Papuan Natives As

Coffee Planters

THE nine-year-old plantation scheme under which the Papuan Administra tion has been trying to educate the natives of Sangara, in Eastern Papua, to grow crops for export is beginning to show results.

The main experimental plantation, which is 30 miles inland, is in charge of Captain L. E. Austin. In the beginning, experiments were made with cotton and cocoa, but when Captain Austin took charge four years ago attention was devoted mainly to the growing of coffee.

All the natives in the district are under an obligation to carry out the work of cultivating and gathering: the coffee crop, and it is understood that they shall receive half the proceeds therefrom. For a considerable time there was no profit in the work, but last year the plantation began to give returns and about 50 tons were produced and sold. As a result, it is reported that the natives of the dis trict will divide about £l,OOO as their share of the enterprise.

This is an interesting aspect of the policy of the Murray Administration, which has been consistently directed towards establishing peasant planters among the native population.