New Guinea Field’S Rich Prospects.

All Companies Hurrying on to Stage of Big Production.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Wau, N.G., Feb. 24.

New Guinea Goldfields Ltd.

had no sooner completed the power line on the Morobe field, from the power-station to Kunai Creek, over Mt.

Kaindi than a land-slide occurred, which brought down five poles and tore down the line. The Company is now looking for another route, over which to carry the line to the Edie Creek workings.

The erection of the milling plant at Golden Ridges is going on apace, and crushing should be commenced about the middle of the year.

A good deal of difficulty has been met with in getting a substantial founda tion for the mill site, but this has been now overcome and it is hoped that the company will not receive any further setback in their efforts to get the mill in operation.

The present price of gold makes prospects for the companies operating on this field, look rosy; and with the Bulolo Company commencing operations in March and the N.G.G. Ltd. soon afterwards, it is hoped that production during the next year will reach the million mark.

Bulolo Gold Dredging brought in their first load of machinery for their dredges at the end of March of last year, and it is expected that the first dredge will be producing by the end of this March.

All material for the second dredge, the keel of which was laid on February 8, is at Bulolo, so that there will be no delay in the building of this dredge. It will be similar in size to the one now completed.

Plans are completed for two further dredges, to work the lower areas of Bulowat; and a start has been made with the building of these machines in Sydney.

Mr. Godden, of the Placer Co. last week-end took a trip to the lower Watut area which was recently pegged by a syndicate headed by Mr. A. Thomp son, of Wau. This ground was previ ously pegged in what were known as the Babuaf Leases, and one of the Siamese tin dredging companies had a look at it some years ago. It is hoped that the ground will prove payable, as the area in that section is even greater than that held by Bulolo Gold Dredg ing Ltd.

A large area of the Bulolo, upstream from Koranga and alongside Wau, has recently been taken up as dredging claims, and efforts are being made to interest Placer Development in the area. If the upper Bulolo and Lower Watut areas should prove payable, it will not be many years before we see dredges operating along the rivers from Wau right down to Lae.

Day Dawn, on Edie Creek, is work ing three shifts, and the ore still re mains remarkably rich. The reefs on the Day Dawn property are locally re ferred to as “the jeweller’s shop.” This company, which has a very small capi tal, must prove in the near future to be one of the outstanding dividend-payers of Australasian gold-mining companies.

His Honour the Administrator, the Secretary for Lands, and several other Government officials are to visit the goldfields in March and will be present at the official ceremony of the opening of the Bulolo dredge on March 21.