Primage Anomaly

Officialdom “Pulls the Legs” of Territories’ Producers

THE planters of New Guinea and Papua, though residents of Aus tralian territories, are still being thrashed by the Commonwealth Department of Customs in the matter of primage duty; and, apparently, officialdom has no in tention of granting any relief.

Early in 1934 we directed attention to the fact that the products of Papua and New Guinea, when brought to Australia, were being made subject to primage duty, amounting in some cases to 6 per cent.

In other words. New Guinea and Papua were being treated in this matter as if they were foreign countries.

The Sydney Chamber of Commerce brought the anomaly under the notice of the Federal Government; and the Min ister responsible replied smoothly that the matter certainly would have attention when primage duties were being revised.

It was announced, early this year, that as from March 15, the products of the Territories imported to Australia would be subject to primage duty at the same rates as similar goods admitted under the British preferential tariff.

This appeared satisfactory. Islands merchants felt that, at long last, justice had been done.

But Australian officialdom merely was pulling the Territories’ collective leg!

There is practically no concession.

Importers of desiccated coconut, for in stance, found the tariff unchanged. The same applied to various other products, which are peculiar to the tropical islands.

Much perplexed, we applied to the Col lector of Customs, Sydney, for an ex planation, and were courteously supplied with copies of Customs Proclamations Nos. 288, 289, and 290. And there the whole plot was exposed!

Primage duty has been removed from, or reduced, on goods from Papua and New Guinea only when similar articles, which are “the produce or manufacture of Great Britain,” come in at concession rates under the British preferential tariff.

Britain does not produce desiccated coconut, or coffee, or rubber, or a score of similar things; and so such imports into Australia, from New Guinea and Papua, are treated still exactly as if they were the produce of foreign countries.

Could official fatuousness go further!

A grave injustice is being done to these Territories, so the fight must go on. The matter will be brought up at the next session of the Commonwealth Govern ment; and we suppose that more months will pass while we are trying to induce some bored and weary Minister to give it attention.

Meanwhile the Legislative Councils of Papua and New Guinea could help along the good work by taking some official notice of the subject.

Mr. A. R. Lowell, very well known in Papua, where he was at one time a member of the Public Service, died on April 15 at Port Moresby Hospital, fol lowing a long illness. Before going to Papua, he was for some years a barris ter of the Inner Temple, London.

Mr. E. H, Griffiths, manager of the C.S.R. Co.’s mill at Penang, has returned to Fiji after a lengthy stay at the Bel vedere Guest House, Sydney.