Guinea Goldfields Road

The Problem Of The New

THE New Guinea Administration is seeking a solution of what it regards as the difficult problem of providing the Morobe goldfields with an adequate trans portation system.

May we suggest that the Administration is giving itself unnecessary embarrass ment? There now is no major problem of transportation. It actually has been solved. If the Administration can keep this thing in proper focus, it will find that only minor problems affecting communication and transport, remain for attention: and they can be dealt with without serious embarrassment to anyone.

THE establishment of the Morobe gold industry commenced in 1926-1927, when it had been proved that enormously rich values were there; but it provided the interests concerned with one of the pret tiest problems in transportation in the history of goldfields development.

The gold was found along the Bulolo River and its tributaries, Edie Creek.

Koranga Creek, etc. The Bulolo River at this point lies among the high mountains, some 4,000 feet above sea level and dis tant about 40 miles inland from the coast of New Guinea (Huon Gulf). The coun try between the Bulolo River and the coast is probably as broken and difficult of penetration as any in the world. It took trains of native carriers a week to climb from Salamaua, the only sheltered port on Huon Gulf, up to Wau, through the broken gorges and dense jungle.

At the beginning a road was proposed and considered. Even a railway was dis cussed. But neither the gold companies

nor the Administration would face the obviously enormous cost of constructing a trafficable highway through a region that was mostly standing on end, that involved terrific grades, and that was subject to phenomenally heavy rainfalls, during which whole mountain-sides were liable to slip into the valleys.

The long-sighted Bulolo Company re fused to wait and dither about with road schemes. Co-operating with interests which had founded Guinea Airways, Ltd., it purchased aeroplanes and established an efficient air transport service. A num ber of enterprising young Australians also went to this primitive land, and com menced to carry freight and passengers between the coast and the goldfield.

At first, this system of transport was regarded as risky and speculative, but it was accepted by all parties concerned as the only means of getting men, foodstuffs, building materials and machinery on to the field and recovering the rich gold that was there. Literally within a few months

it was proved that aerial transport was practicable. The great monoplanes of Guinea Airways, Ltd., and the Bulolo Company carried in the heavy dredges required for the Bulolo claims—some of the pieces weighed no less than 3J tons.

The percentage of accidents, even in those early days, was remarkably low.

Certainly, at the beginning, the cost of this form of transport was high, with the result that everything required for the maintenance of life and work on this youngest of all goldfields was phenome nally costly. But even then it was recog nised that the rapidity and efficiency of the new transport system did much to compensate for the heavy cost. Where previously the fastest gangs of native carriers occupied five or six days in struggling through the mountains from the coast to Wau, with small parcels of goods, which received a rough handling, the aeroplanes brought in huge, heavy consignments in 30 or 40 minutes, and with a minimum of handling and shaking.

THE transport problem was solved.

Guinea Airways, Ltd., Holden’s Air Transport Co., and two or three smaller transport organisations settled down to constant flying on regular schedules. The goldfield was brought into profitable pro duction two or three years sooner than would have been possible if it had had to wait for a road or railway.

The prospectors’ camps became settle ments, with an aeroplane landing ground beside each; the settlements became vil lages: and to-day there are already five little towns in the goldfields area of New Guinea —Salamaua and Lae on the coast, ports of call for the steamers; and Wau, Bulolo and Edie Creek “up on top,” each the active centre of three separate fields of mining enterprise.

West and north-west of those places to-day, stretched out over 100 miles of

hitherto unknown country, are a large number of prospectors’ camps and small mining settlements, each with its aero plane landing ground and each promising to become a new mining town.

All this development has been carried out under aeroplane transport. The machines fly daily, almost hourly, be tween over 30 aerodromes, scattered over 10,000 square miles of territory; and although there are only a few miles of road on the goldfield itself, radiating from Wau, and the region is incredibly broken and rough, there is, nevertheless, not another gold mining field in the world where inter-communication is so quick and transport so rapid and efficient.

As the aerial transport system devel oped and settlement and freight grew in volume, freight rates were reduced. In the beginning the industry was under the frightful handicap of paying 1s. per lb. for aerial transport. But within two or three years the rate was cut to ribbons; and to-day the aeroplane interests can maintain efficient services and make a respectable profit on a rate around 3d. per lb.

'THREE years ago the Administration saw that the transport problem was solved. With a deep sigh of thankfulness it folded its hands and, until recently, has taken little mpre than an academic inte rest in the subject of a road. But the matter has now been revived.

Two arguments have been forced upon the Government. The first is that high cost of transport makes it impossible for the low-value propositions on the Morobe goldfield to be profitably worked and that this is liable to limit the value of the field and shorten its life. The other argu ment has its base in the belief that, on the rich, fertile, well watered tablelands in the interior of New Guinea, north westwards of the Morobe goldfield, there is room and opportunity for the estab lishment of new primary industries. The country is believed to be gold-bearing; and is held to be capable also of produc ing all kinds of tropical and sub-tropical crops, and immense quantities of valu able timber. The history of all countries with rich lands shows that, where gold has been discovered and worked on a pay able basis, a tremendous impetus has been given to the permanent establishment of rich pastoral and agricultural industries.

There are many people who believe that history may follow the same course in New Guinea.

For these reasons, the construction of

a trafflcable road from the coast to the goldfield has been strongly urged, irre spective of what the cost may be. This road, it has been contended, would per mit the carriage of freight from the port to the goldfield at £6 or £7 per ton and would also provide a highway for the developmental enterprises which should follow the gold industry and open up the magnificent interior of New Guinea, which lies at the back of the goldfield, to new pastoral and agricultural industries.

The Administrator of New Guinea, who is a forceful man of wide vision, has been impressed with these arguments and is inclined to say, “The road must be built!”

AT first glance, reasoned arguments appear to be on his side. But care ful investigation and thought suggest that figures and facts based on the actual records of aeroplane transport over the last five years may justify an important modification of the reading plan.

The later proposition, flatly stated, is that it would be in the best interests of all concerned —the aeroplane companies, the gold companies, the Administration, and the future of New Guinea—if the reading enterprise were confined to the rich interior of New Guinea: and com munication between the interior and the coast, over a belt of country so broken, and impenetrable that it almost beggars description, were carried on by trunk lines of aeroplanes, which already have demonstrated their efficiency and proved that, provided sufficient traffic is avail able, they are more economical than any other method of carriage.

It is estimated that a road from the coast to Wau, capable of carrying regular

heavy motor traffic, would cost £300,000.

Some estimates have been as low as £l00,000. That is palpably absurd. Anyone who knows anything of costs in New Guinea, and is acquainted with the char acter of the country, must put the con struction price at a quarter-million, at least.

The Administrator probably would pro pose to double the gold royalty for three or four years, to provide the road’s capi tal cost. But what of maintenance? To keep that road up to the required trafflc able standard, in all weathers, would re quire at least £25,000 per annum. Where is that to come from? Presumably, from a special tax on the goldfields community, either by making the larger royalty a permanent charge, or by imposing new Customs taxes, NOW, consider the cost of road transport. A very sturdy truck would be needed, capable of carrying at least 2 tons up those necessarily steep grades. It would cost at Salamaua, fully equipped, at

least £500. Its life, under the conditions indicated, would not much exceed three years of regular use. Interest and depre ciation charges therefore probably would require at least £170 per annum.

Operating cost of trucks would be high.

Six or seven miles to the gallon would be the best mileage; petrol would cost 1s. 6d. or 1s. 7d. per gallon. Actual experience has shown that such a truck, in such con ditions, would consume 1 gallon of lubri cating oil every 200 miles, and would require a new set of tyres and tubes (£40) every 8,000 miles. Annual charges to be debited against each truck there fore would include: Depreciation, inte rest, insurance, registration, fuel, oil, tyres, repairs, maintenance, cleaning, driver’s wages, and native helpers’ wages.

Here is a calculation that is worth fol lowing out. It is assumed that the road, following the grade around the mountains, is 75 miles long; and that it would take a truck a full working week to load two tons at Salamaua, cilmb to the goldfield, deliver, the load, provide for delays, and return to Salamaua and deliver any back loading (which would be negligible).

The distance run would be at least 150 miles.

Those costs are most conservatively stated: yet they show that, assuming the truck gets a full load of 2 tons, and pro viding nothing for profit, or interest on capital invested, the freight rate for the trip could not be less than £9/10/- per ton, or nearly 2d per lb. To provide against small loads, various contingencies (risk of accident, etc.), and make a profit, a motor truck owner in that country could not afford to charge less than 2½d per lb—and even that would not be a safe rate.

It is estimated that the normal freight requirements of the Morobe goldfield as now established are about 6000 tons per annum. It would cost at least £25,000 per annum to maintain the road properly.

That maintenance cost must be loaded on to the goldfields community—in other words, the goldfields people must be taxed

£25,000 per annum on 6000 tons of freight (or a little less than ½d per lb) to pay for road upkeep. This would make the total freight cost per road 3d per lb, which is about the present cost of aeroplane trans port.

And the foregoing calculations, frankly, are made by an optimist. A qualified accountant, drawing estimates upon a sound actuarial basis, and with a practical knowledge of the country probably would get a road freight rate of 7d or 8d per lb.

We have examined one set of estimates made by an engineer who has been prac tising on the Morobe goldfield for some years, and who has an intimate knowledge of motor-trucks and freighting; and he gets a road freight rate of 10d per lb.

IN view of these figures, would it not be desirable for the New Guinea authori ties to turn away from the Salamaua-Wau road plan for a moment and consider aero plane possibilities. It is true that roads are necessary for the proper development of the rich interior behind the goldfield.

But the country between the coast and the goldfield is economically useless. The only object in building a road through it would be to provide communication between the goldfield and the coast.

Is it not possible to depend for this communication and transport entirely ifpon the aeroplanes, which have most convincingly demonstrated their effi ciency? It has been shown, also, that as freightage increases, the aeroplanes can reduce their freight rates. Already the latter are down to a figure equal to what must be the cost of road freightage even under the happiest conditions. Is it not possible for the Administration to make an arrangement with the aerial transport companies under which, in return for a monopoly of the freights between the coast and the goldfields, the latter will guaran tee a regular freight rate of 3d per lb or less? It is quite apparent that, if the Administration, instead of incurring this heavy expenditure on a road, could offer a corresponding financial inducement to the companies, the freight rate might come down to 2d per lb, or less.

THERE is nothing fantastic in this suggestion. One can find an illustration and argument within a few miles of Sydney. Westward of Sydney lies a rich coastal- plain which ends abruptly at the Nepean River. Beyond that river for 50 or 60 miles there is a belt of country (the Blue Mountains) that is indescribably wild and broken and which, for very many years, provided the New South Wales Government with an insoluble problem of communication and transport. How could it connect the coastal region with the rich, central plain? Eventually, at terrific cost, a road and a railway were built through this economically useless region to tap the rich plains at Bathurst and beyond.

There is every probability that if

aeroplane transport had been possible then, as it is to-day, the State would not have incurred the enormous cost of put ting a road and railway through the Blue Mountains. It is still the most expensive bit of railway haulage in the State. A trunk line of large aeroplanes running be tween Sydney and Bathurst (there pos sibly connecting with feeder roads) would have provided for all transport require ments at a greatly reduced cost.

The problem with which the Adminis trator is confronted in the goldfields region of New Guinea is quite comparable with the problem which confronted the N.S.W.

Government when it tried to make contact with the inland plains a century ago.

The Administration, before it commits itself to the road plan, would be very wise to examine carefully the aeroplane possi bilities in the manner indicated, and ask itself whether it would not be wiser to take advantage of the transport facilities already provided and successfully operated, and devote its available funds to the read ing of the interior where minor reading is quite practicable—and, in view of the richness of the country, very desirable.

It is probable that the Administration would find that the aerial transport com panies are as eager as anyone to reduce the transport levy on the goldfields.

IT should not be necessary to remind the Administration that every country in the world to-day is paying substantial sums by way of subsidising and encourag ing the establishment of regular lines of aeroplanes for carrying freights and pas sengers.

A new era has come in transportation, and its possibilities are beyond computa tion. The macadam road, giving a hard surface for horse-drawn vehicles, was cheaper than the unformed track; the rail way, providing a smooth track for machine transport, superseded the maca dam road; the sea, because it gave machine transport comparative freedom of movement, provided better and cheaper transport than the fixed railway; the con crete road, because it gave comparative mobility to the motor truck, proved to be cheaper and more convenient than the railway. But now comes the aeroplane which, because it can float in the free air and has 100 per cent, mobility, possesses transportation merits far beyond those of road vehicles, railways, motor trucks, or steamships, and which therefore is des tined to supersede them all.

New Guinea is the newest country. It is fitting that it should demonstrate to the world the efficiency and economy of the newest form of transport—aeroplanes.

Driver’s wages and maintenance . £8 10 0 Native helper’s wages, etc 1 0 0 Petrol and oil 2 10 0 Depreciation, interest, insurance, registration (weekly proportion) 4 0 0 Tyres (weekly proportion) 1 0 0 Proportion of repairs and maintenance .. 2 0 0 Total of fixed operating costs £19 0 0