Territories Talk-Talk

By Tolala

Following on the New Year near-riots amongst lads of different talks in Moresby, the good old counter-irritant policy of more “recreation facilities” has been suggested by officialdom.

THIS means more competitive sport, which in turn invariably means “kick ball”, or even “kick cross”. Of the latter there are vari ous types, some with bloody results.

It might not be amiss, if football is to be a safety valve for un expended inhibitions, that teams should be composed of players from different areas in order to lessen tribal friction.

But then tribal rivalry is by no means confined to the more primitive parts of the world, according to recent newspaper reports of a “pitched battle in Piccadilly” fol lowing an England-Wales Rugby Union international match in Lon don, when the Welshmen turned on a blue resulting in 18 police being injured and 30 people arrested. Un consciously, perhaps, the Moresby lads were merely responding to modern civilised standards, and shows how successful have been the efforts of the tutelary administra tion.

Sport And

Spare Time

The introduction of lusty sporting rivalry was launched in TNG by the Australians. The Germans re lied upon the good old sing-sing as an escape valve for unexpended energy—if any.

For, be it remembered, the Teuton employer, unrestricted by anti- Colonial propaganda and not re sponsible to any constituted do gooders, such as the League of Nations of UNO, demanded the maximum of work from a minimum of labourers with the result that spare-time of the employees was not so great.

I well remember the first near riot at a native sports gathering. It was in 1913, at Soraken—one of the few Australian-owned plantations in the German colony—the event was a tug-of-war between Black Skins and Red Skins (Buka-Bougainville versus New Britain-New Ireland).

The stoutest ropes proved inadequate for the strain and an anchor chain was used.

Old Jim Campbell was the ad judicator, and when the Blacks eventually pulled their opponents across the line a general melee ensued and all hell was let loose.

Only direct action of the most emphatic nature by the whites re

stored peace; hands were shaken and eventually food shared by one and all. Tugs-of-war were banned from subsequent sporting fixtures for some years after.

Christian Unity

I was somewhat surprised, but nevertheless gladdened when I read the heading in the Sydney Morning Herald (25/1 58), “Churches Unite in Port Moresby”; only lo be dis appointed when I discovered that the United Church in PM. which “will mark an important forward step in co-operation between the churches” was the appointment of a Congregational minister who would represent the Presbyterian. Method ist and Congregational Churches there.

As neither the Presbyterian nor Congregational churches have entered the Missionary Stakes in P-NG, one is inclined to the view that yet another missionary body is about to be launched into the Newgumeasphere; a missile guided by one Society already operating there (Methodists), with two denom inations which, heretofore, have not endeavoured to compete against the other 30-odd mission societies— all flat out to missionise Black Brother.

I feel strongly in this matter of missionisation which goes on in P-NG, for two reasons: (a) The variety of denominations, each pushing the sale of their par ticular dogma, confuses that simple native mind and encourages the more sophisticated native to exploit one sect against the other; (b) The animosity which is created amongst a section of the white popu lation as a result of divergent re ligious opinions in a country where there should be the greatest co operation amongst the European section.

Much of the present dissension in due to the multiple mission activities. Only recently in PM, press reports mentioned that objections had been raised to the methods adopted amongst the natives by the oehovah Witness sect, and an investi gation into its operations was sug gested at a meeting of the local TAG by one of the councillors; only to be reminded that such investigation would be establishing a “dangerous precedent” and the same weapon used against others.

‘ Surely some steps could be taken to control this excessive religious zealousness, which is by no means an essential ingredient for native welfare or boosting the standard of living.

Forward The

Planners!

Following on the Summer School session of the AIPS at Canberra, the ABC on one of its “I Put It To you” talks turned on Mr. J. R. Kerr, QC, to expound “What We Should Do With New Guinea”.

It was quite an interesting session; it could have been more so had there been a more enthusiastic team >f questioners to bring out more de vils of the speaker’s Federation scheme.

It is nearly twelve years ago— Hay, 1946, to be exact—since Mr. ■Terr (then a Colonel and Principal ?f ASOPA) made one of a panel on )ii ABC Forum Of The Air when, mder the chairmanship of H. B. 31ack, he advocated the extinction >f the “exploiters” (Europeans in (Tew Guinea) and a new economic iolicy for the benefit of the natives, lis ideas have undergone no change, vith the exception that in his r ederation he would include Dutch few Guinea, but rules out the lebrides (where there is most cer ainly room for improved adminis ration from the present Pande aonium).

The more I listen to the ideas f these planners for a Pacific Slysium the more I am aware of he unctuousness of their declara ions, clothed in altruism, about native welfare when beneath it all ies the hard reasoning of: What an we do to better out own political ecurity and attract these primitives way from other nations with political aims in conflict with our wn? How can we include them in ur Way of Life; to be absorbed n our religions; our trade unions; ur commercial expansions and as a uffer unit in event of armed ggression? All the nations are do ng it; all of them have their ongues in their cheeks; throwing way sprats to catch mackerels.

Man Hard

"o Replace

I see where Director of Education V. C. Groves is calling it a day 'hen the month of August comes round. And I should think that lost people, who have the educa ional welfare of the P-NGites at eart, will feel somewhat appre ensive at the thought of this old 'ar-horse being put out to grass at bis particular stage of the Terri- Jry’s struggles from the primitive j the modern Way of Life, and the lousand and one complexities bat snow-ball during such a letamorphosis.

Bill Groves has gone a long way

since the days when he was teaching school at Kokopo in circa 1922, and formulated an education policy for the then Director of Education, Harry Cardew. He was wise to give teaching away for a while and concentrate on practical anthropology, whictß he carried out the hard way, especially during his research work on Tabar Island when shekels were few and adverse criticism aboundin &- His near-four inches in “Who’s W r ho in Australia” gives some indication of what he has accom plished; but withal, he has ever kept his feet on the ground.

What endears me to this tall poppy of the present P-NG Administration is his down-to-earth, logical reasoning, which his early experiences as a teacher and a research anthropologist among the natives, have given him the dinkum drum on what should be done.

Bill has by no means been a Yesman; but his long-range plannings have indubitably proved to be accurate and the progressive statistics of the Education Department are pioof of his wise decisions.

Personally, I think it is gambling with fate to allow such a wellbalanced and experienced man to step out of his job at this critical time, when the eyes of the world are on NG. His successor’s selection creates a problem, for I know of no one with his particular qualifications —outside of the missionaries—able

to carry on with the same ideals and practical conception of the require ments of the native people, without sucking up to the Canberra pooh bahs.

Bill is only a young man—com paratively speaking. He will be 60 j n August when (and if) he resigns; but a good mode of living and a watchful spouse have kept him in good nick. I’d like to see him keep going at least for another five years when probably he would be able to see more of his dreams come true, 'Njoctsloif' inr JMOSiaigic me.

Congratulations to former P-NG residents now in Melbourne in get ting off to a good start for the formation of a P-NG Association (Jan. PIM, p. 49). Brisbane has already such a body that meets weekly at the Criterion; but their Sydney opposites appear to be content to allow the unofficial rendezvous at Usher’s to serve as the venue for nostalgic burblings; and a well-patronised place it is, too, though I can imagine it would be more comfortable with seating accommodation available after the first two hours of a session, That’s one organisation where the NG women are right out in front, and their associations in Melbourne, Sidney, and Brisbane, formed in the early forties, are still flourishing, And what a good job all of them are doing! (Over)

Pandanus Soup

I note where a Benjamin Stone is carrying out research into the jses of pandanus iPIM, Jan. p. 77), vhich reminds me of a trip I made o Iboki (New Britain) one time n the ’2o’s when the Chinese en gineer went down with blackwater 'ever.

The skipper, Capt. Cole (the same ad who made the epic trip from Lua to Aitape in a whale boat) was reating him with saline injections, ut without much success. Return ng to Rabaul we called at Talasea Linga Linga) plantation, where a ouple of Chinese carpenters were mployed and they promptly took harge of their sick countryman, nd after a couple of days pro ounced him out of danger. By the tine we reached Rabaul he was Imost as good as new.

The cure? A soup, made by the ifusion of the subterranean roots f the pandanus palm. Passed on to su. Benjamin Stone, for what it worth.

[appy Days

And they were happy days, bl eed, as recalled by Supercargo rank Street ( PIM , Jan., p. 146) of le old Mindini. I seem to remember im as a dark-eyed, beetle-browed, lergetic Super. And as for Skipper oy, with his sweat-rag round his 3ck, his gruff greetings and the erry twinkle in his eye; and Chief ngineer Corrigan, he with the axed moustache ends, and the ouble-shooter of nearly every BSI unch-owner when there was some ling wrong with the phuf-phuf live. Corrigan was later Marine iper. for BP.

Many of the names mentioned I member well; particularly Sam id Willie Atkinson; the former om Awa and the latter —dyed-ine-wool old bachelor in those days lived down in the south Short nds somewhere. He must also recall e genial Julius Oien, the inimit ile Long Jack, Dick Ravener (who sappeared in Falsi harbour one ght—and perfectly sober, too). )mmy Mason, Father Boch, Jack uickshank, of Sivilu and his wife bm”; Hughie Scott, of Orlofe, and s wife Claire (she is still there tnewhere and only recently her >ter, the glamorous Ethel Austin, 10 married Judge “Ikey” Bates id her a visit not so long ago, en returned to her home' in Tica).

Phil Coote was BP manager at one ne and little Doctor Critchlow is the magistrate. I was at tfung for a while, having relieved toppy” Dakers, before I left for ar I .

Ves; they were happy days. No dios, no League of Nations; no cial consciousness. A happy, low mdard of living when, if you mted cold beer you put it in a

wash tub and swirled it round with washing soda. God bless ’em all.

Bits And Pieces

Married: John Laws to Sonia Zlotskowski at St. Phillips Church, Church Hill, on January 10. John is the only son of the late Mr. R.

Laws, of Wau, and Mrs. Laws, of Lindfield. . . Cyril Parer has been down on leave recently; I met up with him returning to Brisbane from a trip to Melbourne where he had been visiting Ted Fulton. Cyril seems none the worse for his “Bell bird” experience, A lucky man. He still has faith in copra and is ex tending his interests from the Malai Plantation to a venue at Kokopo. (I

wish I had his optimism.). . . Only 25,000 sq. miles of P-NG’s 183,600 sq. miles now remain “outside full Aministration control”, according to Minister Hasluck, and full con trol is now promised by the end of 1959. We hope. UN Trusteeship Committee, please note. . . Export of puk-puk skins in 1956-57 amounted to £63,571, an increase of about £lO,OOO on the previous year. (The news item, appearing in a Sydney paper, showed the figures as quot ing “£A”. Must have been a hand out for the English Press. No?), . .

Ansett Airways is after the control of the Bobby Gibbes Air Lines in NG, according to a Sydney columnist’s report.