Papua Prospers

Oil-Rubber-Coffee-Defence Works

AS a result of oil prospecting operations and the high price of rubber, Papua is experiencing new commercial pros perity, said Sir Hubert Murray (Lieut.- Governor of Papua) on his arrival in Sydney in February.

The rubber plantations, owned by Eu ropeans and worked with native labour, now covered a total area of about 70,000 acres, 50,000 acres of which had been taken up in the last two years. The en tire output of the plantations was ab sorbed by Australia.

The coffee plantations were also pros pering. Unlike the rubber plantations, they were owned and worked by Papuans.

The Administration assisted the owners by remitting taxation, supplying seed, and instructing the natives how to cultivate their holdings, stipulating that they should work a certain number of days in the week. The crop was marketed by the Administration, which returned the natives half the proceeds of sale, and with the other half maintained a fund reserved expressly for native purposes, such as the establishment of hospitals and schools.

This year the coffee crop was sold for £2,000, of which the natives received £l,OOO. Several hundreds of natives were now engaged in coffee production.

With the prospect that the production of petroleum would soon be added to Papua’s many valuable exports, the ade quate defence of the country assumed an even greater importance, said Sir Hu bert Murray. Considerable significance, therefore, attached to the recent visit to Papua of three Australian defence ex

perts. This mission had selected a site for a base for the mobile naval and air forces which the Federal Government in tended to establish at Port Moresby. Fix ed defences would be provided there and the base would be used as a station for flying-boats.