That Conservative Mission

Ma V Pack Some Surprises

From a Port Moresby correspondent

The McEwen Mission to New Guinea seems to have already gone down on the record as a sound and conservative group whose report to the United Nations will not rock Aus tralia’s political boat in New Guinea. Commentators and officials have widely sung its praises. But perhaps the commentators are in for some shocks.

Sound and conservative the mission members undoubtedly are, but they are also experienced and intelligent administrators themselves and they knew exactly what they were looking at in New Guinea. They may be depended upon to be constructive in their report, but forthright.

Although their report presumably

cekb?ate r rVor a Mission (the

realism of which time has proved) the McEwen Report will undoubtedly be critical where it matters.

The four UN Mission members in their exhaustive tour heard no demands for independence, and spoke to nobody the members considered to be radicals as the world understands the term. Radicals, they think, will develop when the university gets properly established.

Nevertheless, the mission members were clearly disturbed at how little New Guineans understand Australia’s

aims in the territory. Although Mr.

Barnes has frequently repeated that Australia will build up the territory until the local people can decide their own political future, the mission found that New Guineans do not understand this; that there has been a virtual breakdown of communica

the^peopfl

™ s f n believes this is Australia’s manv New Guineans for the \ ? mind are frightened, in their ignorance, that Australia will leave them. They do no t know how to go about self government, or really understand w hat self-government is. They have no sens e of nationalism, xhe mission can be expected to i ay this lack of preparation clearly at Canberra’s feet, and Canberra may expect to get its ears boxed for allowing this situation to develop.

Canberra will need to push harder

Members of the UN Mission to New Guinea listen to Tambai, president of the Wabag Local Government Council (standing) during their NG tour. From left they are Dr.

Ward Allen, Mr. J. M. McEwen, Mr. Paul Gashignard and Mr. A. F. Caine.

and work faster, and it will need also to decentralise authority if it is to satisfy the mission.

There will certainly be criticism at Canberra’s insistence on making decisions, and the NG Administration will get higher marks for its pro gressive attitude than Canberra will.

Members of the mission were con vinced that the House of Assembly must be given a greater say in the Budget; that more must be done to localise the Public Service; that the dual pay system, which is dis criminatory, must be scrapped (although expatriate allowances would still be paid). (Reports filtering through from Canberra indicate that something is already being done to alter the dual system.) Mr. McEwen’s own NZ Department of Island Territories (whose sec retary he is) localised the Public Service in its territories by systema tically abolishing importation of the lowest grades of public servants, thus making it imperative that locals be employed. It’s not unreasonable to assume he will suggest this method for New Guinea.

The mission took the view here that public servants appointed locally should be paid local wages, and that wives of expatriate public servants who hold down good Public Service jobs in offices should receive no special allowances merely because they happen to have been born out side the territory.

During their tour mission members expressed the firm view that emerg ing people are not made responsible until they are given responsibility, and this should be a vital platform in the mission’s report.

Australia may expect to get some pats on the back. Especially for her general development of schools, colleges and training institutes in New Guinea, although the mission members felt that economic develop ment could move faster.