NEW GUINEA. AND NAURU

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1923, Page 2

NEW GUINEA. AND NAURU

A 1 (MINI STB ATO US' RFBO 1 {TS. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CARLE ASSOCIATION. MKLBOLRNE, June 23. The annual report of ttte Administration of New Guinea, and the adjoining island states that tnere is still proha lily some twenty live thousand sip miles of th(> territory that lugs never yet been visited by i\ bite men. The remainder i- known only in broad outlines detailed by maps made of only small areas. The former system of slavery among the natives lias now been practically stamped out. There has generally been, and continues to he, a decline in the native population which is most marked whole they ate of mixed extraction and where they are purebred this i- less marked. In si.nto eases the decline is ginve and the recruiting of labour has consequently stopped. The administration is giving the most anxious attention to the mninfenanee of the native population which in 1921 WHS estimated at 251.0110. During the year 158(1 square miles of toiiitory was brought under Government control and three hundred miles of new ronus were opened. There ate 2no missionaries in the territories of whom 222 are German and twentv-ono British. The annual report of the Administrator of the Island of Nauru for submission to the League of Nations was tabled in the House of Representatives. It consists of replies to the questions submitted by the League, and declares that, no slavery exists among the natives. Their development is in its infamy and the time is not ripe for ndopting in toto the conventions and the recommendations ol the International Labour Conferences are intended to apply to the more highly civilised communities. Forced labour is prohibited.. and all labour is paid the market rate. The natives generally do not care for sustained labour, though a few are casually employed on work connected with the shipping of phosphates. There are 578 ( ..ntese and 258 Kanakas employed on the Island. The supply of intoxicants to natives is i igitllv forbidden. Hnrticular attention is paid to education. The average attendance at sennol is practically one hundred per cent i f the available children. The years exports "ere 18217D tons of phosphates, ol which Australin leccived l-L'1.920 tons, and New Zealand 88.250 tons. Also 108 tons of copra were exported to Australia.