Bremerhaven
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
Planters Radio To
Prime Minister
Issues Somewhat Mixed
THE application made to the Fed eral Government, in June, to im pose some restriction upon the foreign-owned oversea ships which visit the outports of the Territory of New Guinea, was considered by the Planters’ Association of New Guinea at its annual council meeting in Rabaul, on July 20, and the following radio message was despatched to the Prime Minister: This Association enters an emphatic protest against any interference with the sea-borne trade of this Territory, as any such interference will be inimical to the best interests of the Govern ment and the community. The recent enlarge ment of the overseas shipping services has been of inestimable value.
In a lengthy letter to the Prime Min ister, which followed this the Association protests strongly against the suggestion that the coast wise provisions of the Commonwealth: Navigation Act be reimposed on the Territory. It says that its attitude is the same as it was in February, 1929, when the Navigation Act question pre viously arose, and it reiterates that it is opposed to any restriction upon overseas shipping facilities —foreign or otherwise—available to the Territory.
The Association makes the point that the Territory is suffering very much owing to the low price of copra; that it is extremely desirable that no fur ther handicap be placed on the ship ment of copra direct to the world mar kets; and that the foreign shipping facilities to which objection has been taken, give the New Guinea producers increased facilities for getting their copra overseas. They insist that it is undesirable that the export of New Guinea copra be forced through Aus tralian channels: First, because this adds to the freight rates; and second because many of the goods, which the copra producer requires, can be ob tained directly and more cheaply from markets other than Australia. The letter continues: ‘‘Until recent months, these facili ties existed to a very limited extent and were totally inadequate to the requirements of the Territory. The extension lately of the activities of foreign shipping companies to the Ter ritory is supplying an imperative de mand. Should those facilities be with drawn or curtailed the reaction uport the copra industry and the community will be most harmful.”
It is apparent that the Planters’ As sociation has been given a wrong con ception of the request that has been made to Federal Government. There is no attempt being made to prevent the German steamen, Bremerhaven, from visiting the Territory; or to force copra shipments through Australia.
What is asked is that this vessel, which is cheaply manned by Asiatic labour and, it is believed, subsidised, shall not be permitted to visit the outports of New Guinea under conditions which impose an unfair handicap upon the Australian companies. It is pointed out that the latter maintain Australian wage standards and conditions and if they are forced to compete with the German steamer in the outports, they must abandon such standards. They are quite prepared to meet the Ger mans on equal terms in the chief port of Rabaul. There is no suggestion that direct shipments of copra from New Guinea to the world’s markets should be abandoned.
The question, as was explained at length in the last issue of this journal, is entirely one relating to the amount of the freight between the outnorts and Rabaul. When the producer deals with the Australian companies he is: obliged to pay the freight. When he deals with the German ship, which goes to the outports. that amount of freight is saved. Under existing condi tions, the Australian companies can not send ships to the outports to pick up copra in the same way that the Germans do. If they are forced to do so in order to hold their trade against the German competition, they will be obliged to employ Asiatic or native labour and abandon the wage stand ards and conditions which they have hitherto maintained.