Propose Council

NG Committee "Will Propose Council Increase "

From a Port Moresby Correspondent Although the Papua-New Guinea Legislative Council Select Com mittee on Political Development started its four of various Territory centres only on Sep tember 10, and will not present its interim report until October 15, already by mid-September many Territorians were convinced that the result was a foregone conclusion.

IT is believed that the committee will recommend a greatly in creased number of elected members.

This opinion is based largely on the composition of the committee now touring Territory centres and some members’ known views—even though the committee isn’t travelling about to express its own views, but to gather other peoples’. (See p. 69).

After the present tour and the presentation of its interim report to the Legislative Council, the com mittee will continue to investigate political advancement, and the tech niques to be used to bring about the Government’s directions.

The committee was established last February, following a notice of motion moved at Legco in September last year.

Sail-Trimming

Part of the extraordinary change in European attitudes over the last year or so—it’s usually referred to as “adjustment to the situation”—is the belief by a large circle that the natives should be given numerical superiority in the Legislative Council.

Mr. lan Downs has already said as much in a speech in the September meeting of the Legislative Council and he is probably one of the people who believe that he could win a seat even if a new Council was wholly elected, from a common roll.

Other people, who have had just as much experience in the country, believe otherwise. Mr. B. Fairfax- Ross, of Port Moresby, a nominated Council member, thinks that under those circumstances not one European face would be seen in the Council.

Mr. Lloyd Hurrell is believed to embrace Mr. Downs’ views, at least so far as a native majority is con

cerned, and this is probably the most surprising conversion of all.

Not two years ago, in his maiden appearance in Legco, Mr. Hurrell made an old-fashioned, reactionary speech that shocked the more ad vanced thinkers, and even some of his old friends, to their tropical under wear.

Since then some of his constituents, including some organisations, have evidently persuaded him that there isn’t any future for those people who can’t trim their sails to the prevailing wind.

The interim report will be awaited with interest, not only in order to see what this door - to - door canvass of native opinion has produced, but in order to see how the results compare with what people are already an ticipating.