“Cabinet”

P-NG's New “Cabinet”

The Administrator of Papua- New Guinea announced in the Legislative Council on April 10 the names of the six members who will comprise the first Ad ministrator’s Council (this takes the place of the old Executive Council).

The members are: Dr. John Gunther, Assistant Administrator; Mr. H. H. Reeve, P-NG Treasurer; Mr. J. K.

McCarthy, Director of Native Affairs; Mr. B. E. Fairfax-Ross (a nominated member of the Legco); Mr. lan F. G. Downs (elected); Mr. John Guise (elected).

The rest of the new native mem bers, on today’s showing, are still an unknown quantity, although it is pretty obvious that some are in away above their depth, in spite of the fact that, for this April occa sion, they have all blossomed out in dark city-suits.

All these men have been to school in the last few weeks, learning Par liamentary procedure, and, from all accounts, with many it has been an uphill battle.

In this connection it would be interesting to know what genius conceived the idea that the “Less Advanced Native People” could be best served by Less Advanced Native Members. What these latter will make out of the strange mixture of tradition, expediency and plain flap doodle that goes to make up the British Parliamentary system, is anyone’s guess.

Most Legislative Council meetings have a distinct individuality. The only meeting of the Fourth Legis lative Council, which took place in October last, created for itself an atmosphere of frustration and un certainty born out of the new idea of self-government, “sooner rather than too late”, and nurtured by the official attitude in the Territory, at that time, that Europeans had better be good boys or else.

Self-Government Flap

It is too soon yet to know what kind of an atmosphere this meeting will produce—although I should not be surprised if the self-government flap has not reached rock-bottom, and that the official key-note—for the moment, anyhow—is that there is a place for all and that all sections should pull together for the good of the Territory.

Recent utterances by the Min ister, enjoining Papua-New Guinea to show the world how well a multi racial society can work, seem to bear out this slight shift of official

wind, as did certain items in the “speech from the throne” of the Administrator of the Common wealth, Sir Dallas Brooks, who opened the Territory’s Fifth Legis lative Council today.

Time will tell.

Not even officialdom could be blind to the effect that the last 9 months’ period of uncertainty has had on the economy of this Territory.

Everybody There

Distinguished delegations from overseas attended the opening cere mony. New Zealand’s Minister for Internal Affairs, Civil Defence and Island Territories, Mr. F. L. A. Gotz, was there with Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa; there were French representatives, others from BSIP, the United Kingdom and Holland.

The only South Pacific Commis sion Member Government repre sentative missing was that of the United States.

The largest delegation was from the Australian Parliament and there was a large contingent from Netherlands New Guinea led by the Governor, Dr. P. J. Platteel.

Sir Alister McMullen, President of the Australian Senate, led the Australian delegation and presented the Council with an elaborate hour glass—something like an outsize egg-timer—which is not to tick off the minutes of members’ speeches, but to mark the time for division bells.

The President of the new Nether lands Council, Mr. J. Gelpke, pre sented the Council with a leather bound visitors’ book.

Port Moresby, April 11.

Those who expected fire and brimstone from Mr. John Guise’s maiden speech (delivered this afternoon) must have been disappointed. In fact it fol lowed the current concilatory line, looked into the future to see P-NG taking its rightful place in the Commonwealth of nations under our Queen, with “Australia acting as a brother to us”.

It also pledged political and economic security to “those Australian friends” who make their home in P-NG—an answer to a question asked in October by Fr. Dwyer of the then native members and which, at that time, produced quite dif ferent reactions.

Guise spoke also of racial dis crimination. Said there was no place for it in this Territory and remarked that “the native people of my electorate” can not understand how anyone who feels like that can bear to stay in the Territory.

Fair enough.