NEW GUINEA MANDATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18224, 18 October 1922, Page 9

NEW GUINEA MANDATE.

ADMINISTRATION ATTACKED. AUSTRALIAN INEXPERIENCE MELBOURNE INFLUENCE. [FBOM OUR OWN COBBEJirONDENT-] SYDNEY, Oct. 12. An indictment of the Australian Administration of the mandated territory of German New Guinea has been uttered by Mr. W. Welsh, F.R.G.S., hon. treasurer of the Royal Australian. Historical Society, who has just returned from a ( visit to Rabaul. _ ] There were many people in the territory, he said, who would prefer government from Downing Street to that which they get from Melbourne. The inexperience of the administration was at the bottom of the trouble. Germany had had time to benefit by her experience, but when Australia rushed in with a 'staff, many of whom were poorly qualified for the job, matters speedily changed for tho worse. The native problem had become acute, on account of the unwise laws for the protection of the natives and the way in which they were administered. Often it seemed that the word of a native was preferred to that of a Europiean, and this made for victimisation and lack of control. Improper conduct on the part of the officials had been complained of. Chinatown seemed the favoured part of Rabaul, he said. A great deal of the trade went there, yet the sanitary conditions were so bad that thifi Government surveyor told Mr. Welsh that he could get his men to work there only two hours at a time. Dysentery and other diseases were rampant. In some cas:es white men were being displaced by Chinese in Government service. Natives had only a vague idea of the value of money, and thus when they were paid it speedily got into the hands of the Orientals. Taxation was excessive, said Mr. Welsh. Many men had been waiting for months for mining laws to be gazetted. It was quite on the cards that there would be a boom in mining for gold and other rare metals when at last something was done. Lack of proper water supply and bad hospital conditions were also complained of. At times of pressure, Mr. Welsh was told, 'an untrained man was detailed for service, and the presence of male attendants had been adversely .nommented on by women patients. Prisoners from the local gaol had been employed durine their own term of treatment at the hospital as nieht orderlies. Criticism was directed not so much against the Administrator, General Wisdom, as against the dominating and inexperienced influence directed from Melbourne.