorically denied” by Mr. H. H. Reeve, P-NG Treasurer, oh May 31.

HE was speaking “to the adjourn ment” in the Papua-New Guinea Legislative Council and referred to two articles that had appeared in the local Port Moresby newspaper, the South Pacific Post.

On May 16, the Post had stated that a closed panel of settlers in the Goroka area bought kau-kau (sweet potatoes) from local natives at 5d per pound and sold it to the Government as labour rations for 2d per pound: that the panel had cornered the market to the exclusion of the newer settlers of the district; and that the Administration was losing about £25,000 per year over the “racket.”

On May 23, another article on the same subject was, according to Mr.

Reeve, so presented in the paper that it appeared that Mr. A. A.

Roberts, Director of Native Affairs, had endorsed what the Post had originally said. Mr. Reeve intimated that Mr. Roberts had not meant what he appeared to mean. (The Post subsequently stated that the statement attributed to Mr. Roberts had been checked and approved by him).

Mr. Reeve went on; “Irresponsible allegations must not be permitted to mar the harmony of the Terri tory. . . The Administration would be failing in its duty if it allowed one section of the community to profit at the expense of another. . .

This newspaper has a monopoly of news dissemination in this Terri tory and therefore has a duty to report accurately. Such baseless allegations (as those concerning kau-kau) could have a disastrous effect on the native people. . .

Terms used in the original article were ‘racke t,’ ‘rake-off,’ ‘self appointed closed panel,’ ‘outside tenders not accepted.’ There is no foundation whatever for the use of these terms.”

These are the Facts

APIM representative, who was in Goroka in early June, was able to ascertain the following facts about the supply of kau-kau to local Government departments, such as Police Depot, etc.: In the early days of Goroka’s establishment, the local natives brought kau-kau, the local staple

food, into the settlement and si it direct to various departments! rations. However, as the town a the district grew, the natives, folic ing their usual pattern, turned] with kau-kau only when the sp; moved them, and consequently j Administration, in order to I regular supplies, was forced to] out with tractors and trailers ale the roads to collect the kau-kau the spot at villages.

This required time and labour a the then District Commissioner, fe ing that he could employ his st on more profitable work, put j matter before the Farmers’ a Settlers' Association and throl them was able to arrange for c( tinuity of supply at 2d per pou delivered Goroka.

Some settlers bought kau-l from local natives; some produi it themselves but in any event 1 Administration got all the kau-1 it required, when it wanted it, a price it was prepared to pay a with someone else doing the won ing.

In early 1955, in order to regulal supply, a panel of three —none] whom was a kau-kau supplier grower himself —was appointed;; job was to arrange for sped amounts of kau-kau to be suppl by individuals at specific tiro This seemed to work well—and far as the F & S Assn, is aware,, settler was disgruntled; whether not he was a member of the Asi ciation he was, at some time, gi\ his chance to supply kau-kau. T system, according to our informal far from excluding the new settlers from participating in ks kau supply actually helped th because the older settlers, once th permanent crops, such as coffee, 1 gan to be profitable, no longer w interested in side-lines.

The panel system at any r lasted only a few months and sh July, 1955—almost a year ago—pul tenders have been called for sup of kau-kau to Administration ( partments. These tenders, we und stand, are let for periods of t months, and as the accepted pract is not to tender below 2d. ] pound, and as there apparently; still some effort made to see tl everyone who wishes gets a chai of participating, the only net result

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change that we can see is that yone concerned is involved in t more paper work, le minimum price paid to ves at pick-up point is Id. per id; this covers glut periods* as much as Ud has been paid imes of scarcity. There is, so as we could ascertain, nothing ither the panel or tender system reclude natives from still carry ;heir kau-kau into Goroka, where various departments (Police, ur pool, native hospital, etc.) buy it direct, presumably at full price. In fact about £2,000 ,h of kau-kau is bought per im by the Administration in way. Through the tenders, t £20,000 worth per annum is based. ither is there anything to stop ; native tycoon putting in a er, or purchasing a lorry in h to go around collecting kau from his lesser brethren. In in the very nature of things, is probably what is eventually j to happen. European settlers le Highlands are all establish permanent assets —coffee, live :, etc.—and will in time be y to leave the catch-crops, such egetables, fruit, p?a-nuts, etc., ie natives. the meantime most of the es are content to allow some to call around to collect their jce; in this way they can dis not only of their kau-kau, but of their passionfruit, vege s and peanuts. e mystery as to who took it themselves to start this ilous rabbit running remains ved; some local Goroka opinion ; to the belief that it stems the natural jealousy of the Df the Territory for the High ;. We have no opinion about but we are convinced that the e affair is a simple business igement worked out in lonsense manner in order to ome purely local difficulties; there never has been anything -hush or underhand about it; that the natives far from be sxploited, are having their inadequately safeguarded, e European settlers are quite 'ally annoyed at suddenly find hemselves (without just cause, ley believe it) central figures Territory-wide sensation —so i so that they are currently g legal advice as to what action ke. But what has hurt them is the allegation that this is first sign of dry rot in the ilands) European-Native re iship.” don’t perceive signs of any

thing of the sort. The relationship between Europeans and natives —the vast majority of the latter still completely primitive—could scarcely be happier. The theory that the native and the European settler should go forward together, work ing for and building an integrated, contented community, is subscribed to actively and not given mere lip service as it is in many other parts of Territory.