Purchases By New Guinea

And Papua

Letter to the Editor Can you, or anyone else, explain why it is that while the Administration of New Guinea purchases most of its con siderable requirements in Sydney, mostly by tender through the New Guinea Trade Agency, the Administration of Papua buys its supplies without the aid of tenders, and has no connection whatever with the New Guinea Trade Agency?

The New Guinea tender system seems to work very well. A statement of the Administration’s needs usually arrives by the B.P. steamer: tenders are immedi ately invited; contracts are let and the whole operation is put through so quickly and smoothly that the goods ordered usually go back to New Guinea on the same steamer. A large number of Sydney manufacturers and exporters now keep in touch with the New Guinea Trade Agency, and are always ready to supply goods promptly, under a system of keen competition.

The Papuan Government, on the other hand, seems to buy unsystematically and apparently with a lack of competition.

There has been on several occasions a suggestion that Papua is paying for goods and service something more than is paid by New Guinea. There is also a suspicion that Papua buys substantial portions of its requirements outside of Australia. This seems an unfortunate policy, seeing that the Australian tax payer has to provide Papua every year with from £40,000 to £60,000 to carry on.

Why cannot Papua use the Trade Agency and tender system in the same way as New Guinea?

I am, etc.,

Sydney Merchant.

Sydney, March 24, 1934.