Government

[?]r New Guinea In Ten Years?

our Canberra Correspondent self-government in P-NG come in 10 or 15 years, sooner, according to the yr of the Research School cific Studies, Australian al University, Sir John >rd.

HN, a former permanent of the Trade Department, in the last of a series of ires arranged by the ANU e-requisites of independence to hand over fully in the or three years would do a to P-NG, he said; to pro ly in the belief that we had more of unprotesting and >-operation was surely self in urged forward planning investment and probable sxpenditure, because this * together developmental ;rammes; ify the case for International k and UN aid; * a first-class opportunity educating native leaders, rward planning might even iscord, but this could pro :al education of the highest creating an awareness that could not be done at that priorities must be lucity of native peoples in 5 political roles, in the ranks of the civil service nior economic roles illus foolishness of talking about ■NG tomorrow’,” Sir John ;se very facts point to the epping up the pace. While ducating people we must eir practice in government Is. lative leaders should quite allowed to share with the tor embryonic Cabinet ties. ) efficiency need to be run = up the rate of indigenes’ n in political government in the civil service.”

Crawford added: “There d conviction that the time before the Papuans and

New Guineans pass from tutelage to self-government is not long. Yet panic is not justified.

“External pressures are real, but unfortunately some are merely ig norant and malicious.

“Internal pressures are not yet great. There is even evidence of anxiety lest Australia withdraw too soon.

“But as we encourage economic and social development so we rightly encourage a pressure from these same people to be allowed to run their own lives.

“A judgment has to be made when the point of self-determination has

been reached. We can share in that judgment most effectively if we con tinuously step up the pace at which we transfer day-to-day responsibility in political and economic manage ment to the people who must finally manage for themselves.”

A new £4,500 automatic telephone exchange at Sogeri, near the start of the famous Kokoda Trail of Papua, began operating in June. It meant that all telephone exchanges in the Port Moresby area are now automatic.

The Administration plans eventually to have automatic exchanges through out P-NG.