Papuan Tobacco.

Request for Australian Preference.

Froth' Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, May 1.

Tobacco is still being grown outside Port Moresby, near the Laloki River, and within the last few weeks a large shipment has been sent to England. It is favourably received there, and is en titled to Empire preference.

While at Canberra, in January of this

year, His Excellency Sir Hubert Mur ray asked the authorities to give Papuan unmanufactured tobacco a pre ference over American. No preference was asked for tobacco grown by black labour in Papua in competition with that grown by white labour in Aus tralia, but Sir Hubert urged that Papuan grown tobacco might have a preference over American, which is also grown by black labour.

The Commonwealth authorities have not yet reached a decision in the matter.