Twist Tobacco

Why Should It Not Be Made In N. Guinea?

“I CANNOT understand why the Administration is making no effort to produce tobacco on a worth-while scale in New Guinea” said a former New Guinea planter in Sydney, recently.

“The dollar trouble is throwing Aus tralia to an increasing extent on her own resources. One of the chief de mands for dollars is based on the Aus tralian system of importing tobacco from America. Most of that tobacco is wanted for the manufacture of cigarettes —a quality different from that required for pipe tobacco, which is grown to some extent out here. I am sure we could grow Virginia quality tobacco also, if we really set about it.

“If the present Socialist Government were not so fiercely opposed to private enterprise, it might at least encourage the New Guinea planters to produce twist tobacco for native consumption, of which a great deal is now imported. In the ’thirties, a number of New Britain planters made and sold twist. Mr. Hore- Lacy, at Talasea, at one time, was pro ducing about two tons of twist tobacco per month, made from tobacco grown right there on the plantation, and he seemed to have no difficulty in selling it.”

Major B. M. Sellars, Aide to the Gov ernor of Fiji, has been appointed Assistant Superintendent of Prisons as from August. He served with the New Zealand Forces in Fiji, 1943-46, and was in com mand of the Second Fiji Docks Company which went to the Solomons in 1945.