TAX GATHERERS’ PARADISE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 191, 9 May 1921, Page 5

TAX GATHERERS’ PARADISE

COLLECTORS POPULAR IN PAPUA. Papua remains the tax gatherers’ paradise? The collectors are still greeted with cheers, and are the guests: of honour in the native villages (states the Melbourne “Age”). Judge t : n Lieutenant-Governor of the territory, in his latest annual report, comments on this strange behaviour on the part of tne natives, and remarks that exemption from taxation is bitterly resented. He says that the explanation was not, as one was inclined to think, that the taxpayers were all mad, but that the more intelligent among them took it as a. compliment that they should be asked to contribute to the administration of the territory, and were glad that they were not left out of account altogether. Lhis he accepts at a sign of tho development among the natives of a civic OP*™’ which he had not expected for some generations. . , The proceeds of the tax are applied to native education, primary and technical. and to native sanitation and the medical treatment of village natives. The Lieutenant-Governor maintains that the preservation of the Papuans is a necessary corollary of the "white Australia” policy. If tho Papuan fails, the Judge contends that his place will inevP tably be taken by the Asiatic, and with an Asiatic population m Papua the “white Australia” policy might be difficult to maintain. Strange experiences still befall the patrol officers of Papua, whose work takes them into unknown regions. Mr. Aurtcn one of the patrol officers, recentIv concluded a “treaty of peace with the people of Tapapi and Aregi, who live on an affluent of the Lower Fly River. The patrol officer addressed the assembled tribes, and explained to them the policy of the Government—that private war should come to an end, and that if any murders were committed the police would investigate the matter and arrest the guilty parties. He then handed a bow to the Aregi people, and one man. taking it, broke it with his foot. At the moment of breaking a great hu hu” ran" out, tho elder men instructing the children. The patrol officer then fired a shot out of a rifle, and handed the empty cartridge case to the people as a token of friendship. The same procedure was gone through with tho Tapapi. Afterwards the people gave the police presents of sago and sago worm*, and in return each native was presented with a piece of tobacco. Tho financial returns for the year 1919-20 showed a distinct improvement on the figures for the previous year, 't’he revenue, apart from the Commonwealth subsidy, amounted to 2379,572, against for tho preceding twelve months. Exports were valued at .£270.4-81, compared with <£176,247 for 1918-19. There was a considerable increase in the quantity of copra exported, and larger shipments of timber, rubber, ami hemp were also dispatched. The Lieutenant-Governor remarks that from an inspection of the returns it might be argued that tho mining industry had ceased in Papua, but when the mines at Misima and Laloki were in full produclion the returns of both gold and copper should vastly exceed those of previous years. The report shows that the recruiting of native labour has fallen off considerably. The principal cause was tho difficulty in obtaining rice, and the dislike of native labourers for the substituted foods. A further reason was the decrease in tho purchasing power of money. The monthly wage of 10s. was worth very much Jess than it was a few years ago. and the natives considered the inducement to leave their villager <Jant.