Aerial Transport in

New Guinea Federal Government’s New Policy Creates Stir

THE following appeared in a number of Australian newspapers in January: Recently the Commonwealth Govern ment decided to take steps with a view to formulating an aviation policy for the territories of Papua and New Guinea. A scheme which the Govern ment has under consideration favours a merger of existing companies under proper control and regulation, and ac tion has been taken to advise all inter ested parties to that effect.

The Minister in Charge of Territories (Sir George Pearce) stated that it will be some time before details of the pro posed scheme can be made available, but in the meantime any new contracts made will not be considered when the terms of the proposed merger are under discussion.

The latter paragraph probably had re ference to a current report that New Guinea Goldfields Ltd. had made new con tracts for aerial transport—so per cent, to the Carpenter Airways, and the bal ance to be divided between Guinea Air ways Ltd. and Holdens A.T. Co., Ltd.