Ng Legislative
p. 69 · Read in the full issue
Council
From Our Own Correspondent
Rabaul, Oct. 3.
THE New Guinea Legislative Council opened its 16th session on September 22—probably the last one to be held in Rabaul.
Outstanding feature of the session was the apparent lack of interest in the £461,000 budget for 1941-42—non-official members asked not one question nor queried one item!
A measure presented by Hon. T. L.
McAdam. altering some items of Customs Tariff, provided a lively time for Hon.
H. H. Page. One section, embodying an export duty of 10/- per ton on desiccated coconut, was opposed by Mr. Page, ap parently under orders from Canberra.
There was some hostility to his amend ment—members pointed out that there is much greater profit in desiccated coconut than in copra and, furthermore, all production is in the hands of the big firms—but finally it was carried by weight of official numbers.
An attack upon the Public Service by Hon. R. L. Clark drew a sharp rebuke from Crown Law Officer Gerald Hogan.
Hon. Harry Adams touched on the all important question of agricultural devel opment and said many planters now were looking to cocoa as a future product.
This industry would have to be organised on a proper basis, and he urged the ap pointment of a committee to investigate the development of the industry along sound, economic lines.