Natives Carried As Air Freight

Chronicle (Levin), 22 April 1948, Page 6

Natives Carried As Air Freight

1 111 ". -m 1 ; . *: SYBNEY^ April 21. A* imraediate inquify intd aflegatibna that. New G'uiriea hativea 'were being Catried as freight, ihatead of as. passengex's, in the airCraft which , cf ashed on Sunday at Lae has.Been promiaed ,bv Alr. .Ward, fhe Miniater. of External Territories. ; ' « . y ■ He add'ed that he was anxazed- at the suggestion that - the. companiea xvere. ctefying the recent refusal by the Qivii A viati on Departxnent to allow . iiafiy ea to be treated as freight, .The manager of Guinea Air Traders said that' the airlihea in Kew Guinea had adopted the practxce yeara ago of cafrying natives on a poundage baSis without safety belts.' • Goveinihent officials in- New Guinea had cpnclpncd' tfis. He lximself had recently traveiled with an oMeer of the civil adxninistra ; tion in Kew Guinea in a plarie carrying natives. He.and the officer had seats. aiid. safety belts, but the natives sat oh the floor without' belts. When informed of tlxese allegations, Mr.-; Ward said: ' fThxs is all". hews to . tne; I would be - amazcd if suc.h. thihgs were happpning with tlie knowledge ;-ot' the Aduiimstratxpn df the •tefHtory.' Ti certainly. will 'not go on . any s ionger, thbugh I .realise.: that that- is nbt inuch help to the poor dCvils ivho xvcre ; killed: ' ' : ."• • f _ 'V . . After consulting the Mi'nistcr 01 Civii Ayxatipn (.Mr. .Drakcfdrd, 'Mr. ■Ward added. that before.the war it had been the' ' pfactice ' to • carry natives Nas frbight, but that after the waf thq 0ivi] AviatiQn Departnient had informed fhe pperators that it.,xn.iist not contihuc.