Importance of New Advisory Committees

Planters’ Growing Voice In New

Guinea Affairs

THE Under-Secretary for External Territories, Mr. John Howse, MP, said on September 12 that satisfac tory progress was being made in giving shape to decisions which followed his discussions with the Planters’ Association and other interests in Papua-New Guinea last month, and a conference in Sydney on August 31 (see article on Page 7).

Mr. Howse said that the Papua-New Guinea Production Control Board had been re-constituted, with the addition of Messrs. Don Barrett, of New Guinea, and Tom Nevitt, of Papua, as planters’ representatives. Mr. Clarrie Archer was chairman, and Mr. I. MacDonald, as deputy chairman, was responsible for most of the executive work. The Board still was regarded as a temporary organ isation; but, for the present, it would deal with the several matters affecting the copra industry which recently had been under discussion.

A committee to deal with the Copra Stabilisation Fund, now over £750,000, had not yet been appointed, but was almost ready for the announcement. It would include two representatives of the plant ers, and it would advise the Government on policy, in relation to the disposal of the Fund, and in relation to future con tributions from the planters.

Mr. Howse would not comment upon the growing demand by copra producers for a revision of the price paid by Britain for copra under the Ministry of Food contract.

“The planters’ chief grievance is that the £ Sterling, and with it the Australian £, was de-valued after the contract was made, although copra retains its value as a world commodity,” said the PIM. “Per haps the Australian £ will be re-valued, to par with Sterling, in which event the planters will not have so big a grievance.”

"Perhaps,” said Mr. Howse, non-com mittally.

Mr. Howse spoke with appreciation of the good work of a Medical Committee, led by Dr. Gunther and Dr. Brennan.

“They have done a first-class job in making a survey for the Government of the hospital needs of the Territories,” he said, and he indicated that this would help along the work of the Medical Department genrally.

Survey by N. Guinea Planters’

Association

IjIOLLOWING annual meetings of the New Britain, New Ireland and Bou gainville sub-branches in July, the Planters’ Association of New Guinea held its second annual conference in Rabaul In August, in the Association s new and commodious offices. We are indebted to Mr. D. Barrett, the president, for the following summary of proceedings.

The financial statement and balance sheet presented by the general secretary, Mr. W. R. Paul, showed that the year’s trading had been highly satisfactory.

The Conference showed its confidence in the trading activities by authorising the issue of further debentures to pro vide finance for the expansion that is necessary due to increased support of the Association’s co-operative buying scheme.

Interest, declared on debentures pre viously issued, was sanctioned by Con ference.

Membership stands at 109 individuals, but many members own more than one

plantation; and in the case of certain companies one member may represent six or seven properties. All delegates re ported prospective new members, and a livening interest. The Association now has members at Lae. Manus, and Madang.

Despite a slow beginning, our recruit ers, operating in the Sepik and Morobe districts, had supplied a steady flow of recruits, despite transport difficulties, opposition from highly organised recruit ing combines, and unrest among natives in some areas. The latter was caused by the insidious propaganda of quasi officials among the natives themselves, representing the Administration’s rural co-operative scheme. Our recruiters had few outstanding orders at the end of the financial year. Since that date members have expressed confidence by further orders.

Generally, much had been accomplished by the Association during the twelve months. Transport had been provided for the secretary by the purchase of a jeep; a store building rented, and exten sive renovations made to it; new office building erected adjacent to the store.

The restriction on the operation of privately owned small ships in the Terri tory had been lifted, due partly to the Association’s efforts. The Association had now been given representation on the Production Control Board for the first time. The Native Labour Ordinance was under review and the Admin istration had called for a representative to go to Port Moresby to discuss the new Ordinance; and Mr. J. T. Allan, of Gil alum, was selected and very ably had carried out his important mission. It was gratifying to find that most of the Asso ciation’s suggestions had gone into the new Ordinance.

During the Conference, important dis cussions took place between the delegates and Mr. John Howse, Under-Secretary of the Department of External Territories, who had arrived on an official visit. The exchange of views (reported in the Late News column of August PIM) led to a number of official decisions, already re ported or in course of formulation. The matters affected were price of copra; the Stabilisation Fund; the marketing of copra; control of shipping; and new Labour Ordinance.

The conference closed on August 5 with an expression of confidence in the future by Mr. Don Barrett, who was re-elected president. Branch delegates in turn ex pressed their confidence In the executive and promised increased interest and sup port. Mr. Barrett said in his closing remarks:— “The Association is now enjoying the fine reputation which it had in pre-war years. The post-war years have been difficult ones for all of us. So much had to be done in the way of rehabilitation, and each of us had so many individual problems, that we were inclined to neg lect our Association. Now that nmst mem bers are back on a sound footing, they have more time to devote to thinking of matters and problems which affect the planting community generally. It is in dealing with such matters that the Asso ciation needs support and unity.

“The past year has indicated what can be accomplished in a short time by a few willing workers. In the coming year, we can look forward to even greater advances, even better results —but only if we pull together. We have seen in the past that any suggestion of division will be rightly taken as a sign of weakness and lack of

unity. Our views are now sought by tli Government, and valued as the views men of experience and wisdom. What v fight for benefits not only us but tli whole Territory, for the economy of Nel Guinea depends on the planting industid Office Bearers for 1950-51.

President: D. Barrett. Vice-Presidents: W. A. Washington, , l. Allan.

Council; L. W. Bell, M. E. Babbagj R. E. Arrowsmith, J. L. Chipper, S. m Cosker, C. W. Blake, A. H. Cresswell, Fulton, W. Moore, J. L. Stokie, L.

Searle, D. N. G. Chambers.

Woes of Bougainville Producen

WHILE much has been done to me: the grievances of New Guinc Planters generally, the copra-prodb cers of the Buka-Bougainville area appes not to be happy. They cannot get thei copra quickly to the market.

Their plantations are producing we but the shipping services and means storing the accumulations are far fro satisfactory. A few weeks ago, the sic uation was looked over by Mr. Daw Mackay, of the Head Office of the Dires torate of Shipping, accompanied by M George Hill, who is now in charge Papua-New Guinea, and there are hopq of improvement.

“More ships are coming to deal with tld accumulation” reported one planter ♦ August 12. “But, with the advent of tld redskins (native labourers from outsid Bougainville) our output is increasing. W still have difficulties with unsatisfactoo native crews, small and leaky surf boar indifferent and dissatisfied skippers, las of wharf accommodation at Rabaul, t'.i slow and inefficient PCB methods of ui loading—all cause delays and accumulL tion in the stores. The PCB and t'd Directorate of Shipping hate each oth<r and each tries to blame the other fi shortcomings.”

High Cost of Recruits.

Says another planter: “There as enough natives in this Bougainville an (now closed to recruiting) to eat all tJ copra we can produce, let alone process j The population of Bougainville seems have increased —but the villages are dim and in many cases short of food; there e a lot of sickness, and the roads are in b;c order. The impression given by tho conditions is borne out by the figunj showing indentured labour. There as nearly 1,000 indentured labourers in tile area, and two thirds of them brought i the way from New Guinea mainland. TH r is all the result of conditions by the Administration between the end J the war and 1950.

“I am told that it costs BP interests ; Bougainville just under £4O per head bring native labourers from the mainlaix and return them, under the one-year s y 3 i tern. My own Highland boys from N«t Guinea cost me, apart from keep, £35 pq head: and they arrive without the slight est knowledge of how to work, and wih native labour and other officials watchirj constantly, they have to be handled liil brittle china.”

Bougainville’s Ports In an attempt to solve the shippifi difficulties of the Buka-Bougainville am Mr. Paul Mason, of Inus Plantation, hi placed before the Directorate of Shippifi some details about the several good hasj hours of Bougainville. jHe urges that, instead of the smso vessels being dragged painfully around W coast of Buka and Bougainville, pickli: up copra at more or less unorganisai points, with a heavy waste of time aus effort, one or two suitable ports selected as collecting-points for copiq Suitabile wharves, to take oversea ship.

and stores, should be provided at such ports, and facilities should be made a vailable. to encourage the planters to deliver the copra into small vessels, which, would take the copra to the collecting point, and bring back supplies.

Mr. Mason says that it is not easy to decide the size of the overseas ships— they should be big enough to carry a payable load to Australia or Asiatic ports, and small enough to call at suitable

plantation ports.

Mr. Mason suggests that, pending the development of a suitable collecting port or ports, a system of collecting copra by power barges, for the Board ships, should be tried out.

It is understood that the Administra tion is generally in favour of some plan such as suggested by Mr. Mason, but that the officials favour the develop ment of Kieta as collecting port. The more experienced Bougainville people oppose Kieta, because it is jammed against steep hills, and there is around it neither fiat ground whereon to build a town, nor flat country anywhere near that could be developed for plantation purposes. There are huge areas of un developed land in Bougainville suitable for development, but such areas lead to harbours other than Kieta.