MISMANAGED TERRITORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17459, 1 May 1920, Page 7

MISMANAGED TERRITORY.

+. ADMINISTRATION BLAMED. PROVOCATION OF RESIDENTS. A and N.Z. MELBOURNE, April JO. Mr. Justice Swing's report on the Northern Territory severely criticises the administration in Melbourne, and finds that too little attention has been given to maiy well-founded complaints on the part of residents. With tegard to the deporta--11 ons of the leading officials, he considered there was a good deal of provocation, which went far to extenuate, if not actually to justify, the unusual form the protest adopted. He states that one of the deported officials was not responsible I for the outbreak, and the other two were largely victms of circumstances. Severe ! strictures, however, are passed on certain incidents of Dr. J. A. C.ilruth's administration. He comments on the Romula caso of lock ng up the native witnesses in 1 Fanny Bay Gaol with murderers and lunai tics, "on the stranger mediaeval system ' under which persons were imprisoned for ' debt, and on the appointment of officials j to positions and duties of which they were I utterly ignorant. He' considers the lack of system and generally the happy-go-lucky methods adopted were far more to blame than any evil or malicious intention on Vie part oi individuals