Not Nearly Enough
pp. 111-112 · Read in the full issue
P-Ng’S Titles Problem
Not Nearly Enough Surveyors
From a Special Correspondent Bougainville, Buka, Manus, all Islands east and north of Samarai, New Britain (exclud ing Rabaul), New Ireland (exclud ing Kavieng and Namatanai), have not had a surveyor since the War.
The native peoples, especially those of the Gazelle Peninsula, are quickly realising the significance of the fact that our Titles records were almost entirely lost, due to Japanese action. Many know that they can encroach on alienated land merely by moving the cement pegs and concocting a plausible story for the first Cadet Patrol Officer who in vestigates.
It is instilled into a surveyor by his Institute, and by the quality of the work maintained by the old Australian surveyors, that Title to Land is sacred —whether it be a half-acre block or a whole country; and that restoration of Title is an exact science.
If the alienated land (187,000 acres in New Britain alone, or 2 per cent.) is to be restored to Title to the satisfaction of the surveyor (the only man trained for such work), it can be seen what a tremendous
task lies ahead of the six operative surveyors, and their three assistants, in this Territory.
Insecurity of Title is having a noticeably adverse effect on large scale investment, and so on the natural income of the Territory. A little extra money spent now in the encouragement of surveyors would pay very fair dividends in the near future to the country as a whole.
At present the salary of a sur veyor, as advertised for, is on a par with the Draftsman and Executive Officer who has not his training or deep responsibility; and is well be low the mining-engineer and valuer, also professional men.
Salaries and opportunities in Aus tralia compare more than favourably
with those in the Territory.
In Government Gazette No. 27, of June 7, 1956, eight Grade II sur veyors were advertised for. It will be interesting to note the results.
A qualified surveyor can get hun dreds of pounds per annum more in Australia than in New Guinea.
At present, there are only two Grade 111 men (Rabaul and Lae), four Grade II men (Moresby, Madang, Rabaul and Popendetta), and three assistants (Kavieng, Lae and Rabaul) in the two Territories.