FIRM HAND NEEDED.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17470, 2 June 1922, Page 3

FIRM HAND NEEDED.

PACIFIC ISLAND CONTROL. (FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNFA', May 24. An advocate of the strong hand in ruling the natives of the mandated territory of New Guinea has been found in Mr S. Sampson, an ex-member of the Commonwealth House of Represen tatives, who has just returned from a visit to the Islands. "Our policy of native control," said Mr Sampson "was frequently that of 'spare the rod and spoil the child,' and, if continued, would make it impossible to work these. plantations successfully. While tha German 6ystem need not be adopted in its entirety, an alteration of the present system is essential to make it effective." Speaking on general administration of the islands, Mr 'Sampson said: "It would appear that if tho general system of soldier settlement were earned out* in the territories, the Government would require to become responsible to 'Germany, through tin Allies, for between £3,000,000 to £4,000,000 for the purpose of purchasing plantations for sub-division ano settlement. If the "borrowing of this amount is regarded as necessary for soldier settlement, that money should be expended within Australia, through the States, where abundance of land is available under infinitely better conditions thnn can be obtained in the mandated territories. We have fully 2.000,000 square miles of tropical and semi-tropical land in Queensland, Northern Territory and North-West Australia undeveloped, yet, in spite of the present need for people, we are neglecting, those;areas and landing to a new territory hundreds of our able-bodied soldiers, who will find it very difficult to justify their labour or the expenditure of the Government. At the earliest possible moment reconsideration of the whole position should be given by Parliament, with the view to the institution of laws that will efficiently control the labour problem, the disposal of land into the hands of private enterprise and the withdrawal of the largo army of public officials to the mainland of Australia, w'nere they could be more profitably placed.