Board’s Surprise New Angles on Old Questions

IN Port Moresby, the principal evidence was given by Mr. B Fairfax-Ross in his capacity as president of the Planters’ Assn, and as General Manager of the British New Guinea Development Co. He also took the brunt of the long and penetrating cross-examination by members of the Board.

Mr. Fairfax-Ross admitted that on present price of rubber, the Papuan industry was not in need of financial assistance. But he sub mitted that the 2d duty was unfair in that Australia did not levy an import tax on any other of the Territory’s products entering Aus tralia; and that its remission was necessary for the long-term stability of the industry.

The Board made it plain that it had yet to be convinced that the rubber industry was worthy of fostering at all; or that it would not be better to cut losses at this

stage; and, if assistance wen? warranted, why it should be to the specified amount of 2d. They would not agree that an Australian import tax was unfair just because the rubber was Papuan.

The Chairman of the Board said that the Board oelieved that duty on all rubber entering Australia should be removed—that the Board was critical of the Commonwealth, raising revenue on an essential raw material, and he thought that ultimately it would be removed. In which event the Papuan industry would have to find some other method of assistance, if that were found to be warranted.

H Pastor loelu Tapene, Chairman, London Missionary Society Confer ence, Western and Eastern Samoa, recently made a short visit to Honolulu.