Councils Is Growing
p. 109 · Read in the full issue
Importance Off New Guinea Councils Is Growing
History was made in Rabaul, New Guinea, on March 28 hen the Administration station, Radio Rabaul, VL9BR, made ic first on-the-spot broadcast of a Native Local Government ouncil meeting.
kDIO Rabaul caters largely for the local Tolai people (see icalities, this issue), and has been ating from Rabaul since 1961. »enda tor this council broadcast also important— to discuss the gamation of the four local cils in the Rabaul area and to der the submission of names for >ective candidates for the Legis ; Council elections in 1964. er 100 native councillors repre ig about 40,000 persons living the Rabaul, Reimber-Livuan.
a-Vunadidir-Nunganunga, and
mami Council areas packed the Rabaul Council Chambers and lowed outside. iring the two-hour meeting it decided that the four existing fils would amalgamate as the lie Local Government Council hat the Administrator be asked oclaim it immediately. The new fil, when it begins to function e latter half of this year, will he wealthiest, strongest and ibly the most homogeneous in a-New Guinea. dio Rabaul began broadcasting edings promptly at 5 p.m.—in
troduced by commentator Samson To Patiliu, a recorded speech from Director of Native Affairs, Mr. J. K.
McCarthy, and an address by District Commissioner J. R. Foldi in person.
Special equipment that had been installed in the council chambers in cluded microphones and sound mixers that allowed Rabaul Radio station manager, Mr. Jim Leigh, to control the broadcast on the spot. Through it, about 40,000 Tolai listeners were for the first time able to hear their councillors conducting a meeting and making far-reaching decisions. At the same time, Europeans who took the time off to listen were able to get a far better appreciation of what is likely to be a growing political force in the time immediately ahead.
Proceedings were conducted in Pidgin except occasionally when heated councillors broke into local language to express themselves better.
The interest in the first broadcast was such that the whole proceedings were re-broadcast on the Saturday afternoon following the meeting. A tape was sent to Port Moresby for Administration archives.
me of the 100-odd native councillors who attended the meeting in Rabaul described below.