The System

Last year when discussing the com position of the then proposed re constituted Legislative Council of P-NG, I remarked to a couple of European residents that, for some time, it was probably inevitable that native members would have to come from the Administration. They wouldn’t have it, but insisted that there were just as many “clued-up” natives outside the Administration as in it.

They may be right, but the Ad ministration evidently doesn’t think so. The best way to become a nominated member of Legco is to have given “valuable service to the Administration” as indicated by these brief case histories: REUBEN TAUREKA, Suva Central Medical School trained, now an Assis tant Medical Practitioner. ALICE WEDEGA, field staff of the Agri cultural Dept. EPHRAIM JUBILEE, an Administration supervisory school teacher. MANETO KURADAL, an Administrative clerk. KIBUNKI, now a Luluai but the Administration’s man since 1938, first through Asst.

District Officer, J. L. Taylor, then as interpreter in ANGAU, followed by sight years in Administration. BONJUI, now a Luluai and regarded as having “rendered invaluable service to the Administration since the war”.

The elected members, too, tend to run in a pattern: Three presidents )f Native Local Government Councils; me Co-operative Society storekeeper, me Native Affairs clerk, ex-policeman; me Administration interpreter, ex mliceman.

There is nothing wrong in this; et’s say it is just the result of the System and that it’s a System that urely works. —“Sydneysider”.