New Guinea Highlands Residents

[?]rtnership

Draw Up Bill Of Rights

The Australian “administering authority” (which suffers badly at hands of anti-colonial powers like Costa Rica, India, Indonesia and, nurse, USA) should be pleased with the remarkable document that natedfrom the Highland Farmers’ and Settlers’ Assn., Goroka, New nea, after that body’s 4th Annual meeting on July 29. But it is a ea to a gooseberry that it will not.

;LY the official view will be at if there is any tub-thump r to be done; any Charter or -Rights for any part of the >ry, it should be done illy,” or not at all. begin with, the settlers, in manifesto, assume that they a perfect right to be where re. And this is something— as we know —that no one ; official side of the “admin g authority’s” fence has ever ed in plain words, i, too, the settlers have set blunt fashion that as well as ges, natives, settlers and the stration should assume their isponsibilities. sort of speaking is apt to be lin to be palatable, lly, such a public avowal of is likely to be regarded, ly, as offensive to the United s Trusteeship Council: Papua erritory of Australia, but the s on the other side of the are being groomed for self ment, and if the UN envisages is a partnership, along the uggested by the F & S Assn., ip to date we have misjudged ling the UN Trusteeship [1 has said. no one imagine that these nds settlers are not corn sincere in the rules for liv it they have set out for them -they do not pay mere lip i to the idea of partnership n European and native. They not starry-eyed dreamers, but men long in vision, laps someday, one of these bulating experts who wander ruinea surveying this and that, )me up with a theory as to his particular breed of men attracted to the Highlands >e people endow pioneering l spiritual as well as a prac lignificance. It is a pity that lo not live in more propitious for at no period in the affairs i has the high-resolve of the group been so nullified by the res and stresses from the without. it would be an incautious who said that this crystallising ;ir aims into a Charter was tie importance; or that the mds experiment has not

already had results. It is watched with interest —and not a little envy— by the rest of Papua and New Guinea. And this feeling of “brother hood” between white and brown

was the most significant thing re marked upon by the recent Visiting Mission in its report to UNO.

The Charter, unanimously adopted,

sets out the following aims: • The good relations now prevailing be tween the Highlands people and ourselves must be maintained by just and fair dealing, and we look to the Administration to foster and encourage, by the actions of its officers, the growing economic and development partnership which we consider to be the best means of helping all classes and all races. • We believe that it is our duty and function to provide those skills and services which the Highlands people are not yet able to achieve without direct assistance. By collecting, purchasing and marketing the pro duce of all who lack the means of transporta tion and disposal, we can create the beginnings of a sound economy for the Highlands people.

We look forward to the day when they them selves can gradually provide their own trans

i and find their own markets by , incentive and imitation. believe that it is important for the s people to realise that we and they n thrown together at a time and place lake us partners in the development jntry only recently released from the of tribal war. We place no limita on the future progress of vhe tligh ople. accept without qualification the fact land is owned by the Highlands people y themselves choose to dispose of their e believe that it is they alone who lave the right of accepting us as I settlers. In those cases where the ation can clearly establish the fact pite the desire of the owners of land their land, there is real danger of and shortage for such owners, we at no action should be taken by the mt to purchase any land vital to enerations of Highlands people. are strongly opposed to the specu quisition of land, and we are opposed essary interference and obstruction of \ of men to buy and sell what they own in circumstances which do not the development of the country. believe that the social organisation lighlands people and their traditional must not be damaged or changed ti time as they themselves, by natural of development, desire to make which will better adjust them to tact with Western civilisation. are opposed to the introduction of aids, subsidies and systems which are I on economic realities and basic facts y and demand. We are opposed to osed organisation which cuts across ing social organisation of the people. are opposed in principle to the system tured labour; to any form of dis ry law or regulation and particularly

fo the growing tendency towards over government and excessive legislation. We be lieve that good government creates a maximum opportunity for progress and development with as little interference with the rights of individuals as possible. • While we strongly oppose discriminatory legislation which places separate restrictions upon people of different racial origin, we de plore any weakness by those in authority to enforce the laws and regulations of the country upon the indigenous inhabitants. It is our belief that it is the duty of the administering authority to create a sense of responsibility amongst the people by the establishment of good order and the encouragement of self discipline. • Sincere in our desire to see the Highlands people advance and progress without restraint, we declare that we will oppose with all the means at our command any attempt to obstruct our own economic and social status in the community. • We declare our. loyalty to the Throne and to the country in which we live. We believe that our presence as persons develop ing the country is essential to internal security and vital to the confidence of the Highlands people. • in time of war we shall place ourselves immediately at the disposal of the Australian Military Commander; but we will oppose any attempt to remove us from our homes and land. We shall remain, under Providence, as the resident representatives of our people in the face of any invasion. t A Government printing press is expected to be in operation in Western Samoa before the end of this year. Some equipment already has arrived and New Zealand is to

make surplus plant available.

* The geological survey of Western Samoa, which will be made m conjunction with a soil survey already under way, is expected to take about three months. Mr D Kear and Mr. B. L. Wood, of the NZ Department of Scientific and Industrial Research’s geological sur vey branch, will make it.