If They’re Taxed, They Want

But Some Are Philosophical

If They’re Taxed, They Want To Become The Seventh Sla[?]

Not all Papua-New Guinea Territorians are agitated about: the threat of income taxation this year. Many of them are quite; apathetic about this, as they are about most vital questions.,

IT hasn’t happened yet, they say, so why worry until it does! And, they add, if they make up their minds we are to have tax, then there is nothing we can do about it.

Others say the talk of tax is just Australian Government kite flying to see how the Territory—

especially Territory big business; lakes it. The Australian Goven ment should now be under delusions about this, although tt average Territorian has, as usul left the yelling to his communr leaders.

Amongst those who have been j the fore in the anti-tax fight Mr. S. Fox, well known Po Moresby accountant and communr worker.

However, if in spite of everythii. that has been done to delay tt introduction of income taxatioi the Federal Government decio to go ahead—and one of the offico members of P-NG’s Legislate Council told a PIM reporter in Po 1 Moresby in January that the H comes up at the next meeting March —Mr. Fox has alternsi plans.

In the event of taxation, M Fox wants Papua-New Guinea become the seventh State of tJ Commonwealth, immediately.

He says that there has not besi much political interest in this frcn Territorians up to date, becaui most of them laboured under tt delusion that they were untaxej and while they were untaxed thl; were not anxious to become j State.

However, in the last year thl; have been shown that indirect they have been taxed almost much as Australian mainlande}! and if they get income taxatiii as well, they are going to be mor heavily taxed.

Mr. Fox has given the idea j

(Continued on page 151)

NEW AIR LINK In Pago Pago, Eastern Samoa, in January in readiness for the Samoan Airways' survey flight to Apia, Western Samoa—Governor of American Samoa, Mr. Peter Coleman, the director of Samoan Airways, Mr. Lawrence Coleman (the two are brothers) and Samoan Judge Malepeat. Samoan Airways is anxious to inaugurate a twice daily air service between the two centres. Story on page 133. —Pan American Prints.

a seventh State a great deal of thought and what he has worked out is interesting.

Give It Now* He says that the United Nations Trusteeship Council has made it abundantly clear that self-government for the New Guinea side of the Territory is inevitable, and that giving it now would be to our advantage.

He says that there is nothing in the UN Charter or in the constitution of the Australian Commonwealth that would prevent the incorporation of Papua-New Guinea in the Commonwealth as a self-governing State—provided that

the majority of residents of the Territory want it. As the majority of residents of the territory are natives, this would mean that what they wanted, went.

He believes that if a plebiscite were taken among the natives of Papua-New Guinea now, they would ivholeheartedly for joining the Commonwealth. If we wait for 20 years, it might be a very different story.

Once the plebiscite were taken, the rest would be automatic. P-NG would become another State, with a paid legislature and a public service much as the PS of today, It would raise Jts own revenue by taxes—which would be collected by the Commonwealth and reimbursed,

( the case with the other States id in addition to its internal Que, it would have, from the monwealth, as the smaller ralian States already have, ts for specific purposes. These ts could be used for native ire, as annual £lO to £l2 million monwealth grants to P-NG are today.

Fox visualises universal age for all residents of the tory European, Asian and e—and a common roll. But idates who offered themselves Section would be required to educational qualifications— ibly equivalent to the Leaving ficate or University Entrance ination. This would ensure at least in the first 10 years le life of the new State, the nment of the State would be te hands of Europeans. . Fox is evidently prepared to things, after that, in the lap e gods.