by Officials
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Papuan Planters
Now Awaiting Decisions by Officials
HAVING responded promptly to the invitation issued by the Minister for External Territories to evacuated residents of Papua, to make application for permission to return to their copra and rubber plantations, many scores of plantation-owners have been waiting impatiently for some answer to their letters.
It is not likely, however, that they will receive any answer to their applications before the end of April.
During March, the Department of Ex ternal Territories received letters from plantation-owners all over Australia.
These were carefully examined and data relating to each application was assembled. At the same time, the De partment pushed on with preparations for the appointment of the Board which is to control the operation of the plan tations by their owners. The Board is to consist of a representative of the Mili tary Administration and three civilian members selected by the Australian Gov ernment.
It is understood that the Board already has been selected and is virtually on the job, but the names of its members have not been announced at the moment of this writing.
Late in March, the arrangements had been advanced sufficiently to allow Mr.
J. R. Halligan, Secretary of the Depart ment of External Territories, to leave Canberra for the North, where he is at the present time in consultation with ANGAU and the Military Administration of Papua, so as to finalise the organisa tion. On his return South, towards the end of this month, it is expected that the personnel of the Board will be announced and by that time it should also be possible to inform all the appli cants for permission to return to their plantations whether their plea has been granted or not.
It is expected that permission to return will be readily granted to owners of plantations in the central and south eastern districts of Papua, but it is unlikely that civilians will be allowed to return yet to north-eastern or eastern districts. There are some good coconut plantations, for example, out in the Louisiade Archipelago, but the military authorities still are inclined to regard their situation as somewhat too exposed to Japanese raids.
The Department is moving in this matter with all the exasperating slowness typical of Australian officialdom, but most of the interested plantation-owners should know their fate by the middle of May.