Page:Picturesque New Guinea.djvu/380

 "The object should be to get the several Governments to propose acts of Special Appropriation to their local Parliaments, in order to permanently secure the contributions to be granted yearly to Her Majesty.

"An Act has been passed in Queensland, and, although that Government declines to increase its contribution, there is little fear of the Act being repealed.

"It is doubtful whether the other Governments will do more than vote the contribution yearly. If so, every year there will be discussions, more or less unpleasant, in the local Parliaments; and it will be difficult for the Imperial officer in charge to look ahead and establish an economical administration."

It has also been suggested that—

(1.) That the payments should be made half-yearly.

(2.) The financial year should commence on 1st January instead of 1st June.

Pending the settlement of these important political questions. Sir Peter Scratchley had intended to restrain, as far as possible for the present, the indiscriminate influx of white traders until the necessary machinery for control over whites and natives had been established. In order to obtain this, he had proposed establishing a chain of Government officials at various points along the coast.

Each Sub-Commissioner would have to be provided with a house, a schooner or whaleboat, one trusty and reliable European, and a crew of Solomon Islanders or Fijians, who should all be married. The duties of the Sub-Commissioner would be—to act as port officer, health officer, &c.; to superintend all commercial transactions between natives and whites; to adjudicate on all cases arising between them and white men; to initiate the cultivation of grain for the natives; to encourage exports of natural products; to superintend and report upon all local industries; to control and advise all exploring expeditions in his district. The salary of the Sub-Commissioner should be at £400 a year. The establishment of these officers would be preparatory to, and a means of, systematically opening up the country, so that, when an influx took place, not only would it be possible to exercise control, but the lands best adapted for various industries could be at once pointed out.

After carefully considering all hydrographical, sanitary, and tribal conditions, it will perhaps be found that the best sites for these ports, which would be ports of entry, would be as follows:—Cornwallis Island, which would command the entrance to the various rivers on the Western Coast. The situation is healthy,