"A Golden Lining”

Prosperity Ahead for New Guinea

From Our Canberra Correspondent CANBERRA, February 10.

MR. Mulrooney, of the Prime Minis ter’s Department, who accompanied Mr. P. E. Walcott to New Guinea, as secretary, has returned to Canberra charmed with the “Islands of Gold,” as he describes the Territory.

“Australians who want a change of environment,” he said, “could not do better than go and see for themselves the wonderful wealth contained in the group of islands mandated to Australia.

They will find a succession of panor amas, enchanting in their magnificence and charm, and so far as my experi ence goes they will find nothing much to complain about in the climate.

“New Guinea’s isolation has its dis advantages, of course, to those who have transferred their domicile to the Territory, though at the present time this may be regarded as a blessing in disguise. The residents have heard sufficient of the problems confronting the rest of the world to make them content with their own conditions.

There is, however, considerable unem ployment, and if the present low price of copra continues the difficulties will increase. There may be dark clouds for a while, but one can see the golden lining.”

Absence Of Australian Goods

Mr. Mulrooney touched upon a mat ter of such importance when he stated that “a remarkable and disapnointing feature is that none of the many stores make a display of Australian goods.”

In fact, he added, the tendency was to push the products of other countries to the detriment of those from the Commonwealth.

Australia has proved herself an excel lent foster-guardian of the islands, and it was regrettable that her efforts had not met with more practical appreci ation.