McCarthy Counter-
p. 140 · Read in the full issue
Chained To
Office Chair
McCarthy Counter- Attacks in Paper-Wa[?]
Port Moresby, May 31.
A PLEA by Mr. J. K. McCarty in the Legislative Council, fi less paper-work for Distrij Services personnel and greater ui of native and Asiatic clerical sta to relieve the situation, was agree to heartily by other members the Council—even though they r alise that under existing circun stances nothing is likely to be dor Mr. McCarthy said that on mai outstations —which are frequent one-man shows—the ADO or Patrc Officer is so tied down with his ii numerable clerical duties that 1 frequently does not know what] going on in his district. He is, j effect, chained to his office chai and is forced to allow his first ai real duty—that of administering] the wants of a large native populi tion and some Europeans—to suff( Proper clerical staffing was tl answer to this problem—but j everyone was aware, clerical office we re difficult to recruit and ev| more difficult to hold.
The Territory should not contim ally look to Australia to solv Q tt difficulty. The cost of erecting residence for a married officer w now between £6,000 and £7,00 there was cost of recruitment, cc of travel for the officer and 1 family, cost of leave every 21 mont and sometimes the cost of repatri tion when the recruit was unsui able. All of this was in viole disproportion to what the Ten tory could afford.
The solution was in traini] Asians and natives for clerical wo: and seeing that they were afford opportunities for eventual prom tion to better positions.
At present, lack of basic educ tion created a position where the were few suitable applicants offe ing. But far greater efforts shou be made by the Administration search for suitable people.
Some local banks were now trai ing natives in clerical duties ai this was a move in the right dire tion.
Education was the only found tion upon which any scheme I native training could be built, ft McCarthy said that he was oppos to the removal of native studer from the Territory for seconda education in Australia. He sa that the removal of th e se you; people from their natural enviro ment was wrong and that seconda schools for them should be bu in Papua and New Guinea.