Dollar Question

Assistant Administrator

Still P-Ng's 64

11/fINISTER for Territories Has luck announced in Canberra on February 11 the name of the new Papua-N. Guinea Public Ser vice Commissioner. But he made no announcement about the appointment of an Assistant

Administrator. This post has

been vacant since August, 1956.

It was confidently expected in Port Moresby in mid-December that the appointment of Mr. S. A.

Lonergan as P-NG’s Assistant Administrator would be announced almost immediately.

In mid-December, the Admin istrator of P-NG, Brigadier D. M. Cleland, said that the new Assistant Administrator would be appointed “within two weeks.”

The post of Assistant Admin istrator fell vacant when Mr. R. W.

Wilson resigned in August. Applica tions were called and closed August 18. Mr. R. Marsh was appointed from the Department of Territories, Canberra, to go to Port Moresby to “act” as Assistant Administrator.

It was believed that he had already been chosen for th° post and an announcement would be made in due course. > In November, before the name of the new appointee was an nounced, Mr. Marsh became ill and had to leave Port Moresby. l Under the Public Service Ordin ance, applications must be called for the position. Maybe the delay in making an announcement has been caused by the fact that Mr.

Lonergan did not apply for the position in August and that some special dispensation would now be necessary before he could be appointed. On the other hand, the Department of Territories may be grooming some other Australian public servant for the position, applications for which probably will have to be called again.

If Mr. Lonergan is to get the job eventually, the long delay in an nouncing the fact is completely absurd.

New Ps Commissioner

Mr. Neilson Thomson, a senior inspector with the NSW Public Ser vice Board, has been appointed Public Service Commissioner for

Papua-New Guinea.

The appointment was announced on February 11.

Mr. Thomson, who is 48, will

leave for Port Moresby on the February Bulolo and is expected to take up his duties at the -end of the month.

Although this position has per haps not the social significance of the Assistant Administratorship, it

carries a similar salary and is re garded as one of the most import ant P-NG appointments.

Mr. Thomson succeeds Mr. Eric Dwyer, who has been “acting” for a year, following the departure from the Territory of Mr. T. A. Huxley.