NEW GUINEA TO-DAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 13 (Supplement)

NEW GUINEA TO-DAY

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT BY JOHN A. SPENCER FIELD ENGINEER. A PART from Australia New' Guinea is the largest island in the world. It lies wholly within the tropics, between the Equator and latitude 11 dog. 45min. South, and longitude 131 deg. East to longitude 151 deg. 30min. East, and, if the smaller islands are included off the south-east and eastern extremes, the New Guinea Territory as now controlled by the Commonwealth of Australia would extend easterly as far as the 155th meridian. The island of New Guinea, somewhat lenticular in shape, not unlike a pre-historic bird, has a linear extension of nearly 1500 miles and a greatest width of approximately 390 miles. If we include the islands of New Guinea and Papua the total now held by the British under Australian administration would be about 180,000 square miles. The writer, who has spent many years in Papua and ex-German NewGuinea, and has taken three well-equipped expeditions into both these territories in search of oil, in the course of which much unexplored country was traversed, has been amazed at the fertility and productivity of the soil practically over the whole areas covered, and apart from the well known potentialities of the country’ for gold, and possibly oil, it is obvious that great opportunities occur for agricultural development. On one occasion we went hinterland from the North-east coast, a distance of SO miles, and reached what is known as the Scpik River plains. We were a fairly strong party, numbering 8 whites, 21 police boys and many carriers. As by magic, a pile of foodstuffs some 20 feet high was placed before my tent, comprising taro, bananas, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, yams, etc., topped up by two pigs and a huge roll of tobacco leaf. Two of my police boys could barely lift one yam. On a return visit a year later the writer collected over 20 varieties of sugar. These were taken to Sydney and an expert stated that several of the varieties were entirely unknown. Naturally, the question, arises, is this cane indigenous to the territory, or how did it originate? The natives in this region had never set eyes on a white man. We had experience of a horrible custom here. One of our house boys strayed away from camp; he was caught by the wild Tribes, his head twisted, eyes to back three times, and then set going home. He managed to reach camp but died two days later from swollen tonsils. This habit once prevailed in New Britain and is recorded in the missionary annuls of Raluana. The natives we met were a sturdy, well-nourished tribe, wearing heavy, black beards and entirely without clothing. An expedition composed of Americans in search of sugar visited this region later and they, like the writer, were astounded at the wonderful growth attained by the cane grown by these primitive people. This expedition claimed having secured in Papua and the Scpik plains 170 varieties of cape. Although there are probably’ millions of acres of rich virgin country on the Scpik plains, the approach thereto is attended with considerable danger, whether traversed by mountain track or'via the Scpik River; but once easy access is assured and the growing of rice and sugar cane is undertaken by large developing companies, immense profits will accrue. The cost of the land from the Government is almost negligible; huge supplies of native labour are available and the soil fertile beyond conception, admirably adapted for developing the two great staple products mentioned. On returning tu Rabaul the writer visited Alajor Newport, in charge of the Botanical Gardens, and, although much sugar cane is grown there by way of experiment, he could produce nothing which could in any wav compare with that grown by the Scpik River natives, and the Alajor freely admitted its superior excellence. The writer took a party hinterland from the N.G. oil fields, following the trend of the Danap River; here again similar conditions prevailed on a smaller scale—miles of sugar cane growing wild to a height of 24 feet or more, and within easy reach of the coast; immense areas of rich laud waiting development. Native-grown tobacco, of which some fine samples were collected, grows prolifically on the Danap River banks and has been cultivated entirely by the native, who simply selects the loaves when they reach a certain stage of growth, rolls them into bunches, and hangs them up to dry for a few days. The writer makes no special claim as a tobacco expert, but can truthfully say that this native tobacco has a distinctive flavour and makes excellent cigars. On this expedition instructions had been received to make enquiries into the murder by natives in the Samark district of a German planter named Hahl. It was definitely ascertained that this planter had been speared in his tent, and whilst yet alive had been trussed up and roasted over a slow fire. His own boys had immediately run away at the first sign of trouble, taking with them his guns. Later on a punitive expedition shot out the whole village of Samark. Papua would appear to offer the best opportunities for the development of staple products at present, being nearer the world’s markets and generally more easy of access, particularly in regard to deep anchorage and water transport facilities. Moreover the natives here have been brought into closer touch with civilisation and are expert agriculturalists. Within a short distance of Samara! are immense areas of rich lands adjacent to tho coast. On and about the Alusa River an area of land approximately 100,000 acres can be obtained on the most favourable terms from the Papuan Government. Mr Evan Stanley, Government Geologist for Papua, in his reports claimed that Papua is the “home of the sugar cane” and at Papua there are already native plantations covering large areas, consisting almost entirely of various types of cane. As a matter of fact, most of the Queensland sugar cane has been obtained from New Guinea, where there, is, to the writer’s knowledge, at least 40 varieties. Experts who have examined the various canes from New Guinea, the adjacent, territory, state that the country is admirably adapted for its cultivation. In the matter of labour, at present there is a surplus in Papua of native labour owing to the fall in the price of copra and rubber. The average wage is £9 18s 11 d per year per native, who also has to be fed, the total cost being approximately £2O per year. Natives do not take kindly to gold digging or carrying but readily sign up for agricultural work, which is, after all, their natural occupation, and they are keen to a man on cultivating their own sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, tobacco etc. Give the. labourers a good slice of land, together with sympathetic encouragement in the way*of advice in laying out and planting their food crops, and you not only cut. down the food bill to almost nil, but you will never be confronted with shortage of labour. A New Guinea native, will do as much as a white man does iu North Queensland at about, onetwelfth the cost, which is in itself a huge saving advantage, apart from the fact that, the native is at. the job for which nature intended him, namely, agriculture. For those who contemplate embarking in the growing of commercial products under the most suitable conditions, the writer considers that the territories under Commonwealth control offer unequalled advantages; the average rainfall is certainly in excess of 130 inches per annum. It has been computed that the. potential water power available in Papua is at least. 10,000,000 h.p. What proportion of this force would be profitably utilised is uncertain, owing to the. absence of a hydraulic survey, but one has only to consider Norway, Germany, Niagara and Tasmania to understand what can be achieved with this enormous quantity of available, water power, for there many commodities aro now manufactured on a large scale, which before the introduction of electricity supplied by cheap water power, were almost, unobtainable through cost of production.