Haven't Paid

A New Year and [?] New Head Tax But The Buka[?] Haven't Paid Last Year's Yet!

From a Special NG Correspondent) WE have just learned that t Head Tax of £2 is on agj for 1959.

In Buka, up to quite early Ja uary, the East Coast villages of le Hangan, Malasang, Lonhan, Suh Sing and a few others in the cent of Buka, had not paid their li. tax. They told the Assistant A ministrator, per deputation, tl they did not intend to pay—tH have been consistent in that spect, with all patrol officers a ADOs that visited them.

Dr. Gunther told them tl must pay. The deputation offe:( some excuses and withdrew fn Sohano, and resumed their stance. No can!

Early in January, the “wh hat" Kukurai, of Hanahan miles north of Sohano, and Buka east coast) harangued people as to advisability of payv the tax. They went for him w knives and axes, and he fled 1 Sohano to report.

ADO Kimmorley left for scene with all the available nab police at Sohano to go into matter. He has not returned. (A later message from another soo says Mr. Kimmorley’s visit was a suoi and that last year’s tax will now be g but the report does not make it clea; all villages will pay. This year’s tae not paid.— Editor.) These natives have the measure of the Administration : are openly defiant. They feel i i worth a trial and that at . rate, they can come to no has They have plenty of copra trochus shell, and there is pleJ of work for them on plantatM.

But they prefer to loaf in tit villages.

"Hotbed"

Myself, I think this is a It bed of future trouble.

Today, on the plantations wlh tax is due, the plantation-ow or manager is forced under ordinance to line his boys for • collecting officer and, if they o not pay, then (under penalty) employer is forced to pay them, and enter it on the ag:§ ments.

Thus we here are faced with r situation that local natives v plenty of potential wealth () stored-up cash) refuse point blfd to pay tax and get away with ri But the poor Aitape and Wes’ backwoodsmen (without any men of making cash at home), who cio

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to work, to collect some cash, to pay the full tax (no con ns to him) whether he is wili er otherwise. This re-acts ;ly against recruiting. ■ is this fair play? It’s pretty d cowardly, I think. )ther thing: The missionaries /heel round in their £1,500 cars ?t off as being unable to pay ead tax! ; Buka east coast villages of an, Malasang, Lonhan, Suhin ling have been centres of dis action ever since 1928, when Buka boys (ex-Samoa) re -1 there. They had been thrown ' Samoa after the Mau trouble and separated from their an women and families, I stand. Ken McMullen was in e at Sohano, then, and was cted to keep them under con 1, in 1932 (the first Cargo Cult e) these villages were the e-shots in Buka, and their s were deported to Salamaua, e, Wewak, etc. They have been I upon by their one-talks, ever as martyrs. vas their spirits, the natives who steered the Jap planes aight in 1942, and it’s their i that are consulted when ad is needed. They are “evil” so far as law and order are med. is there always will be trouble -t area. latest idea over in central is that all natives in Buka throw in a few shillings and Anthony Kere, of Lonhan, over 't Moresby, to see the Admin )r and put the natives’ case

to him—how they are exploited, etc.

For example, the natives want £5 a bag (on beach) for copra—equal to £7O a ton on the beach. They say that if the “abuses” are adjusted they will consider paying tax.

Anthony was trained originally as a Catholic missionary priest, but de he could not go on with it.