Best Wishes To Mr. David Hay

(who in January becomes Administrator of Papua-New Guinea) —from an old New Guinea hand OUR BEST WISHES to Mr. David Hay.

WE SHOULD WISH that his duties will flow smoothly so that he can lead the country forward, willingly followed by the indigenous people, assisted by the Europeans, supported by Canberra and with the sympathetic understanding of the United Nations.

BUT LIFE is not like that. Not in New Guinea.

WE CAN WISH him only years of onerous toil in a climate which makes hard work harder, facing problems which cannot be solved to the satisfaction of everybody.

AS HE LEADS the native people towards prosperity in the modern world, may he be able to overcome some of the inertia of the great majority, at the same time mollifying the vehemence of the educated few, and when what he has said has been twisted to mean the exact opposite, may he hear of it early and so be able to correct it.

WITH THOSE difficult people, the white inhabitants, may he find a core of good-natured loyalty to temper the harsh and unconscion able criticisms which they will make of his policies.

MAY HE MAKE many good friends in all sections of the community.

MAY CANBERRA {and Australia generally ) sometimes concede that local opinion has some value and be influenced accordingly, and may some few in the United Nations see some other point of view than their own, just occasionally.

AS HE MOVES from one imperfect solution to the next insoluble problem, with the results always falling short of his hopes, may his strength hold and his nerves remain calm.

AND WHEN HE STEERS a commonsense course between those who clamour to sacrifice the present for some ideal, unworkable future and those who would neglect all for present gain, we would like to wish him their gratitude, but we cannot, for those who are too thick in the head to see what they have been saved from will give him no thanks.

AND HIS GOOD LADY, when she is worn out with entertaining strangers and is looking forward to a quiet evening at home, may she have the strength and patience to bear the unexpected VIP guests on her doorstep.

THEN, at the end of his term, may the Administrator feel, as most old hands do, that in spite of all the disappointments and frustrations . that he is infinitely glad he spent those years in New Guinea and nowhere else, and that it was all more-than-worthwhile.

AND THEN may he have the wry satisfaction of hearing that he has been praised by people who earlier criticised him and even doubted his personal honesty.

OUR BEST WISHES to Mr. David Hay. We would like to wish him better than we have done, but this is the best he will get in New Guinea in his coming years.

Eric Feldt.