PAPUAN NATIVES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20330, 1 September 1931, Page 11

PAPUAN NATIVES.

j . 4 • i STRANGE RITES AND j CANNIBALISM. j EXPEDITION ATTACKED.

j (CNITED rKESS ASSOCIATION" —BT' ZLICTIUO j TELBGRAPHrr-COPYiIIGHT

I (Received August 31st, 8 p.m.) | CANBERRA, August 31. The' Lieutenant-Governor of Papua, Sir John 11. P. Murray, reporting on the recent first exploration of tho lilt hospitablo valley of Iviapou, say 6 tliac Patrol-Officer Hides found a most unfriendly people living in scattered villages in tho \siklest localities. Tlioy were practising strango rites, particularly in regard to the disposal of the , i dead. ! Tlio native,i are cannibals and apparently iiercfi fighters. They attacked tho expedition and one carrier was wounded by arrows. [Papua, formerly called British New Guinea, consists of a number of islands south-east of New Guinea. The territory is administered by Australia through a:i Executive Council. Jho European population is about 1600. Tjie natives number 152,000. Much of the interior is Still in the stono age.]

TRANSPORT CONTROL.

CHANGES IN NEW SOUTH

WALES

COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED

(Received September Ist, 32.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, August 31. State Cabinet, after a protracted sitting, appointed Mr C. J. Goode as Chief Commissioner of Transport, and Messrs James Eraser, Charles Hodson, and F. Millor Assistant-Commissioners under the new Transport Act, which places the wholo of the railway, tramway, and omnibus systems under tho Ministry of Transport, subject to political control. Mr Miller is the railway and tramway employees' representative. Mr Goode was formorly area commissioner under tho old regime, but was dismissed by tho present Chief Commissioner, Mr deary, for maladministration. A lively controversy followed, in which tho Premier, Mr J. T. Lang, figured prominently. SAVINGS BANK REOPENING.

WAYS AND MEANS CONSIDERED

(.lieeeivod August 31st, 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, August il. Tho Savings Bank Commissioners, whoso appointments are stated to bo for twelvo months, met to-day to consider ways and means for reopening the Government Savings Bank. Mr O'Malley Wood wa3 elected president and Sir John Butters vice-presi-dent. ECONOMY IN AUSTRALIA.

LABOUR PARTY POLICY. MELBOURNE, August 31. By 22 votes to 13 a special Federal Conference of the Australian Labour Party agreed to a composite resolution embracing several independent proposals whlfth, although they expressed hostility to the provisions of the Financial Emergency Bill, recognised that the rehabilitation plan had to bo accepted. The cOnferonco directed, however, that any future attempt* to bring about reductions in wages, pensions, and social services must bo resisted by all Labour pi Cnibers.