406 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



occurs. In some cases, owing to the Survey 

 Department being greatly undermanned and the 

 absence of a trained land buyer, huge blocks 

 were bought in a most perfunctory way— the 

 areas and boundaries being indefinite to the 

 last degree. This has now ceased and drastic 

 changes have occurred in these departments. 

 The intending planter may now 



SELECT AND APPLY FOB ANY BLOCK 



of land, depositing with his application a small 

 fee, proportionate to the area required. 



If the land applied for already belongs to 

 Government, and if he satisfies them that his 

 intentions are bona fide, the land is usually 

 granted at once and he is free to commence 

 operations forthwith. 



Should the block belong to natives, the A. G. 

 A. of the district is instructed to endeavour to 

 purchase it from them. If he succeeds, the pro- 

 cedure is as above ; if not, the applicant is in- 

 formed of the fact and invited to solect another 

 block somewhere else. No direct purchase 

 between planter and native is permitted. 



The land is granted as lease-hold for 99 years 

 on most liberal terms, there being no survey 

 fees and no rent for 10 years ; after which six 

 pence (maximum) per acre becomes due annually. 

 One-fifth of the area suitable for cultivation has 

 to be under cultivation 5 years from date of grant. 



The areas at present taken up are mostly for 



COCONUT AND RUBBER PLANTING ALONG THE COAST. 



There are several small estates inland in coffee 

 and more land is being applied for in their 

 neighbourhood. A new industry is commencing 

 in Sisal hemp some large blocks having been 

 secured recently and a start actually made. 



One great factor in all Tropical Agriculture is 

 labour ; that of B. N. Guinea is one of the most 

 interesting problems any country can present. 



The labour here is the native Papuan in an 

 extraordinary diversity of type, language and 

 disposition. 



The native from the Eastern and Central Divi- 

 sions of coastal districts is, as a rule, a light 

 hearted cheerful man, ready to laugh or sing 

 all day long and make light of a task. If well- 

 fed and looked after, he is as ready to raise a 

 cheer and a yell at the end of his day's work 

 as at the commencement. Some men have a 

 bad reputation and it is not wise to trust 

 them too much yet, but their main failing 

 is that there is not more of them ! The 

 Mawata and Kiwai district men in the West are 

 more pearl divers and boats' crews than coolies, 

 although a few are found here and there along 

 the coast. The Gulf district, which is said 

 to teem with natives and is the only district 

 where they may be said to be in thousands, gives 

 the worst class of labour. They are greedy, 

 sulky brutes without any idea of steady work. 

 They cannot count beyond five, have very little 

 intelligence and are only ht for pack-carriers. 

 The miners in the Eastern districts will have 

 none of them, except as porters. They are in 

 every way quite unsuited for estate labour. 



The remaining class, the Bushman, is as 

 wild as a hawk and cannot, for a long time 

 yet, be depended on for anything but spas- 

 modic labour. At present he is usually too 

 scared to approach at all and as often as not 

 bolts out of the village on the first alarm, 



Once tanaed, they are said to be excellent. The 

 estate labour is indentured ; on the whole, the 

 laws may slightly favour the native. A man is 



SIGNED ON FOR ANY PERIOD UP TO THREE YEARS. 



At the end of that time the employer has to 

 return him to his home— free. Contract can be 

 broken by mutual agreement, or, in the event of 

 the employer wishing to rid himself of the man, 

 the latter can demand his wages for the full 

 period. Conversely, if the man bolts, the 

 employer can imprison him and add the term of 

 imprisonment on to his term of service. 



No native women have signed on as estate 

 coolies yet, owing doubtless to the tales their 

 men-folks have spread on their return from 

 mining camps or carrying tracks. These occu- 

 pations have been the most important hitherto 

 and are not ones which would appeal to 

 women. It is hoped that by establishing 

 villages on the estates, giving each married 

 man a little hut to himself and keeping each 

 little tribe together, the native will not want 

 to leave the estate when his contract of ser- 

 vice expires, but settle down for good. Do 

 not we all know the cooly who has been 

 man and boy on the same estate all his life ? 

 Estate work is practically unknown in B. N. G. 

 and fesiino, lente the best motto to write 

 across the muster roll. 



as to cost : 



The recruiter charges, say, £2 10s per head 

 landed on the estate. 3/ Government fees, 

 signing on and off, etc., and 10/ return passage; 

 so that each indentured native costs £3 3s. Od. 

 For a three-yoars-agreement-man the rate is 

 £t> '2s. Od., all of it irrecoverable. Kit has to be 

 supplied from motives of policy to keep the man 

 in health— blanket, mosquito net, plate, pannikin, 

 spoon, billican, cooking pot, jumper and waist 

 cloth. Food is a much-vexed point. By the 

 Government regulations the employer is re- 

 quired to supply him with good and sufficient 

 food. Rice is now £15 — £17 per ton at Port 

 Moresby (transport inland extra). Sago flour, 

 an excellent food, £6 10s., when obtainable. It 

 may be had at times, but only in small quantity 

 and irregularly. Of sweet potatoes, yams, taro, 

 etc., no large supply is available and it is doubt- 

 ful whether the cost of cultivation and harvest- 

 ing, balance the saving of time and labour in 

 giving imported foods. 



Chillies, currjstuffs, and the "selavu," so dear 

 to Ramasamy, are unknown here. 



Wages are 1 Os per month, wet or fine, sick or 

 sorry; and no Sunday work. They are due at the 

 end of term of service and must be paid before a 

 Native Labour Officer. An advance may be given 

 from time to time, but the practice is discour- 

 aged as the native has then nothing to take 

 back to his village. 



All these things combined make labour work 

 out at not less than Is. per working day at a 

 low estimate. 



All skilled labour is at present white and 

 costs £12— £19 per month for carpenters, boat- 

 builders, etc. Coloured foremen may be im- 

 ported at the discretion of the Government and 

 are granted a certificate for a term of years 

 which must always be specified. At the end of 

 their term they have to leave the country 

 under penalty of £50 line, The 



