ADMINISTRATION OF PAPUA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 15

ADMINISTRATION OF PAPUA.

LECTURE BY PROFESSOR BENSON. At the University on Tuesday evening Professor W. N. Benson gave a lecture to the Dunedin branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations. .The subject chosen was “ Papua,” and the lecturer dealt generally with the geography and economic affairs of the island. He gave a brief historical resume, touching on the various institutions that highly com petent administrators and magistrates had carried out. At all times, he said, pacification had been aimed at, and the native was coming to regard he system of European justice as tending preeminently towards the betterment of his position. The native race presented several different types, each one having a distinct language of its own. However, in essentials and in disposition, the races inhabiting Papua were of the usual type, and were amenable to-civilisation. The lecturer dealt with the more obvious forms of restraint and punishment. He said the yoke had been placed lightly on the native shoulders, and rigid supervision by white officers made anything like extortion by the constabulary impossible. The oil for the administrative wheels was supplied by good humour, and a measure of tolerance bad induced the Papuans to respond willingly, and even with some pride, to the payment of such bugbears as taxes. Altogether the contacts were happy ones.

Leaving the problem of European supervision, the next aspect considered was the means of gaining a livelihqod adopted by tbe native. All customs were studied carefully, and the policy of administration often took its guidance from them. This was particularly the case as regards the native tenure of land which it was desired to resume. Those lauds required for settlement were purchased from their-native owners by the Government, with their free consent, and only after it has been ascertained that the lands would not be needed for the future development of the native tribe of owners. Indentures were from one to three years' duration only, so that the necessity for frequent renewal of labour contracts ensured the good treatment of the labourers. No female labour was indentured save for domestic service under a married woman. The whole policy aimed at retaining for the , native his status as a landholder, but securing for him training in he working of that land. It sought to avoid his becoming a landless employee: the development of the native life and industry, n.ther than that of the European plantations, was the paramount consideration of the administration. Rice and coffee could be grown profitably if they were ad mitted into Australia under favourable conditions. Rubber grew well, but the plantations .suffered in that they came j into bearing at the time of the collapse of the post-war rubber boom. However, conditions were rapidly improving Metal-mining had resulted in the produc tion of about £2,000,600 worth of metal, principally gold, though copper was the most valuable product Some petroleum occurred; but it was as yet unwise to build much upon the chance of its profitable exploitation. The chief source of revenue was the import duties, which were supplemented by an annual grant of £50,000 from the Commonwealth. Eighty per cent, of this was devoted to the payment of the 150 administrative officials, 10 per cent, went to the health service, and the remainder to public works. There was an interesting system of native taxation, all.able-bodied males between 16 and 36 years of age being taxed amounts varying from 5s to 20s per year, this sum varying according to the productivity of the different districts. The proceeds of this tax were devoted to native purposes, such as genera] and technical education, village sanitation, etc. The natives could work out their taxes by labouring in the Government plantations, which were resumed areas near the villages, wherein the natives were encouraged to work under Government supervision for the common benefit, the proceeds from such plantations being added to the Native Tax fund, and used for native purposes only. The educational policy of the Government had been at first subordinated to the immediate need of obtaining dniinistrative control over the territory, but was now directed to tne support of the work of education carried on by the various missionary bodies. The natives took the fullest advantage of any opportunity for technical training. At present nearly all the oil launches in the territory were run by natives, who also built boats and houses. They were beginning to find employment as clerks, and could be taught in the hospitals to administer anaesthetics, and perform such delicate operations as skin grafting. The duties of the individual planter and of the administration towards tbe native were not the same. The former needed to be concerned only with the welfare of those in his direct employ; the latter held a trust to safeguard the future development of the Papuan people as a whole. This made necessary at times the imposition of restrictions, the immediate purpose pf which might not be apparent to'all, and the administration was theiefore criticised at times as. being too doctrinaire. The majority of Australians, however, seemed inclined to .forestall the verdict of the future, and to take pride in what they felt to be a government of subject peoples, in accord with the highest ideals of the British nation.