it pin-up girls, and what the

native lads had not learned ,i the Aussie troops they learned i the Jap Occupation troops, who cpleted their education with illus ‘jd pornographic details, iith the changing culture it is impossible that the time is •.♦caching when present-day “pm • of Caucasian beauties will be aced by Melanesian prototypes thus transfer the centre of their mtion. . . , ne housing situation was high- Ited by Rev. Percy Chatterton in attack on the accommodation ?ided for native employees in t Moresby. ,vlany farmers in Australia ised their livestock better than killed native workers were used in Papua,” said this isionary, who has spent 35 years 3 apua. “Housing now,” he added, .s on the same level as in the 3’s.” remember there was an argu it in print back in ’49 between stired Papuan public servant and missionary about “Homes for Duans.” juoth the missionary: “The man is perfectly happy in his ise of bamboo floor, coconut or o walls and thatched roof.” Re id the retired public servant; lis is equivalent to saying that ilithic man was perfectly happy his cave and the Australian abo. his bark lean-to. . . .” ?o which one can reply that what ; doesn’t know about, one doesn’t nt. But now we dwellers in iron ifed houses with timber or fibre Us, have set a target for the dusky leses to keep up with the pale :e Joneses.

Che question is: Are the indigenes become inoculated with European ture, homes and habits or allowed retain their natural culture der hygienic conditions? fife have already fiddled around :h their economic systems to such extent that they aspire to adopt rs (which each day is proving ire unsatisfactory as compared th the old barter systems of supply d demand) which require cartels, ards and other government con >ls to make them function. In zt we have changed these one tie happy, simple people to such , extent that we are forced to ep on going in order to try and ove our system is the best.

One of these days the economic leel will turn full circle and get ,ck to the simplified way of living but over the dead bodies of ilitical planners and high-pressure lesmen.

jremonial

jstoms A recent news item regarding the Drt Moresby museum gives the im •ession that old-time native

customs and rites are on the way out. The hope is expressed that “whenever a native society finds its members losing interest in cere monial affairs they will present to the museum collections of repre sentative articles”.

It is surely pathetic that a people’s ceremonial life, and such an im portant part of their culture, is crumbling before the bulldozer of our modern civilisation, which is in deed a ruthless implement as com pared with the more leisurely pick and shovel methods employed in pre-war days.

Surely every possible effort should be made for these people to retain their old traditional customs which

do not violate our own legal or moral standards.

Let there be a blending—not a clash of cultures.

And . . . incidentally, while on the subject of a museum; What hap pened to that excellent Keith McCarthy suggestion, made some time ago, of a ceremonial native building to be erected for the hous ing of arts and crafts and museum pieces.

Mention of this subject reminds me of a time in the early Thirties when Administrate Tom Griffiths organised an exhibition of native arts and crafts in Rabaul. Handi work arrived from all over the Terri tory and the display was a huge success; the natives showing as

much (if not more) interest than the Europeans. , ADO Gregory was the chief curator and the display was held in the old Times building and lasted for several days and nights. The highlight was a collection of Mount Hagen axes, seen for the first time in Rabaul.

Political

Footballs

With his many other good qual ities, Legislative Council member B. A. Fairfax-Ross, is a realist; a man who faces facts and refuses to hide his head in the sands of bureaucratic tranquility. His ad vocacy at the last Council meeting for a full definition of the position of Australian nationals in the

Territory when self-government is introduced is an example of this.

The Commonwealth should not contemplate or tolerate confiscation of property and expulsion of its nationals, he said.

For some time now planters in both Papua and New Guinea have been concerned with the accelerated march of events in the Territory; with the writing on the wall; with the general tendency for them to be kicked about like political foot balls, despite palliative pronounce ments from official sources.

In fact, Assistant Administrator John Gunther’s answer in Council that it is “unrealistic that Euro peans will be insecure if independ ence comes” and that future events “will be determined by events of the past” are not at all reassuring.

The fact that many ol< planters are pulling up stake disposing valuable property copra’s present price, only en the feeling of insecurity wh felt as to their future status The only section of the native property-owners who c show signs of apprehension a Chinese, many of whom, inc ally, are now Australian nati( Do they feel quite secure? D expect to receive preferential ment from the Independent eration of New Guinea?

"The Coast Watchers"

By no means do I want to co with the “Wanted” advertise in PIM, but a letter came to n other day from a relative Coastwatcher asking for a cc Eric Feldt’s original The Watchers, published in 194 Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford versity Press, Leighton House, bourne.

It was such a pathetic and ge appeal that I cannot ignore send out this SOS for a co the hope that there may b available in one of our re library. Any reasonable price v paid.

Thanks For

The Good Oil

The SOS sent out in Nov( TT regarding air-mail covers brought a number of replies an behalf of the inquirer, I say “Thank you!”

The point that concerns me probably other B 4 odd-bod; what happens when these per encyclopaedists pass on and qi about such things that havt affected government placidness up from time to time.

As mentioned before: Is il about time that some effort made to compile a history of Territories, giving many “off cuff” incidents for the inform

of posterity?

Even now arguments arise i the exact date of various impo events which have occurred Yonder, and it seems that onb pioneers come forward with answer, while all the time rei in the Department of Territ must hold these secrets.

What about it Historian Hasluck? Why not put Di McCarthy on the job again?

Noel Barry's

Passing

I cannot allow this well-] Territorian to pass on witho mention here. To me he wai ideal citizen, and he had done n the full value of which has nol been appreciated. For, in time translation of Parkinson’s Tt Years In the South Seas wil published and his full worth wi

tised, even with our changing languages came easy to Noel; his ry education fitted him for that y his knowledge of the Tolai >ect—early acquired when he jie to the Territory—stood him wood stead when he doffed his [3ial mantle and took up business ihis own account. .

Ihe Tolais have always esteemed ► one who knows the tinata. This r wledge enabled him to “think jive” which is an inestimable <3t in dealing with the people of mche Bay. . was glad to see in a recent le of the NG Tivnes-Couner a rection by Jack West regarding el’s father. I am quite sure that ther Noel nor his father would : re desired the honour of being Paul’s first Anglican minister be nied the Rev. F. R. Bishop, who 3 a most popular padre and, as ;k West says, arranged for Rev. rry to act as his locum during lough. . .. fcabaul will be the poorer for the ssing of Noel. He was the type it can ill be spared. n Past rhe Rabaul Columnist in the nes-Courier (3/2/60) is critical of ; lack of organisation given to j local ceremony this year com ►m orating the Fall of Rabaul, at dch there was only a “small :hering”. “Surely such an occasion that,” he writes, “should be one the high-lights of Rabaul’s nual events. . . A very poor show.”

Which only goes to show, as the ids of time run out, how memories le and how little concern is own by the people of the present : Rabaul’s Darkest Day and the igic sequence of events which [lowed bringing suffering to indreds of homes.

Eighteen years ago. . . Is that such long time for human memory to 3t?

There is a nuance between the e-war and post-war people dif ;ult to describe or understand; id it is emphasised on occasions ch as this.

Footnote ; At Darwin, a few days ter, over two thousand residents tended the commemoration cere ony of that town’s blood bath and, comparison, its suffering was far 3s than Rabaul’s.

) Many Workers

The Vineyard

A reader writes; “There has been me comment made upon the large imber of different missions operat g in the Territory and I notice m have some occasional caustic ►marks to make on this subject, lease tell me exactly how many lere are in New Guinea.

Thumbing through my latest ficial records, which are the official

hbwhe

different denominations in NO and 12 whi£ a i U was on the job I discoTC?ed thaT between them they daimed 900,960 adherents in both areas, which is really not so bad for

a primitive country with an official population of 1,804,790 indigenes.

The records show that 149,675 pupils attend mission schools and with 17,796 pupils in the Administration schools the grand total of 167471 pupils is not really such a bad effort, despite the recent pep talks on the need for greater education (along western lines) and the need for budgeting £SOM, which the new Director of Education envisages; or, at least, hopes for.

Furthermore, an amount of £180,590 was paid to the Missions for educa tion in P-NG and £95,479 for their medical work as subsidies.