"Shrouded in Secrecy"

Government's Plans for Copra Industry

rE way in which the whole situation in relation to the copra industry and the plans of the Australian Government had been “shrouded in secrecy”, and the failure of the Govern ment to take the copra producers into its confidence when planning relief for the industry were points strongly made at the April meeting of the New Guinea Legislative Council by Mr. J. C. Mullaly and Mr. Harry Adams.

Both members begged the Administra tor to give the Council some indication of what was being done in relation to the copra problem; but the Administra tor had no information for them.

The report of the Copra Conference (see pages 7. 8. 9 and 16 of this issue) had not then been published: and it was onlv published in any event on May 9 without the knowledge or consent of the Australian Government.