Rubber Industry

Menaced.

Papuan Growers Alarmed.

INFORMATION to hand since the article on page 21 was written shows that the position regarding Papuan rubber has developed alarmingly.

Information was received in Port Moresby on November 29 that, after De cember 31, the Australian rubber manu facturers would accept no further Pa puan rubber until further notice.

No reason was given; but Papuan rubber producers were informed shortly after that the manufacturers would use no more Papuan rubber so long as the Federal Government maintained its duty of 4d. per lb. on all non-Papuan rubber.

The report caused alarm in the Terri tory and a meeting of Papuan rubber planters was held in Port Moresby on December 5. The position was discussed but nothing could be done pending fur ther information from Australia.

On December 15 we were again in formed in Sydney that the Australian manufacturers had definitely decided to use no more Papuan rubber after De cember 31. We tried to get this report confirmed but, although we placed our selves in telephonic communication with several different people in the rubber manufacturing trade, we were met by statements of blank ignorance. Not one man of all those interrogated would ad mit that he knew anything about the position.

The position is an extraordinarily diffi cult one for the Papuan rubber growers.

There is no doubt that, if the rubber preference is withdrawn, or if the com bined Australian manufacturers are not going to use Papuan rubber, something approaching economic chaos will fall upon the Territory of Papua.