Native Agriculture In Papua

Remarkable Results of Administration’s Policy of Encouragement

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Aug. 9.

TO raise the standard of native agriculture and to promote enterprise and industry among the more settled districts of the Territory, the Administration of Papua awards each year a prize of £5 for the best garden, the best plantation and the best village in a district. These prizes are paid out of the Native Taxation Fund.

On the whole, the results of this scheme have been extremely satisfactory. The gardens have increased in size and number, as have also the variety of crops.

One hears of rich harvests of the Motuan people on the Laloki River and of the coastal tribes to the east and west of Port Moresby, where formerly there was a shortage of food during the south-east seasons.

These crops are said to contain yams, bananas, sweet potatoes, peanuts and melons, besides taro, sugar cane and paw paws, and often oranges, tomatoes, French beans, eschalots, and corn. This shows that the introduction of new foodstuffs to the Territory has prospered and is strik ing evidence of the beneficial effect on the natives of the pacification and settlement of the country in increasing their food supply.

There is keen competition over the prizes and the fertile valleys behind the hills of the coast lands are dotted with gardens vieing with each other in variety and splendour for the Government’s judg ment. The most valued prize of all is for the best village. On the day of the prize giving there is much ceremony and jubila tion; leading men make speeches and there is dancing and feasting.

Some time back, it was the intention of the Government to establish agricultural schools, and educate natives in the more

intensive cultivation of the soil and its re quirements. But the depression came and the scheme had to be abandoned, so in the meantime the competition for the prizes is the best incentive the Government can give.

On Wednesday, August 1, in the pres ence of His Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor and the Hons. H. W. Champion,.

C.B.E. and Leonard Murray, the Resident Magistrate of the Central Division (Mr. C.

T. Wurth), presented the prize of £5 to the village of Tanobada for the best kept vil lage in the district this year. The village was gaily decorated from end to end and was spotlessly clean. There was a large gathering of village people with their councillors.

In making the presentation, the Resident Magistrate said that Tanobada had well earned the prize. From the point of view of cleanliness, good repair of houses, care of platforms, and planting of ornamental palms, they had good grounds for being: proud of their village. His Excellency supported his remarks, and said that he and the officers present had been so long in Papua that they looked on it as their own country, and were proud to see a vil lage kept so well as Tanobada.

Councillors Lohia-Kamea, Ahuia-Ova, Rakatani-Keke spoke in reply, the first two expressing their pleasure and pride in winning the prize and their gratification at the attendance of the Governor and other officers.

Rakatani-Keke’s speech was surprising, and particularly gratifying to the Gover nor and officers present. It was delivered in English with ease and fluency. He stated that he spoke for the village people.

When native taxation was introduced, he said, thev had many misgivings about it.

It was something new to them. They had never been taxed before. Why should each man now have to pay £1 a year? They feared that they would get nothing out of it But these misgivings had completely gone. They all understood now that their taxation money was kept in a special fund which was spent for the benefit of the natives. They understood well the differ ence between the General Revenue and the Taxation Fund. The Revenue they knew came from customs duties, rents, licence fees and so on, and was used generally for the good of the country. The Taxation Fund came only from the natives’ taxes, and was used only for the natives’ benefit.

As far as Tanobada itself was concerned, he continued, they had received a water supply in the village which saved their women carrying water long distances from springs; they had schools for their child ren- a hospital and medicines; their women shared in the baby bonus; and they now had this prize of fo. All these things came to them from the Native Taxation money. They knew that they were get ting many good things from the taxation money, and they were well content to pay their tax.

It was a remarkable speech. It must be remembered that it was made by a Papuan native in a foreign tongue, on a compli cated subject of which he showed good understanding.

The proceedings closed with cheers by the village people for His Excellency and the officials present.

On August 3 the prize for the best garden was awarded to Hari-Garia, of Korebada, a Koitapuan village (two miles outside Port Moresby), which lies on the main road to Rona.

Many natives were present, decorated with bird of paradise plumes and orna ments. Mr. C. T. Wurth (Resident Magis trate) presented the prize to Hari-Garia, in the presence of His Excellency the Lieut.-Governor. In doing so he remarked on the size of Hari’s garden and the variety of foodstuffs grown in it, and the Leen competition shown by other villagers for the coveted prize. Hari-Garia and the leading men of Korebada spoke in reply, stating how, through the help of the Gov ernment, they had left their war-like ways long ago and settled peacefully in their villages, making gardens and increasing their food supplies and thus becoming more efficient.

It was astonishing to listen to these men—really bush men from the hills —putting forth arguments clearly in favour of a disciplined life in contrast to an existence in which security was unknown and food supplies scarce and limited in variety.

His Excellency spoke in reply, and said he hoped they would continue to keep up the high standard of their gardens, which justified the giving of the prize to Hari- Garia of their village.