Beyond Recall

Letter To The Editor

Those Dear, Dead Days Beyond Recall

SOMETHING is puzzling me! In Port Moresby, there are numer ous streets, crescents, highways, be., named after the early pioneers f Papua. And in honour of that rand old man, Sir Hubert Murray, lere is Hubert Murray Highway, lut where is “Hides’ Road”, in onour of his protege?

Has Papua become so forgetful, or lildish and petty? To me, it ivours not only of contempt for great man, despite his mortal LUlts, but of contempt for the name f one of the very early families f this Territory.

It would seem as if “someone” too illingly and too literally took note [ the words of the late Sir Hubert: lack did not count the cost and ir the reward he cared but little.”

I know there is a mountain range ? in the hinterland bearing Hides’ ime but can anyone find it on even detailed map? It has escaped me.

If they must deny this man, must ley, too, in their forgetfulness, my the fact that his mother, elena Marie Hides, was the first bite woman to land in Dutch NG: ■ became, with his father, one of le first four families in the then fant township of Port Moresby?

And now sir, to some other angles life in P-NG. 1. There is far too much familarity ‘tween a great number of Euro ;ans and the indigenes. Too great condescension, which is harmful the future of this country. 2. The behaviour of some Euro ;ans, more especially the female ecies, makes a poor reflection and iads the indigene on. It is no Dnder that there are so many at cks on women that many are raid to walk the streets of Moresby ter dusk. Of course, the innocent, always, suffer for the guilty—the lilty being the lasses of this fair wn who parade in all too brief lorts, frocks with plunging neck les and frocks minus shoulders say nothing of the sweater girls their clinging matadors. Where the propriety of the English )man? 3. Now comes the proposal to in oduce alcoholic liquor to native loples—legally! Certainly, it is ill in the debate stage, and an coholic content at a lower rate is ggested. But, will it reduce the les of methylated spirits from leamships and BP’s; or will it just Id to the misery? 4. It is also said that the proposal erect a swimming pool at Ela Jach might be considered on a und for pound basis—provided the digenous population could share

the joy of it. Let us hope the iti-yaws and TB campaigns are ccessfully completed before such pool, or such a proposal eventu ss. On the lighter side, one has i difficulty in visualising one of e more dignified matrons of PM rfacing beside a Kukukuku or limbu. [n the desire to do the utmost ssible for the people amongst tom we live, respecting them as b original owners of the land, we ve given them a false sense of Deriority, which is exerted to the triment of the European. It is b era of the native —he can do no ong. Everything possible is done • him. Gone are the days of dis iline and obedience. Before a Dy” will even contemplate per ming a minor chore outside his n particular sphere of work, “he uld please like to see the native dilations.” :t would appear we have at long t reached that stage in the pro ;ss of this land, prophesied by j more far-seeing since post-war ars, when the European is no iger a figure of respect, but is her an object of condescension or more aggressive indigenous ments, contempt, frue, we have tried in a courteous itish manner to assist them, to icate them for greater things. The •ee r’s were most essential; even ;her degrees of learning were d are, open to the ambitious— ence and medicine for the more owledgeable to equip them for re msible positions and eventual self e, but didn’t we forget something? ch as courtesy and obedience? en we Europeans are supposed to luire these two essentials before ulthood.

Phe policy to raise our Papuan >ther to an equal status and the sire to improve his lot in life are th admirable ideals. But don’t ’s have sophistication without squate education. :t is no use teaching a European native child or adolescent, history thmetic or anything else without st giving him a rudimentary know- Ige of the true basis of civilisation ;ourtesy to his fellow man. [he policy of bringing folk from nth to open the country is also tnirable, but let every person ;ering the territory sign a declara n (under threat of public censure violated) that (a) he or she will iss at all times according to Jepted standards of decency; and i that they will retain the ndards of discipline and authority ; by the earlier and more experi ced pioneers of the country, re ning justice, courtesy and wisdom their dealings with the indigenes.

I am, etc.,

Quo Vadis-Os Papuas.

rt Moresby, ly 15, 1957.