Rural Progress Societies

The Cooperative Societies which were originally arranged along the lines of a producer’s co-operative, operating in the Australian colonial Territory of Papua New Guinea, have been well documented. The formation and operations of Cooperatives whether for a political or economic rational in agricultural development, has been well "dissected" by McAuley (1952), Morris (1958) Nicholls (1972), Guines (1976), Snowden (1981), Vele (1981), and others. However, I am going to discuss the development Rural Progress Societies as grass root rural organisations that were perceived by the Department of Agriculture Sock and Fisheries as forerunners to Co-operative Societies. They were seen as "initially transitory … which may develop into private companies or continue as registered producer Co-operative Societies" (DASF Manual of Procedures, 1967, Section G (I) A1). Rural Progress Societies were not conceived in opposition to DDS/NA Cooperatives but were to be established in primitive areas lacking saleable cash crops, transport facilities and commercial and banking facilities (Stace, 1961, p.55.). Rural Progress Societies and their significance to agriculture reform in the Territory, seems to have been overlooked in literature on agricultural development especially as an aid in the economic development policy of the Australian Administration. This can be substantiated by the fact that Brown (1966) noted the lack of detailed studies of Rural Progress Societies. Much of the literature being presented in this paper has been sourced from the Department of Agriculture Stock and Fisheries (DASF) Annual Reports, the DASF Extension and Procedures Manual, Annual Reports on the Trust Territory of New Guinea to the United Nations, District Officers’ Conferences, DASF Circular Memorandums, and DASF Extension Officers’ in-service training papers