New DC For The Turbulent Tolais

Mr. J. R. Poldi, who has been District Commissioner, New Britain, with head rters at Rabaul, since 1954, will proceed on leave next August. After that he not return to New Britain, but will go to Samarai, as District Commissioner, ne Bay.

The new District Commissioner, New Britain, will be Mr. H. P. Seale, at present trict Commissioner, Eastern Highlands, headquarters Goroka.

The New Britain assignment is the toughest in the Papua-New Guinea Terri -7 because of its special problem—the New Britain natives, particularly the Tolai pie of the Gazelle Peninsula.

The Tolais are “natural politicians”, and have been longest in contact with opeans, and are classed, politely, as the most sophisticated natives on the New nea side of the combined Territory.

Mr. Seale is credited with having a natural gift for dealing with natives, and efforts in New Britain will be watched with more than usual interest.

His three post-war predecessors have been: The late Charles Bates; Mr. J. K.

Darthy; and Mr. Foldi. Mr. Foldi was the only one of the four who came ;inally from the old Papuan service.

Experienced residents of New Guinea have criticised the Administration’s system moving the chief man away from New Britain before he really gets to know se very difficult and unpredictable native.s They say that a real knowledge the Tolais can be acquired only in half a lifetime of study.

Charles Bates was sent away from Rabaul to Madang, without apparent rhyme reason, just when he was reaching real usefulness; Keith McCarthy was moved to an ill-defined job in Port Moresby soon after the Raluana Incident; and now, owing the Navuneram Incident, J. R. Foldi departs for Samarai, to give the :t Milne Bay natives the benefit of his five years ’experience among the turbulent lis. It is a queer system.

Maybe that highly-respected veteran District Officer, Mr. Ted Taylor, whom iberra brought quietly out of retirement a few months ago, and established porarily in Rabaul as an observer and reporter on the ways of the natives, be able to give Canberra some really helpful practical advice.