Australia's Rubber
pp. 42-43 · Read in the full issue
Supplies
And What the Islands Can Do
The President of the Planters’ Asso ciation of Papua, Mr. G. A. Loudon, in a letter to “Sydney Morning Herald” in March, dealt with the rubber situation.
MR. lON L. IDRIESS has drawn at tention to the possibility of Papua.
New Guinea and parts of Australia producing Australia’s rubber require ments. I do not think it would be pos sible to produce rubber in Australia, ow ing to the high rate of wages, which would make costs prohibitive. I am sure rubber could be grown in the Queens land sugar belt just as satisfactorily as in Papua or the East, but the cost of tapping it would be excessive.
The Planters’ Association of Papua, backed by Sir Hubert Murray and the Papuan Government, have for many years endeavoured to obtain assistance from the Commonwealth Government to establish the rubber industry, on such a footing that it would attract the necessary capital to increase its areas under rub ber, so that eventually it would be able to supply the whole of the rubber require ments of Australia and later New Zea land.
The late Minister for Customs, Colonel T. White, carried out a very thorough investigation of the rubber industry in Papua and obtained permission from the Commonwealth Cabinet to appoint a Costs Commission to enquire into the costs of the industry and what assistance the industry might require in the event of a serious slump in the London market price, below the cost of production. Un fortunately Colonel T. White retired from the Cabinet and matters seem to have been dropped, but planters in Papua feel sure that Ministers realise the import ance of the rubber industry and the necessity to increase production within the Commonwealth of Australia, viz., Papua and New Guinea, also the result ant increase in population to carry on the industry.
As President of the Planters’ Associa tion of Papua, I would like to state:— (1) Papua has produced and sold in London and Australia first-class rub ber for the last 25 years. For many years some of the Papuan plantations produced inner tube rubber—a very refined product, for which they re ceived Id. per lb. more than the top price in London. (2) The quality after tests over many years has proved eaual to that of any other rubber producing country, (3) The costs of production now com pare very favourably with costs in the East. (4) We have rubber lands and labour available to produce all Australia’s requirements. (5) Papua and New Guinea have vast agricultural areas unoccupied. If industry and population are not speeded up, what right have we to hold such valuable property?
I have been somewhat amused to read of Australia’s preparations for defence and war. The sole thought seems to be the construction of building and equip ment. No thought appears to have been
given to the essential products, of which rubber is the most important. You can not have an air force or military trans port without rubber.
Planters in Papua and New Guinea realise the precarious position they are in, and that they may be invaded by an Eastern power at any moment. They realise that if thev are to nrotect the Islands and their homes they must have population and that population will not come unless industry is increased.
Planters in Papua and New Guinea realise their position, but do the people of Australia? Do they know that, if Japan blockaded the Malay States and the Dutch East Indies, industry in Australia would be without rubber, tea, coffee, hemp and binder twine, kapok and many other tropical products. All these could be grown in Papua and New Guinea, and make Australia independent.
Mr. Idriess states that Australia im ported 20,000 tons of rubber in 1937 at a cost of £2,667,000. We add to this by stating that Papua’s proportion of the above tonnage was about 1,000 tons.
Dr. P. J. Monaghan, Chief Medical Officer in Western Samoa, reached New Zealand by the March “Matua” from Apia to spend several months’
furlough.
Mr. J. C. M. Scott, manager of Burns Philp (South Sea) Co., Ltd., at Makambo, headquarters of B.P. in the Solomon Islands, reached Sydney on furlough by the “Malaita” on March 26.