Population Exceeds

Growth Of Morobe

Population Exceeds Madang and Kavieng

Impetus Of Gold Mining

From Our Own Correspondent.

RABAUL, August 20.

WHAT a growth is pictured within the short space of about seven years with the advent of gold mining in the Morobe district.

Now, we read in our newspaper that a social and dance or a bridge after noon has been given at Salamoa, and of similar functions at Bulolo, Edie Creek, etc. —names unknown in 1924- 25.

Mining interests generally have be come very active, many re-organisa tions and changes have taken place on the Koranga Creek, the Bulolo River and Edie Creek. Concerns great and small are producing and working with much energy.

The little towns of Salamoa and Wau, with the three largest settle ments. Lae, Edie Creek and Bulolo, in the Morobe District, each has now a larger European ponulation than the townships of Madang or Kavieng which represent the seaports and centres of the most thickly planted districts in the Territory.

Madang and Kavieng are (excluding the town and settlements in the Mor obe district already referred to) next in size to the capital town of Rabaul, and its suburb Kokopo.

Salamoa has now a first class hotel, innumerable houses, Government of fices with a fairly large staff, stores from which almost anything can be purchased and a very busy branch of the Bank of New South Wales.

New let us look back in retrospect seven years. Salamoa, which is on a narrow isthmus of land, was planted With a few coconuts; new arrivals camped in tents how and where they could, preparatory to their long and arduous trip inland; and there was then no Government official stationed there.

The only method of proceeding from Salamoa to the goldfields was via a series of native pads, which from sev eral aspects were highly dangerous.

The journey took weeks, with all the discomforts and risks imaginable. Now, with several aerial transport com panies operating, it can be done in about an hour.

Bulolo consisted of a few camps scattered in the dense scrub or tronical jungle, which surrounded each tent, and the total European population was about six miners.

There has been a truly wonderful change in a short space of time.