JUST TREATMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 153, 30 June 1944, Page 5

JUST TREATMENT

FOR NATIVE PEOPLES Australian. Retort To Papua, New Guinea Proposal X.Z. Press 'Association —Copyright Rec. 9.30 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. "The hostility of Mr. Robson and a few others has been evident ever since it became clear that the Australian Government was determined upon a policy to give just treatment to all residents of the Australian territories, including those containing natives," said the Federal Minister of External Territories, Mr. Ward, yesterday. The Minister was replying to comments made by the editor of the Pacific Islands Monthly, Mr. R. W. Robson, who at the annual meeting of the Pacific Territories Association in Sydney this week proposed that the control of Xew Guinea and

Papua should be handed over either to Great Britain or the United States. Mr. Ward said he was gratified that Mr. Robson's proposal —made solely because he disagreed with domestic policy—was overwhelmingly rejected by the meeting. ... "Strong exception is being taken to the Government's proposal to abandon the indentured native labour system as soon as possible and substitute more humane treatment of native labour," declared Mr. Ward. "This does not suit Mr. Robson or the financial interests he represents." , The Minister added that Commonwealth Government intended to carry out an extensive programme for 'the development of external territories. It recognised that to leave New Guinea in its present primitive state would endanger the future safety of Australia. A cable from Sydney, published in last night's Star, stated: "A proposal that Papua and the mandated territory of New Guinea should be removed from Australian administration and handed over to Great Britain has been submitted to the Pacific. Territories Association. T.ie association's members are almost exclusively former non-official residents of Panua and New Guinea. Harsh and unsympathetic treatment of evacuees, including the chisel ling-d own of many claims for compensation, was given as the main reason for the proposal. An amendment that -he United States be appealed to was moved by the editor or Pacific Islands Monthly. Mr. H. \V. Robson. who said: 'The record of Australian administration is discreditable. Australia should never have held the territories. I am certainly not pro-Ameri-can, but 1 would like to see the territory under the control of either Great Britain or the United States.' The association rejected the amendment, and a motion proposing that Great. Britain take control, was deferred for three months."