[?]E Winders Report Out Of Cold-Store :: Talk

[?] Guinea Diary

Arout Tax :: Sur-Charge On Parceis

During the month Territorians who are alleged by iuthority to inhabit a taxless paradise had their minds very Quch on taxes: the proposed new slug on liquor; an impost on larcels to Goroka; and, for the natives of Lae, Village Council axes.

)M EVIL COMETH GOOD . . . t Papua-New Guinea there are occasional echoes of war. A l is killed by the explosion from ar-time gun; stray ammunition jcidenJtally uncovered; war-time s still abound: and the Japanese iselves have collected their dead, are now back again to salvage ships we sank. the Milne Bay area, Papua, re two Native Local Govern t Councils —Ealaba and Tavara e busily helping themselves by ling schools, medical aid posts, es for small ships, and helping itain local roads, the remnants ar are being put to good use. le Tavara Council recently built n small bridges to replace «n-down war-time bridges along

a former military road. The road — which is located along the north shore of Milne Bay—is still in ex cellent condition, but portions of it had become unusable through col lapse of the bridges. Where bridge replacement was beyond the re sources of the Council, work has been started on making fords to keep the road open.

A salvage firm operating in the district is co-operating with the Council by supplying steel matting where this is available, and this collaboration is working to the ad vantage of both the local people and the firm engaged on salvage work.

Council bridge replacement in re cent months has brought about five miles of road back into use.

Coffee And Insecticide

In the face of much opposition and little encouragement young men still dream in the Territory. In a tiny Cessna aircraft on March 14, two young men flew off from Lae to the Highlands to make their par ticular dream come true.

They were Mr. W. H. Lamer,

formerly of Port Moresby; a brother-in-law, Mr. K. Mac( son of the late W. L. Mac( Assistant Director of Works i Moresby.

They are going to a 438-aa perty at Karanka, outside antu, to start a coffee plai and grow pyrethrum. Mr. is managing-director of the pany which was the successl plicant for the land.

Karanka is accessible or aircraft. Small Cessnas car on the property; but larger a can land only at Arona, > supplies have to be carried 1( over a bush track.

The property is virgin c( and the task of planting and ing—accommodation, stores, houses, etc.—is a big one.

Mr. Lamer intends plantii first 40-acres with 2-years-ol fee trees and, later, experim with crops of pyrethrum.

Pyrethrum, used in all i cides, is a daisy-like secondar at present grown with cof Kenya. The Department of A ture is experimenting with th close to Karanka, but Mr. Li effort will be the first larg( planting in the Territory.

Mr. Lamer expects his wil two small children to join 1 September. Mrs. Lamer, fo: Miss Muriel MacGowan, was in the Territory.

Grace Maniuri, of Port Moresby, v[?] sufferer a year ago. In October, [?] underwent an operation and now is her office job, a healthy, happy girl. tralian team of chest surgeons has means of restoring many P-NG TB su a normal life.

Photo: Papua

[Ning Native Tradesmen

J commencement of industrial classes at Lae Technical ling Centre on March 13 put Native Apprenticeship Scheme full swing Idubada Training Centre, Port >bv. the scheme went into tion about 12 months ago; and ill started towards the end of , ear airy, well-lit class-rooms, the j boys, instructed by competeachers, are given the opporr of becoming useful trades- The 5-years apprenticeship le provides classes similar to conducted in Australian deal Colleges.

The boys attend two nights per y eak and °ne day a fortnight and instruction is given in Diesel Mechanics. Automotive Mechanics Carpentry and Joinery and Aircraft Assistant. Most boys attending the tetter cla sses are employed by as - XT . . . . .

The Native Apprenticeship Scheme was inaugurated last year.

It is controlled by a Native Ap prenticeship Board which sits reg ularly in Port Moresby; the Board assisted by District Committees,

Why So Cruel. Mr Reeve?

Territorians howled when Treasurer Reeve bumped up the electricity charges some time ago.

Port Moresby in [?], swarms of mos [?]s were taking all [?]mance out of the [?]al evenings. Old [?]nts "couldn't re [?]er when they had [?]worse". This "fog [?]ne" was brought [?]operation by the [?]istration in an to control the A mechanical on the back of truck dispersed [?]cide which drifted [?]s through the [?]e foliage and [?]ouses. Its effect [?]mosquitoes was

(mediately discernible, although it left humans caught in its path, gasping.

» actual increase wasn’t so bad — "paper— but it was Mr. Reeve’s ooge-like capacity for turning screw that really hurt. In P-NG, itricity meters are read monthly, quarterly, as they are South, so the time we have used up the 50 r primary units and are just ;ing comfortably into the aper ones, the month has ended [ we start all over again at 1/3 nit. i Mr. Reeve can probably prove, fit's ovm satisfaction, that even these exorbitant charges, Terri r consumers are not paying their f. As a basis of comparison, and wing how Territorians fare in \r allegedly tax-free paradise, us quote the charges of elec ity in Gosford, a NSW town ibout the same European popu >n as Port Moresby : Electricity applied from the NSW "grid”, meters are read every 3 months. \ first 60 units cost lid each; next 150, 4 d; thereafter, if an trie range is installed, units are Off-peak water heating is lid t unit. A consumer who used it 200 units a quarter, pays it £4. ecently the whole Territory was mlsed at the threat of a new APIM, March, p. 28, p. 151). have now had a “stay of exe on ’ (temporary, probably), due he fact that, for once, official ce was taken of the opinion of

unofficial members of the Legisla tive Council.

A “cloak and dagger method of getting taxation out of the people in the hope they might not notice it,” was how Mr. E. A. James, Elected Member for Papua, des cribed the new regulation at the re cent meeting of the Council.

The Administrator, Brigadier D.

M. Cleland, announced an Amend ment to the Liquor Regulations on March 11 in regard to the calcula tion of licensing fees for the first renewals in Papua under the new Ordinance. The Amendment means that the new licensing system will operate simultaneously for Papua and New Guinea next October. He also announced that the Regulations dealing with the assessment of fees are being further examined to over come any anomalies which might arise.

Previously, separate legislation covered the matter of liquor

licences in Papua and in New Guinea. The annual renewals of licences in Papua were made in March: New Guinea renewals in September. Under the consolidated Ordinance, annual renewals for both Papua and New Guinea will date from October each year.

It is therefore necessary that all Papuan licences be renewed for the period March to October, otherwise licences already in force would lapse for want of renewal, and it would be necessary for applications for new licences to be made in Sep tember.

Under the new legislation, the licence fee is assessed on a percen tage basis, taking into consideration the amount of liquor purchased by a licensee over the preceding twelve months. However, for the purpose of the period from March to Oc tober —for which licences will be granted in Papua—the licensees will be required to pay only that

proportion of the fee which would have been charged under the re pealed Ordinance.

Bringing Kaguans Into

The Fold

A marked change in the attitude of the native people of the Kagua area towards the Administration was reported recently by the Dis trict Commissioner for the South ern Highlands, Mr. R. R. Cole, after an inspection of the new Patrol Post at Kagua.

The area is populated by tribes which are amongst the most turbu lent in the Southern Highlands, and by custom the people have come to regard inter-tribal clashes as an inevitable part of life. They are, however, taking a great interest in the new Station and giving assis tance to the establishment of the Patrol Post. Several hundred Kagua men are building an airstrip, assis ting in constructing police barracks, pauses and roads, and cutting tim ber.

Within the next two years an other Patrol Post is to be opened on the Poru Plateau. This will bring ne whole of the Mendi area, with ts population of approximately >O.OOO people, under Administration mfluence.

Waves From Aleutian

Islands Earthquake

A close watch has been kept by tne Vulcanological Observatory at

Rabaul for changes of temperatures of thermal areas after the recent earthquake in the Aleutian Islands.

This earthquake and numerous aftershocks were recorded on the seismograph at Rabaul.

As a result of the Aleutians dis turbance, there was a tidal increase on Pak Island, east of Manus, and

at Tabar, off New Ireland on night of March 12.

Fright Along Tak-L1

Three new Native Local Go’C ment Councils were establli mid-March under Proclamas published in the Governs Gazette. One of the Councils

» to serve the surrounding people, i the other two in the Western itrict of Papua.

'his brings the total of Native ial Government organisations in [Territory to 16, and there is v at least one Council in every trict of the Territory, with the eption of the Gulf, Bougainville I the three Highland Districts. > It is one thing to issue a pro nation setting up these Councils; \ther to persuade the natives t they are a paying proposition, f a village digs its heels in and ises to join a Council, there ns little can be done about it, he famous Raluana case in the ai area of New Britain is any zedent. ecently, Native Affairs officers the Lae area have spent a lot \ime explaining the Council sys .to local villages. The biggest lade to acceptance is taxes — i all civic bodies, the Native mcils are expected to levy taxes local public services.

Vo good you fright along this i tak-is,” says the official. But t obvious that the villager is very '.h fright. he problem is heightened in the area by the fact that the native illation is small, and there are native industries, such as cocoa, muts, etc. The natives get their iding money by hiring them es out.

Anti-Tb And Yaws

campaign for the control of amongst natives in the Terri ' which lapsed when the pre is specialist, Dr. Jamieson, left, iow to be continued. Sir Harry iderley, anti-TB campaign ctor in Australia, and another expert, Dr. Wigley of Victoria, ired in Port Moresby on March rhey will make a comprehensive ey of the Territory, and outline an for fighting the scourge. Dr. ley will remain two years here, ng the place of Dr. Jamieson.

Territory-wide campaign to ; out yaws has also started rch 18), and an appeal has been Le by the Department of Health ng all employers to assist by icing their native staffs to vol ;er for the injections, spokesman for the Department 3 ublic Health has stressed that disease could exist in a native lout any apparent external evi ze.

Ying Fields For Public

Servants

ork on the site of the proposed Kone Club (for P-NG public ants) is going ahead. Bulldozers s already cleared the first sec of the land where tennis ‘ts, badminton courts and play fields are to be laid down, le President of the Club, Mr. R. man, says it is expected that area will be ready for the first

games to be played in about three months’ time.

Post Office Penalises

Residents

At a recent meeting of the Farmers’ and Settlers’ Association at Goroka much concern was expressed by members about local roads. Recent heavy rains had caused serious washaways to bridges and fords, and urgent attention was necessary if the roads were to be kept open.

Members were even more vocal on the subject of the surcharge of 9d a pound on all parcels posted to Goroka, recently imposed by the Department of Posts and Tele-

graphs. They described the sur charge as indirect taxation designed to raise revenue from a particular section of the public. (It is payable at point of delivery by the addres see.) Settlers told the Director of Posts and Telegraphs that he was sup posed to be operating a public utility designed to carry mail at a minimum cost to the public, instead of which missionaries and natives were being exploited, The surcharge was placed on food and clothing for missionaries who could ill afford it, and by placing the extra charges on parcels sent to natives, the Administration col lected a surcharge from a backward

lomic group struggling for lomic advancement, le Administrator, Brigadier D, Cleland, has promised that an stigation will be made con ing mail rates to Goroka. He the imposition of a surcharge led harsh at present. le Director of Posts & Tele hs said the surcharge was only e to offset charges and extra 5 involved.

• The crux of the matter is that parcels posted at ordinary rates must, of necessity, be carried to the Highlands from Lae or Madang, by air. There is ng other way for them to go. • The arbitrary impost of 9d per lb appears to have been arrived at on the number-fir st-thought-of principle, and partly in retaliation for the belief that some firms were taking advantage of parcels post

to the Highlands for goods meant for resale. • The F&S pointed out that the ordinary air freight rate, Madang- Goroka is 4 d per lb, and cheaper at charter rates.

Bigger And Better

Wharves

Hornibrook Constructions Ltd., Port Moresby, have got two big con tracts for wharves in the Territory.

At Lae, the 100-ft extension to the present wharf will cost £40,000

Mrs. D. M. Cleland, wife of the Admiinstrator of Papua-New Guinea, presents trophies to Basket Ball team at Hanuabada village on March 2.

Photo: Papuan Prints.

md the time for completion Is 54 weeks. Overseas ships berthed at fhe Lae wharf at present overlap both ends. The ultimate aim is to extend the wharf to 800-ft when more money is available.

The Rabaul wharf contract is for £21,000 and provides for ex tensions to the smallships copra wharf. The wharf at present con sists of an old Japanese vessel which was bombed and beached during the war. The old hulk will be cut off level and a new decking made.

Wanted: A Finger-Print

Expert

Many known culprits are not being brought to book and the simplest of crimes are remaining unsolved because Territory police cannot testify in court on finger print evidence, as they are not ex perts,” Mr. E. E. Kriewaldt told he Port Moresby Town Advisory Council at a meeting on March 18.

Mr. Kriewaldt has had some bitter experience in these matters. His store in Port Moresby has been a target for petty thieves. He asked the Administration to appoint a police officer from Australia with at least three years’ experience in

finger-print work.

Seeing How The Dutch Do It

The Director of Education, Mr.

W. C. Groves, left Port Moresby on March 19 for Dutch New Guinea, where he will spend two weeks.

It is a reciprocal visit of Gov ernment departmental heads, and whilst there Mr. Groves will have the opportunity of comparing and

studying educational methoo* Dutch New Guinea.

Winders Report

That long-awaited documeit local government, over whichr Moresby Town Advisory Counx

lis club-house at Koki, near Port Moresby, popular meeting place for the natives in area When a PIM representative looked in I minute one evening in mid-March, groups youngsters were playing table-tennis, ghts or sitting quietly reading.

jatened to resign if it were not iuced, has at last been tabled, he report, compiled by Queens i local-government expert, Mr.

R. Winders, was read at the ncil meeting on March 18 and >ed on to a committee to examine ietail.

Deal government councils have I recommended for Port Moresby, aul and Lae, in that order; but 111 be two to three years before ,1 government can be set up, i great deal of planning is neces- Dth Port Moresby and Rabaul § adequate ratable land to Die the machinery to be put in ion. Lae, with a land valua of £240,000, should, at a de sd date, be capable of carrying a 1 government. Mr. Winder ks so, anyway. He has pro d that it be established pro sively. h e Administrator, Brigadier I. Cleland, said in Port Moresby, tfarch 19, that once it was cer that the people wanted local irnment there was no reason plans could not be started im iately in Port Moresby.

Vhen this is ascertained,” he t on, “we will need to examine lods of financing local govern t from the means at our dis -1.” le thing is certain, if it is go to step up the cost of living, 1 government is going to be very )pular. r. Winder said, “It can be taken granted that local government require substantial assistance i central government for some to come. To initiate local gov lent on a satisfactory basis it d be necessary to hand over ing assets as going concerns, for the Administration to accept icial responsibility for all cap works in progress at that time, rwise, rates and charges could

:h a total figure beyond the ales’ capacity to pay.” t the meeting of the Lae Dis t Advisory Council, on March 19, abers discussed the radio an ncement of the Winder report, postponed full discussion until particulars were available. embers of the Rabaul Town

Advisory Council gave a mixed re ception to recommendations con tained in the Winders report. Some said that Rabaul was not ready for local government under conditions laid down in the report. District Commissioner Foldi disagreed wTh the recommendations: Mr. J. L.

Chipper declined to comment until he saw the report. (Continued Overleaf)

Port Moresby held its first swimming carnival on March 17 in connection with the tormation Life Saving Club. The ladies' race is here about to begin. Mrs. Joan Harris, extreme [?]won the event.

Photo: Papuan Prints.

'Jew Angle To Censorship

For Native Movie-Goers

A Lae court decision on March 20 concerning the censorship of films to be shown to natives has set a poser for police.

Mr. Harry Starr, proprietor of the Lae Theatre, was charged with having permitted natives to view a film without first obtaining a censorship permit. He pleaded “not guilty.”

The Magistrate found that two natives had been admitted to the theatre, but as the film— Carmen Jones —had been on exhibition to Europeans and not natives, the in formation was insufficient, on his interpretation. Mr. Starr was dis charged.

In the future, any charges made under the censorship regulations will have to be supported by proof that the majority of the audience is native. (Does this mean that the exhibitor is in the clear if the ratio of natives to Europeans in any audience is 9 ; 51? P-NG is about the only S. acific territory left that vets its ■ ovies for native audiences. In all ethers, there is no segregation of fences, either. — Ed.)

-Ore Trouble In Mianmin

Lower Court hearings will open shortly at Telefomin when 25 Mianmin men will appear on charges arising out of the alleged

killing of 17 Atbalmin people last December. The men were taken into custody by a patrol which was in the Mianmin country from January 14 until March 5.

During the search the patrol was attacked by from 150 to 200 Mian mins, one of whom was killed in

the melee. Later (the patr'c split, one half taking the pri to Telefomin), a police sc party ahead of the main patn attacked when attempting to further arrests, and in the figl of the attackers were shot and one of the native cons

ly wounded in the leg with a ahawk. With rations running and the policeman requiring her medical attention, the party med to Telefomin on March 5. sporting on the present situa in the Mianmin country, the rict Officer for the Sepik District, F. P. Kaad, says that as a re of the long search for the ;ed murderers, the Mianmin »le are now widely scattered ugh the very rough country of : tribal area. To carry out the linistration policy of peaceful itration it is now necessary to e a friendly approach to the imins. iring the search, the people ! scattered from their hamlets a direct approach might deter i from settling back in their es, so an effort will be made intact them through the Nena le, who are friendly with the imins. ighbouring groups might also the opportunity to make re tory raids on the Mianmins j they are in no position to nmence tribal fighting, is planned that the next patrol the area will first move through Übalmin and adjacent areas to ict the people and convince i of the foolishness of any ler tribal fighting, and en >ur to locate any Mianmins in egion who might serve as con and interpreters for a later dly approach to the Mianmin )S.