£loo-per-Head

Cattle For Native Rations

HTHERE are a few worried men

among Agricultural Depart

ment staff in Papua-New Guinea

as a result of investigations into

the department’s cattle activities.

The Inquiries have reportedly been , proceeding for several months—since the Commonwealth Auditor-General had something to say about expenses and accounts— and also since some of the settlers became a little more vocal on the subject of cattle.

Criticism has been strong that the standard of cattle being imported the country by the Administration is poor, and that officials in the Territory or the officials in Australia responsible for selecting the cattle should get a caning.

At least one Highland agricultural “station” has killed off, for native rations, cattle that was brought into the Territory at great expense a few years ago, and from which nothing has been bred!

General feeling is that the whole cattle policy is a mess, and that nothing of any value has been done since the war, despite the frequent ballyhoo about progress and the “building up of stocks”.

Maybe the present investigations will clear that up, although the old hands frankly hold out little hope that anything concrete will

be achieved, apart from the pruning of expenses.

They say what is needed is more expenses—properly spent!