Native Co-Operative

Societies

NSW Sends Adviser To Papua

AN official of the New South Wales Co-operative Registry will soon pay a threemonths’ visit to Papua, to give advice on the formation and the setting up of co-operatives.

Three native inspectors of the Registry of Co-operation have just completed a tour of Queensland and New South Wales Co-operatives, and a New Guinea Administration officer is now in Australia to confer with Co-operative Society Leaders.

Native co-operatives are being en couraged by the Australian Government, as part of the New Guinea post-war de velopment policy. 12 co-operative groups are reported to be operating in the Gona district (Papua) and there are more in other districts.

The Rev. A. Clint, an Anglican minister, reports that “proud work” is being done by natives on the Gona Co-operative plantations, on the well-made co operative road, and on the buildings and clearing of bushland. He says that the organisation of Gona plantations was planned by the natives themselves and he expects that co-operative trade will ex tend to exports. For instance, Gona will soon have a surplus of rice. The district also has six big native canoes co-operatively owned, for shipping copra and other products to Port Moresby.

Mr. Arthur Brookes, of 8 Rawson Street, Wooloowin, N. 3, Brisbane, is anxious to secure penfriends in the Pacific Islands, He is interested in Islands life, and in the exchange of stamps.