Wau Committee’s Protest to Members

Members of Parliament

WHEN it became known on the Morobe Goldfield in January last that plans were afoot to merge the aerial transport interests in New Guinea, a public meet

ing of protest was held at Wau. A committee of ten, known as the Wau Citizens’

Committee, was appointed “to safeguard the interests of the general public.”

The personnel of this committee was; H. Taylour (Chairman), manager, Enterprise of New Guinea N.L.

R. A. Laws, managing director, Greenwood and Laws Ltd., general merchants.

H. McGilvery, proprietor, Edie Store.

W. V. Quinn, manager, Pacific Aerial Transport Limited.

E. J. Stephens, proprietor, Stephens’ Aviation Company.

K. A. Macgregor, barrister and solicitor.

J. M. Ireland, chief accountant, New Guinea Goldfields Ltd.

E. M. Turner, private contractor and proprietor, Wau Carrying Co.

C. A. M. Adelskold, public accountant.

J. M. Spence, mining engineer.

After due deliberation, the Committee, on May 21, forwarded to each member of the Federal Parliament a lengthy letter, setting out their reasons for objecting to the proposed compulsory merger.

The circular stated that 90 per cent. of the residents of the Wau district were unreservedly opposed to the air merger.

That Sir George Pearce, on his recent visit of investigation, did not spend suffi cient time in the goldfields area to learn the trend of public feeling. That continued competition is vital for a reduction in passenger and freight rates. That the argument of the “safety factor” does not hold when a study is made of the records of the present operating concerns.