Kenaf Fibre

[?]upport For Proposed New Guinea Crop

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Moresby, Jan. 28

P the enthusiasm of a handful of Territorians can be accepted as a guide, it will not be many iars before kenaf is a very popu r crop in Papua-New Guinea.

So far, the leading light among ivate planters is Mr. R. A. Colyer, Rabaul, with Colonel Sefton, of oitaki, keeping step with him. ith Bill Conroy, of the Depart ent of Agriculture, they are all reed that, once started, kenaf will ahead “like a house on fire.”

In mid-January, Mr. J. M. Demp y. reputedly one of America’s iding experts on fibre production, rived in Port Moresby on a Com- Dnwealth Government-sponsored p to advise on various aspects of naf growing. He went first to see e Colyer-Sefton trials at Eriama tate near Sogeri; and, after aking several tests, said he was )st impressed by both quality and sld.

He then suggested that a bale of iama kenaf be airfreighted to nerica for spinning into sample oducts. His logic was so con icing that the Administration, for ce, turned on a show of speed id, within a couple of days, had ovided about £250 to pay the sight.

Mr. Dempsey explained that Aus ilian interests will have a lot of estions to ask before they start icing orders for Territory kenaf, id that the quickest, simplest and ist convincing method of answer ? them is to present the finished oduct.

There is no doubt that Australia n take a good deal of kenaf. It n be used for making sugar-bags, m, fertiliser sacks, wool-packs, loleum backing and many other mmodities.

It is particularly attractive to inters because it takes only 70 ys to grow, and it will need con lerably less labour than copra id rubber. The only fly in the itment is that a good deal of itial capital is required to buy corticating equipment.

The Rev. E. L. Sykes, after 13 ars service for the Presbyterian lurch in the New Hebrides, re ntly returned to Melbourne to molete some Bible translation irk which he hopes will shortly be iblished and returned to the lands.