32 Planters Go Back To Papua

Board of Control :: No Private Trading

From a Special Correspondent

Canberra, May 10.

Brigadier d. m. cleland, of West Australia, has been appointed chairman of the Production Control Board, which will take over from ANGAU all matters relating to production. He has been visiting Canberra. The other three members ol the Board have not yet been appointed, but it is expected they will be announced within a week.

It is confidently hoped that one of the three members will be regarded as the direct representative of the plantation owners.

It is expected that 32 planters will return to Port Moresby, in about one month’s time. A few of those who have been evacuated may not return; but they will nominate managers of their planta tions. This comprises practically all the Port Moresby district planters.

The total number of planters from the New Guinea Mandated Territory was in the neighbourhood of 500.

It is considered that the Port Moresby planters should produce about 1,600 tons of rubber per annum.

The arrangements are not yet finalised, and the names of those who are being allowed to return are not yet announced.

No women will be allowed to return, at the present stage.

Planters will be sent to as many plan tations in Papua as are considered safe.

As the safe area is extended, more plant ers will be sent back.

Operations will be carried out under the supervision of the Control Board, through whom planters will purchase all goods, stores, etc., required by them, and the Board will purchase rubber, copra and coffee from the planters.

It was proposed that the natives required for plantation labour should be supplied by the Army, but objections have been raised to this on the ground that if planters do their own recruiting, considerable expense will be saved.

Major-General Morris is the GOC of

ANGAU, with headquarters in Papua.

He is not now connected with military operations. Next to him, in authority, is Brigadier D. M. Cleland, chairman of the Production Control Board; and next to him, in immediate charge of ANGAU personnel, is Lieut.-Colonel Taylor—bet ter known as Mr. “Ted” Taylor, former head of New Guinea District Services.

According to evacuees, the Papuan natives are being spoilt by the Ameri cans, who think nothing of giving them 2/- for a single coconut.

Still Awaiting Full Board

Canberra, May 14.

THE three men who, with Brigadier Cleland, will form the Production Control Board, will not be an nounced by the Minister until next week.

They will comprise an agricultural expert, a stores expert and a financial expert.

The Board will have its headquarters in Papua, where it will work in close association with ANGAU, but indepen dently of that organisation. Its Austra lian offices will be the offices of the Department of External Territories, and it will be directly responsible to that Minister (Senator Fraser, External Ter ritories) .

Many details relating to the operation of the plantations cannot be settled until the full Board is appointed and at work.

These include the prices which are to be paid for plantation products.

Once the Board is appointed, events should move swiftly. The Commonwealth Government wishes the planters to return as quickly as possible, to get on with the production of rubber and copra.

Although differences of opinion appar ently exist, it has been decided that the planters, operating under the Production Control Board, must apply to the Army for native labourers, instead of engaging their own labour or doing their own recruiting. If this system is strictly enforced, there will be danger of friction, and loss of plantation efficiency.