FIRM HAND NEEDED

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 129, 3 June 1922, Page 10

FIRM HAND NEEDED

An advocate of the strong hand m ruling the natives of the mandated territory of New Guinea has been foundl in Mr. S. Sampson, an ex-member off the Commonwealth House of Bep'rf> sentatives who has just returned fr;cvm a visit to the Islands. "Our policy of native control/ said Mr. Sampson, "was frequently that of 'spars* the rod and spoil the child,' and, if continued, would make it impossible to work these plantations suceess,fi}']ly. While the German system need' not be adopted in its entirety, an alteration of the present system is essential to make it effective." Speak jng on general, administration of the .inlands Sir. Sampson said :■' "It would appear that if the general system of , tidier settlement were carried out in the territories, the Government would, '.require to become ■ responsible to Germany, through the Allies, for between £)3,000,----000 to £4,000,000 for the purpose of purchasing plantations for si ib-division and- settlement. If the borrowing of this amount.is regarded as ' necessary for soldier land settlement, ifhat money should be expended within 'Australia, through.the States, where abundance of land is available under infinitely better conditions than can be obt'lined in the mandated territories. We. have fully 2,000.000 square miles of tropical and semi-tropical land in ' Queensland, Northern Territory, and . . Nortii-Wesi Australia undeveloped, yet, in spite of tho present need for pr/ople, we are neglecting these areas and sending to. a new territory hundreds of our ablebodied soldiers, who wijl find it very difficult to justify their; : 'labour or tho expenditure of the Gc /vfjrnment. At the earliest, possible mo rrtgnt. reconsideration of the whole position should .be given by Parliament, .'with the viaw'to the institution of laws that will efficiently Control the la.bour problem, the disposal of land int.© the hands' of private enterprise, and the withdrawal of the large army of,1 public officials to the mainland of Australia, where they could be more profita/bly placed.