Bounties For
p. 29 · Read in the full issue
Planters
Position in New Guinea and Papua
ALTHOUGH liberal bounties for a variety of products grown in Aus tralia’s tropical territories have been provided since 1927, by the Common wealth, planters in Papua and New Guinea (except cocoa producers, in very recent years) have not taken advantage of the offer to any marked extent.
Questions asked by Mr. A. E. Green in Parliament at Canberra in November brought the following replies from the new Minister for Territories (Mr. Har rison) .
Is the Papua and New Guinea Bount ies Act, which provided for the expendi ture of £25,000 per annum on the pro ducts of New Guinea and Papua, in force to December 31, 1938?
The Minister replied: The Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1937, makes provision for the payment of bounties on certain produce of manufacture on importation into the Commonwealth for home consumption for a period of ten years from January 1, 1938. The Act does not make any specific annual ap propriation to cover the payment of the bounties.
Do the Estimates for the year 1938-39 provide for an extension of the bounties?
The Minister said that an amount of £2,000 is provided on the Estimates, 1938- 39, to cover the payment of bounties un der the Act.
What are the primary products on which bounties have been paid, and how much has been paid on each item, to the end of the last financial year, for New Guinea and Papua?
The Minister replied: The Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act, 1926-1936, which was in operation for a period of 11 years from January 1, 1927, made provisions for the payment of bounties in a manner similar to that contained in the Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1937. From January 1, 1927, to June 30, 1938, the following bounties were paid: New Guinea —Cocoa beans, £11,764; nutmeg, £4. Papua—Cocoa beans, £2O; kapok, £l3; sisal fibre, £4O.