Papuan News

Drop in Revenue —Prospectors Persevere with Tauri Field —Gold Return from Misima Mine

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, June 9.

PAPUAN finances are in line with what seems to be the general con dition of the world of to-day—a shortage of money.

The Treasury statements for the nine months ended on March 31 con tinue to show a decrease in receipts.

Customs returns show the greatest fall, a drop of £14,588 as compared with the same period for last year.

Other decreases include port and wharfage dues, mining, native labour fees and sale of produce.

Expenditure for the nine months is down £12,289, as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

As regards exports, copra is at its lowest price, £10/17/6 in London, and rubber has varied within the last months from 2 13/16d. to the present price of 3 1/8d. per lb.

Coffee is being sold locally and is taking the place of imported coffee, if not within the Territory, at least in

Port Moresby itself to quite a con siderable extent.

Stores Attempting To

Regain Trade.

One of the principal stores in Port Moresby is advertising important re ductions in the price of foodstuffs, and the announcement is welcomed by many residents, who have been for long forced to endure the inconveni ence of ordering their goods for direct shipment from Sydney and of handl ing and clearing them on arrival.

It is to be hoped, for the good of the Territory, that the local store will be successful in its endeavour to re gain the larger volume of business which has been diverted to Sydney during the last two years; but the task will not be simple, as there is also a project on foot to form an agency for the purpose of indenting monthly shipments from South, clear ing the goods and delivering them to local buyers for a small commission and fixed terms for payment.

However, both are innovations and will be welcome to the average eco nomical householder, who, for a long time, has rebelled against the high prices in Port Moresby.

Mining Activity.

The Tauri and Tiveri field, in the old Lakekamu bounds, still holds no promise to prospectors and miners.

The Mahony’s Gold Syndicate, a party of young men, are still trying their luck, and from a report lately received, though they have no results, they intend prospecting new country.

They have found the natives friendly on the whole, but, owing to the nat ure of the country, they had rough treking, and food supplies are run ning short.

Mr. Whitbourne, one of the pros pectors, concludes his report that he hopes later to have the pleasure of re porting a good find, as the new coun try looks good and there are great chances of finding something in that district.

In the report of the new Misima Gold Mine for the month of April, 370 tons of ore were put through the mill —430 tons of sand and 140 of slime, also 500 tons of crude ore were treat ed, making a total of 1,070 tons hand led. for gold bullion valued at £979/7/3.

In addition five bars of silver bullion accumulated were shipped, valued ap proximately at £58.

The prospects of silver lead, beyond Yule Island, on the Ononge Road, have held no promise and up to date there have been no further negotia tions in that direction.

Mail Contract Arrange

Ments.

The residents of Port Moresby were pleased to learn that the Common wealth Government had definitely de cided against the proposal of the con tractors of a combined shipping ser vice between Australia, Papua and New Guinea. m Burns, Philp now advise that, fol lowing the present trip of the S.S.

Morinda, the suggested timetable for the monthly service to Papua provides for the Montoro to do one trip, fol lowed thereafter by the Mataram, leaving Sydney on July 22nd.

There will be many here who will be sorry to see the last of the Mor inda, which weathered many a cyclone and storm that might easily have foun dered a more luxurious vessel.

Record Copra Shipment.

Besides the Morinda, the Le Maire and the Inverbank visited this port last month. The Le Maire, of the Royal Dutch Packet, was on her usual threemonthly visit, and the Inverbank, a vessel of 5,000 tons, came for the pur baas of copra (1.026 tons), the largest of Burns, Philp, for European pouts.

The Inverbank took from here 14,733 bags of copra (1,026 tons), the largest single shipment of copra ever loaded from this port.

Personal Items.

His Excellency Sir Hubert Murray, the Lieutenant-Governor, does not in tend visiting England, as was previous ly announced, to attend as the repre sentative of the Australian Association, the Centenary Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science to be held in London in Sep tember next.

His Honour Mr. Justice Gore re turned from leave by this Morinda.

The Hon. A. P. and Mrs. Lyons, who were on short leave from the Territory, also returned. Mr. Lyons has taken over his duties as Director of Public Works. In his absence he was relieved by Mr. G. M. Turnbull, the Govern ment Architect.

Among the passengers from South by this Morinda were the Hon. A. H.

Bunting. Mr. Tom Nevitt, Mr. Lewis Lett and Mr. A. J. Vogan, the well known archaeologist, who is visiting Papua and the Trobriands in the in terests of his studies and writings.