Papua (British New Guinea) : Spirituous liquors : correspondence respecting the suggested prohibition against their introduction, manufacture and sale

Creator
Australia. Parliament House of Representatives
Call Number
Nq 328.94 AUS
Created/Published
[Melbourne], Victoria : Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Robt. S. Brain, Government Printer for the State of Victoria, 1904
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THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.  

177  

1904.  

PAPUA (BRITISH NEW GUINEA).  

SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS.—CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTIN  

THE SUGGESTED PROHIBITION AGAINST THEIR  

INTRODUCTION, MANUFACTURE, AND SALE.  

Presented by Command; ordered to be printed, 18tli October, 1904.  

[Cost of Paper.—Preparation not given 900 copies approximate cost of printing and publishing, Â£18.]  

Despatch from Acting Administrator, British New Guinea, to the Governor-  

General.—No. 50. Dated 3rd September, 1903.  

My Lord,  

With further reference to my telegraphed despatch of 28th August in code, have the honour  

to enclose for Your Excellency’s information table showing spirituous liquors imported into Bri-  

tish New Guinea during the last four financial years.  

Your Excellency will be able to refer to the legislation in force in this Possession for the regu-  

lation of the liquor trade, more particularly referred to in my telegraphed despatch, so that it will not  

be necessary for me to refer to them in further detail.  

2. can only add that the introduction of such drastic legislation affecting the white popu-  

lation is, in my opinion, entirely uncalled for by the existing state of affairs, and is viewed with  

much apprehension by myself and my Council, as well as by those possessing extensive vested busi-  

ness interests in the community. From financial point of view especially, the effects of such  

prohibition will deplete revenue already inadequate for the purposes of this extensive territory.  

3. It is of the rarest occurrence for native to be given liquor in the Possession, save some-  

times medicinally, and there is no crying evil calling for redress. The only natives of the Possession  

who are to any extent addicted to the use of liquor are those of the Western Division, who have  

acquired taste for it when engaged on the Queensland pearling fleet; but no licensed premises have  

been allowed to exist at Daru for that reason.  

4. Miners as class are accustomed to the use (and abuse also, for that matter) of alcoholic  

liquors, and it will be very easy matter to introduce them across the border of German New Guinea,  

where they can be obtained duty free.  

It would be almost an impossibility to prevent the landing of the prohibited articles on these  

shores without number of efficient coast-guard vessels for which no provisions can be made.  

5. Furthermore, may state my opinion, based upon some experience of the tropics, that  

little stimulant is practically necessity in this climate. The case of one clerical dignitary in par-  

ticular may be quoted as an example. He was strict teetotaller before corning to New Guinea, but  

now finds in his own case that strict teetotalism is unwise in this climate.  

6. am also informed on the same authority, moreover, that the use of alcohol has been found  

on several occasions of the greatest benefit for medicinal purposes in treating sick natives.  

7. If, however, the proposed prohibition be carried out, neither missionary nor miner on  

the gold-fields will be able to procure bottle of spirits to alleviate pressing sickness, except on  

application to medical officer, of whom there are but two—one at Port Moresby and the other at  

Samarai, both hundreds of miles from the gold-fields.  

8. The state of the liquor trade in Thursday Island, referred to in such strong terms by Sena-  

tor Smith, can never prevail in British New Guinea under the laws now in force.  

have, &c.,  

His Excellency,  

The Governor-General of Australia,  

Melbourne.  

No. 47.—F. 10614*  

(Sgd.) CHRIS. ROBINSON,  

Acting Administrator.  

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APA citation

Australia. Parliament House of Representatives, issuing body. (1904). Papua (British New Guinea) : Spirituous liquors : correspondence respecting the suggested prohibition against their introduction, manufacture and sale Retrieved May 12, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2772887985

MLA citation

Australia. Parliament House of Representatives, issuing body. Papua (British New Guinea) : Spirituous liquors : correspondence respecting the suggested prohibition against their introduction, manufacture and sale [Melbourne], Victoria: Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Robt. S. Brain, Government Printer for the State of Victoria, 1904. Web. 12 May 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2772887985>

Harvard/Australian citation

Australia. Parliament House of Representatives, issuing body. 1904, Papua (British New Guinea) : Spirituous liquors : correspondence respecting the suggested prohibition against their introduction, manufacture and sale Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Robt. S. Brain, Government Printer for the State of Victoria, [Melbourne], Victoria viewed 12 May 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2772887985

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  | author1=Australia. Parliament House of Representatives, issuing body.
  | title=Papua (British New Guinea) : Spirituous liquors : correspondence respecting the suggested prohibition against their introduction, manufacture and sale.
  | year=1904
  | section=26 pages : 33 cm
  | series=Parliamentary paper (Australia. Parliament) ;
  | issue=PP no. 47 of 1904
  | location=[Melbourne], Victoria
  | publisher=Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Robt. S. Brain, Government Printer for the State of Victoria
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2772887985
  | id=nla.obj-2772887985
  | access-date=12 May 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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