New Guinea

Tea Could Be Grown In Papua

But Labour Problem Seems Insuperable

By R. W. Vaughan

ON March 23, through the ABC, “PlM’s” editor broadcast an address on tea growing in Papua and New Guinea, As a tea-planter of 15 years’ practical experience, with a thorough knowledge of Papuan conditions, before the war, I listened to his remarks with great in terest.

In my opinion, tea would undoubtedly grow, and flourish, in Papua, and also, probably, in New Guinea.

The conditions appear to be very suit able. Rainfall is the main item because tea is indigenous to the rain forests of Assam, and these approximate closely to Papuan conditions.

In tea-growing as a commercial under taking the greatest, and all-important question would be labour.

Tea is a permanent crop. Once planted, it will continue to produce leaf almost in definitely, if properly cultivated.

To plant, prune, cultivate, pick and manufacture, the crop requires a per manent labour force of men and women who can be trained to the work. This is no simple or easy task.

In the Indian tea districts, this labour was obtained by bringing in whole families from overcrowded, famine-stricken areas.

These people—men, women and children— were not indentured labour, but were per fectly free agents.

On arrival at the tea-garden they were provided with good houses (according to their standards), cattle, gardens, hospi tal facilities and, in fact, were carefully

looked after. The manager’s one aim was to induce them to settle down, be con tented, and remain permanently.

The labour force of an Indian tea garden is its most precious asset, and is treated as such. If the labour is discon tented, it will leave, and there is nothing the manager can do to stop it. The crop suffers and the company promptly sacks the manager. White men are plentiful— labour is scarce.

The manager has to keep his labour force contented and yet get the work done.

He is ground between humanity and com mercialism. In spite of everything the work was, and is, well done, as witness the tea industry of to-day.

This is called “exploiting the wretched coolie”; and managers are compared un favourably with Simon Legree.

COULD such a system be introduced into Papua or New Guinea? Unless the Papuan Government’s policy has changed completely, I cannot see how it could be.

The late Sir Hubert Murray always in sisted that village life must not be in terfered with, and he refused to allow women to be recruited for plantations.

There is no surplus population in Papua to draw on—far from it. The entire country is definitely underpopulated.

Moreover, the population of the Southern, Eastern and Northern divisions was de creasing even previous to the war. Dead and deserted village sites were proof of

this, if proof were needed. What the pre sent conditions are I do not know.

Any attempt to induce whole families to leave their villages would, therefore, seem to be in direct opposition to the Government’s policy and would be unlikely to succeed.

To commence tea-growing on a commer cial basis, without some assurance of be ing able to build up a permanent labour force, would be a hopeless undertaking.

That is a hard, concrete fact and no wish ful thinking can alter it.

FINALLY, as pointed out in the broadcast, a thorough and practical knowledge of tea-growing in all its branches is required by anyone under taking the work. It is not a poor man’s work at all, but an expert’s.

Seed—seed beds—planting—p r u n i n g , drainage, cultivation, manufacture —all these things require expert knowledge, which can only be gained by going through a hard apprenticeship. This applies also to the general layout of the tea-garden, on which its smooth working depends.

AS some indication of what is required the following items may be of in terest. They are the requirements of tea-gardens in Eastern Bengal, Assam, the Terai and the Donar tea dis tricts. Papuan conditions would be the same. • It has been found that the most economical area for a tea-garden is 300 acres. A smaller area does not provide sufficient leaf for an economical factory.

A larger area is unwieldy. • A labour force of from 1 to li labourers per acre is required. This in cludes both men and women. For 300 acres the number required would be 450, or 200 families. Of this number. 5 per cent, would be absent sick or on leave. One-third of the remainder would

be needed for factory work. This does not allow many for picking and cultivation, especially when the flushes are heavy. • An Assamese tea-garden produces on an average from 800 to 960 lbs. of manufactured tea per acre. A Papuan plantation of 300 acres should produce the same —or, in other words, 240,000 lbs. of manufactured tea a year. Costs and profits can be completed from this. • Eastern Bengal tea-gardens are in a different category. They produce more tea because of low-lying tropical conditions but the leaf is much coarser, owing to more rapid growth.

I should like to see tea-growing introduced into Papua because I believe it would be a good thing for the country and the people. It would, however, be utter

foolishness to attempt it without first facing up to the facts and knowing what has to be done.

Papua has always suffered from wild cat schemes.

Of course, I do not think that anyone would be so foolish as to try and plant out 300 acres of tea at once. Want of seed and nurseries alone would prevent his doing this. He would be fortunate to plant out 20 acres at the end of the first eighteen months. After that, he might plant at the rate of 50 acres a year, if he were lucky.

Tea growing is a slow undertaking and has to be built up in the same manner as was done in India. It can be done: but the foundations must be well and truly laid.