NEW GUINEA POPULATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18162, 9 August 1933, Page 7

NEW GUINEA POPULATION

PROBABLY 1,000,000 EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION SYDNEY, Aug. 3. The Minister for Territories, Mr. Marr, in an address to the National Club, emphasised the inadequacy of former estimates of the population of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea. Before the war, he said, the German administrators "estimated the native population at 30,000. In June, 1932, the official estimate was 521,000. During his recent visit ho flew over new areas inhabited by perhaps 200,000 natives. Thus, there might be 750,000 in the territory, and probably, when the country was brought fully under control, the native population would bo found to be approximately 1,000,000. Mr. Marr praised tho efficiency of the New Guinea air organisation. He mentioned) that its aeroplanes cost £33,000 each, that tie chief engineer received £4OOO a year, and that none of the pilots was paid less than £IOOO. * Australians Tiad no reason to be ashamed, but every reason to bo proud, of the selection of the administration officers and of the work they had performed, said Mr Marr. Discussing unreasonable criticisms sometimes made, ho recalled an occasion, while visiting New Guinea, when ho noticed a white man walking down the plank, and a native walking up, while the steamer was at a wharf. Each carried a bag. Tho native gave place, to the white man; and an American who was standing near was indignant, and he would have something to say about that when he returned to the United States. Mr. Marr advised him to read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin’’ first. At a later date the same American changed his view, and commended the Commonwealth s administration. . The recruiting laws m New Guinea were probably the most stringent in tho world, said Mr. Marr Nearly 30 000 natives were working under European control. Many a native, who at tho beginning was little but “.skin and bone,’’ looked strong and well nourished after throe months work, because he received good tood.