NEW GUINEA

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1930, Page 3

NEW GUINEA

ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM

ANTHROPOLOGIST NEEDED

AUCKLAND, March 10.

■ ‘ln my opinion, it is essential to have the services of an anthropologist in. every native territory. As fat as the mandated territory of New Guinea is .concerned, I as the Government Anthropologist, am engaged in the study of the religion, social organisation, and economic conditions of the naltive races.” ’

This statement was made this morning by Mr E. W. Pearson Oliinnery who. is on fa'' year’s vacation lifter spending nearly a quarter of a century in New Guinea in various capacities, including that of Magistrate. In explaining the system of administration in” the territory, Mr Ohinnery, who is' a through passenger by the Aorangi, said that they did not interfere with ally' native customs unless they were antagonistic to European standards, or unless laws were repugnant to British' jdeals. .‘”‘We; develop native gq^fer^me?i'tlkP ? ih^titif^id^s'4iS , '¥al'sis possible,” he said, “but where we find that .they are under the standard w'e try ,to get the natives to revise them without abolition. Wbat we aim at is to make tribal customs progres-

give and uplifting as far as_possiWe. We prefer that natives'should their own power to rule and that they snould look uipon the administration as granted by the mandate, as protectors and helpers. “We'are working hard to advan « the moral, and material welfare of half a million, people, who comprise the population of this very little, known country,’’-'continued Mr Ohinnery; “as far as anthrpology is concerned tin territory is an almost virgin field.”; .