No Security Of Title

Complaint from New Guinea Goldfields

Why The Delay?

Mr. Frank Hambridge, Repre

sentative in Australia of the Min ing Trust Ltd. and a director of New Guinea Goldfields, has returned to Syd ney after a brief visit to London. New Guinea Goldfields Ltd. has a nomina capital of £5,250,000 and claims owner ship of huge tracts of gold-bearing country.

Interviewed on his arrival here, Mr Hambridge said that the London in terests which had furnished the capita to purchase the New Guinea leases and which had provided the money to locate and open up the lodes, were very gratified with the developmen work of the past twelve months.

They were, however, disappointed with the delay which had taken place in procuring from the Federal Govern ment, which controlled the Adminis tration of the Mandated Territory, the necessary security of title, without 'which the property could not be work ed on a large scale.

In view of the trade depression in Australia, it had been expected that the opening up of a new goldfield Would be heartily welcomed by the Commonwealth Government. Although the gold to be won would be the pro duct of the Mandated Territory, the cost of winning it would be entirely to the benefit of the Commonwealth, and would involve no expenditure to the Federal Government.

Administration officers, declared Mr.

Hambridge, admitted that the mining regulations were inapplicable to the Territory.

London was prepared to proceed with further large expenditure in New Guinea, provided the Commonwealth Government gave the company secur ity of title and moral support.

Natives numbering 11,510 were treat ed in the New Guinea Administration native hospitals for the twelve months to June, 1929. There were 366 deaths, a mortality of 3.18 per cent. The figures for 1927-1928 were 7,901 cases, with a mortality of 3.2 per cent. Nearly 40 per cent, of the total admissions last year were due to tropical ulcers.