Rehabilitation

Fund Opened

Will You Help?

ItHE New T Guinea Women’s Club of . Sydney has opened a subscription! list in aid of prisoners of war and civilian internees from New Guinea.

When these men and women are released, after years in the hands of the enemy—German or Japanese as the case may be —they will ned every care and comfort that more fortunate Territorians can provide; and, with this in view, the Women’s Club hopes to build up a- sub stantial fund. All Territorians, those interested in the Territory or those in other Pacific Groups, are asked to give— no amount is too small or too large.

Contributing to this fund should be your way of lending a helping hand to those who have taken the full brunt of war; and also as an act of personal thanksgiving for having missed the hor rors of Nazi or Japanese domination. But for the fortunes of war, you or your home, or your Territory, might have fared as did the people of New Guinea, their homes and their Territory.

Donations should be sent to the Trea surer, New Guinea Women’s Club, c/o Feminist Club, 77 King Street, Sydney.

A list of subscribers will appear in the “PIM” each month.

Contributions received to May 1 are as follows:

Rubber's

Uncertain

Future

NOW that the European war is over, and the enormous demand for rub ber for war purposes there is fin ished, we may soon get some idea of what to expect in the rubber market. At present, guesses are wide and wild.

Recently, at a meeting of the Rubber Growers’ Association, it was estimated that the normal post-war world will pro duce 3,000,000 tons of natural rubber, against a maximum peacetime demand of 1,500,000 tons.

But practically all the Indonesian rub ber plantations, from which comes the bulk of the world’s supply, are still in Japanese hands. Even if they are liber ated in 1945, it is unlikely that they will be capable of full production for years after.

A proportion of the enormous stocks of raw rubber, tyres and other rubber goods, built up for the fighting Forces, now will become available for civilian needs.

Nothing like the quantity of rubber used m wartime Europe will be required in the war against Japan. On the other hand, civilian stocks are at zero, and the demand for civilian needs will be in satiable, for years.

Pew can speak authoritatively regard ing the use of synthetic rubber. It is generally supposed that it can supply most rubber needs, except tyres. The great synthetic factories of America, it is presumed, will try to compete with natural rubber, in many industries.

New Guinea Women’s Club General £ s. d.

Fund 200 0 0 Major Ayris 5 0 0 Mrs. N. Atkins 10 0 Lieut. J. W. Cox, DCM, MM and Bar 1 0 0 Bank of New South Wales 5 5 0 Burns Philp & Co., Ltd 5 0 0 Mrs. W. L. Clark 10 0 David Jones, Ltd 1 1 0 W. R. Carpenter & Co.. Ltd 50 0 0 New Guinea Women’s Club General Fund (further donation) 44 0 0 “Pacific Islands Monthly’’ .. 20 0 0 £332 6 0