They Sell Their Knowledge To Planters

From a Rabaul Correspondent The appointment of Leon Ambrose Bridgland, the Papua-New Guinea Government Gazette said in a belated announcement last month, has been terminated as a plant inspector and plant quarantine officer.

BEHIND the formal wording of the paragraph lies the story of one of the most interesting experiments in private enterprise to be undertaken this year in P-NG.

To those who did not know the story the formal wording of the B Ambros a e V Widglan C d U mlght\e°

“Se to wteffhe wafflred 6 :

PF The trath*was*that Bndeland one of the most valuable agronomists and research workers that Papua-

New Guinea had known, left the Government service nearly six months ago.

He teamed up in private enter prise with Mr. W. T. Thomas, of Mansion Kokopo, to an advisory seiwice ior nursery plants and knowledge at a ratewhich is surprising even the Sng under the name.of Theo Thomas and Company Limited, and (Over)

as plantation advisers and ies, the new venture is prov i outstanding success. mas and Bridgland, for a start, i no introduction to the ,tion world. Thomas is one of ►est-known of New Guinea rs and is president of the New Guinea Planters’ Asso i. He has made a personal s of the plantation business, i has never hesitated to pour money into projects which prove to the good of the in tias travelled round the world i a tourist but as a specialist >ted in copra and cocoa, par ly cocoa.

Plenty of Information

n his most recent trip he re [ with a bulging case of type i notes collected in every cocoa producing and maim ing country from West Africa Lth America. ilso returned with something nore concrete in the form of jr. The problems and im itions which eventually arrived he drier would make a story mselves.

Bridgland was best known in his most recent Government position as officer-in-charge of the Low lands Agricultural Experimental station at Keravat in New Britain.

Enthusiastic and energetic, he be came an expert in cocoa not only by the standards of the new cocoa in dustry of New Guinea but by world standards.

Bridgland would cheerfully give up a Sunday or holiday to show a visitor round the research station provided the visitor was a genuine inquirer.

“I hate the tourists who just want to look,” he said.

Bridgland, too, went overseas and studied cocoa problems and de

velopments in other countries.

It was only natural that he and Thomas would find much in common, and that the businessman in Thomas would see the potential for a plantation advisory service.

The venture turned another stroke of the wheel recently when Peter Byrne, Bridgland’s successor as oificer-in-charge of the research station, also joined the staff of Theo Thomas and Company.

The New Guinea Women’s Club Annual Reunion Luncheon will be held this year at the Feminist Club Rooms, 77 King Street, on October 27 at 12.30 p.m.

Mr. W. T. Thomas.