PAPUAN PLANTERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1922, Page 4

PAPUAN PLANTERS.

I’I.EA FOR PROTECTION

SYDNEY, Jan. 11

Complaining that the lad: of sympathy on the part of the Federal Government towards Papua is killing its industries, the Planters Association of Papua has published a pamphlet, described as being written “to set out the true position of affairs in Papua with a view to securing more sympathetic treatment for the pioneers of Papua and its industries.’ Among other things the pamphlet

says:—“The association asserts that compulsory trading with Australia, brought about through lack of shipping facilities, loads our industries with very high costs on goods imported. Before the war our rice, cotton goods and many other articles used and consumed were brought to us direct from the world’s markets, at a landed cost not more, perhaps less, than the same goods could he landed in Australia. Now we have to pay the landed cost in Australia, plus freight and carriage from Australia to Papua, and Australian agents and speculators profits. This ensures a valuable trade for Australia, hut is an additional burden to Papuan industries.”

Referring to the coffee industry, the pamphlet says that Papua produced beautiful coffee, hut when it came to marketing they found an import duty in Australia of 3d per lb on the article, while, on tile other hand, coffee grown in the New Hebrides, which were not under Australian control, got a drawback of 2d a lb. Papua could not compete under those circumstances, arid, says the pamphlet, “The iiifant industry is dead, killed by its own sponsors.”

The compulsory trade with Australia has been brought about mainly through the operation of the Commonwealth Navigation Act, says the pamphlet, which adds :“Tlie marketing of copra through Australian ports Imposes a final crushing burden on the industry.” The pamphlet points out that although the Commonwealth subsidises Papua to the extent of £30,000 a year, compulsory trading with Australia means that Papua contributes to the Commonwealth at least £140,000 a yoas.