Goldfields Road Question

Guinea Airways Not Hostile—Says Road Be Complementary to Air Service

AN interesting statement regarding the attitude of Guinea Airways.

Ltd., towards the much-discussed road project, between the coast and the New Guinea goldfields, was made by the Chairman of Directors, Mr.

C. V. T. Wells, at the half-yearly meeting held in Adelaide last month.

He said that the policy of Guinea Airways is not and never has been one of obstruction towards road build ing in the district.

Although a serviceable traffic road through such country might take two years or more to construct, it would undoubtedly have a stimulating effect upon the development of the surround ing territory and provide employment.

Nevertheless, it would not and could not displace air transport. It would be complementary to it. The outstand ing barrier is the cost of a road strong enough to carry heavy motor traffic along mountain sides to a mining centre situated at from 4,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level, though at a direct distance of only 35 miles from the coast.

The adoption of major air transport by the mining companies was the re

suit of long and patient investigation of the transport problem. There was an initial bias strongly leaning towards a road, but the deciding factors in favour of the air may well be briefly placed on record.

First, the speed in the actual jour ney by air, which in such country would be at least 100 times faster from point to point than by a land route, tended to eliminate the cost in interest incurred on large quantities of tempo rarily idle plant. Secondly, there was the comparatively early availability of an air fleet, owing to the fact that it could be ready for action, from the date of placing the order, in about one third of the time likely to be taken in building a road. Thirdly came the important feature that air transport had already been demonstrated by our Company as workable in that district —although admittedly the carrying of heavy machinery by air had still to be proved. But a dependable route for a road had not then, and has not even yet been discovered, despite the fact mat several expensive surveys had been undertaken. Fourthly, the first cost of an adequate air fleet of the most modern type was about one-third of the estimated first cost of a road without including the outlay on neces sary road haulage plant.