A Chorus of Criticism

Salamaua May Not Be Capital of N. Guinea

DURING the past three or four weeks, communications have been received in the “P.1.M.” office from many sources, dealing with the selection of Salamaua as the New Guinea capital site, and the decision to build a road between Wau and the coast.

Without exception, the Salamaua selec tion is condemned—not one word has been said in defence of Mr. Hughes’s plan.

The decision to build a road, however, is generally praised. The consensus of opinion is that, if a good route is picked, and the road made part of the main high way to the interior, it will represent a big step forward in the development of the Territory.

There is so much condemnation of Sala maua as the capital, from so many Quarters, that it is confidentlv predicted that what is called “the Hughes-Mc- Nicoll plan” will be abandoned, in favour of a site somewhere else—probably on the mainland, and preferably on a tableland.

The following press telegram from Rabaul, dated August 6, is typical:— “The Public Service Association last night decided that it views with alarm any departure from the recommendations contained in either the vulcanological or site-selecting committees’ reports. The selection of Salamaua is most unpopular with all classes of the Association, owing to the unhealthy situation and also the huge expenditure involved.”

In July, shortly after the Salamaua selection was announced, the Adminis trator went to Salamaua. with the Direc tor of Public Works (Mr. Field) and Lands Department officials, “to lay out the town”. What they found there gave them a headache: and when the party returned to Rabaul, it radiated depression.

It had found a swamp, which defied all the optimistic calculations of the “ Hughes- McNicoll plan”. Here is how one corres pondent put it:— “According to Government figures, it is going to cost £903,000 to create a capital at Salamaua. Thus:

“Can you see that money being ex pended, particularly as such vast sums are now needed at Australia’s front door (Darwin)?”

The suggestion that officialdom has only now awakened to the cost of swamp reclamation is quaint. Did the Minister and Administrator, aeroplaning around in June, overlook the swamp?

Another report says:— “Officially, the Administration is going ahead with the plan. Actually, I think it is clear they are just marking time, awaiting orders from Canberra. One can not imagine the Federal Government find ing another £250,000 for swamp reclama tion, when all the rest of New Guinea is available for the building of a town.”

One Morobe correspondent is bitter.

“Why on earth do they plan to fill in this pestilential swamp—which will take years to ‘settle down’ —when only 18 miles away there is the fine plateau recom

mended by the Griffiths Committee, where a model town could be built at a minimum of cost? The ways of official dom pass all understanding.”

This correspondent says that the dan ger of inundation at Salamaua cannot be exaggerated. “Even if they fill in the swamp, it will be only a few feet above sea-level”, he says. “Even now, the sea is threatening to come over the Salamaua isthmus.

“At present, as I write, they are trying to stem the erosion at the back of the Salamaua European Hospital. The steel retaining wall, recently put in at heavy cost, has been undermined at this point, and a pile-driver, which was sent to Lae to drive piles for bridges there, has been brought back with all speed to Salamaua.

“There is periodical flooding from the Frisco River, from the aerodrome towards the town; and so they are talking about

An article summarising, at length, the report of the Griffiths Committee, on the subject of the new capital site in New Guinea, is published in an other section of this issue.

straightening the river. They are talking of building on Kila Point, but there is much seepage from the mountains, in the foothills at the back of Kila.

“I am no prophet; but I am sure that, if the capital is placed at Salamaua, people for generations to come will curse the name of W. M. Hughes.”

From another correspondent: “In the past, it always has been most difficult to obtain land from the natives at Salamaua for European buildings. Have they re formed there lately? Anyway, even if they get all the native land, where are they going to make room for the local born Chinese, who are sure to come crowd ing in. and for a couple of thousand native house-boys, port-labourers, store workers, etc.?”

Retain Rabaul!

Naturally, the advocates of the reten tion of Rabaul as capital (with precau tions against another eruption) are mak ing the most of the situation. Thus Mr.

Gordon Thomas, writing from Rabaul early in August:— “Why not end all the pother by keep ing Rabaul as the capital, and avoiding these appalling costs? I would suggest that a 100 per cent, highway (concrete) be built, leading out of Rabaul to a sheltered spot near Tavui (just over the Namanula Hill) to enable people to make a rapid exit in case of eruption; also a properly-qualified vulcanological bureau, with experts, as used in Java, to give warning, and this would be of value, not only to the residents, but to the world in general.”

Wau-Salamaua Road

IT is expected that no time will be lost in commencing the construction of the new road from Salamaua to the gold field; and it is confidently predicted that the route will be along the coast from Salamaua towards Lae, thence up the Buang Valley, along the Buang Ranges, and somewhere along the Snake Valley to a point between Bulolo and Bulwa, joining up with the Wau-Bulolo-Sunshine Road.

It is reported that “finance is ready nothing now to wait for except selection of the route”.

One recent visitor to Sydney urged that the authorities, before starting construc tion, should invite tenders from the great road-making concerns overseas. “The idea that native labour is cheap, and so

a cheap road can be built, is a fallacy”, he declared. “It would be quite easy to get contractors, with long lines of native labour, to take on sections of the road.

But these Europeans do not know much about the real art of road-building. Their sole idea would be to drive the natives hard, scratch a passable track through the ranges, and collect their cheques. But the Morobe people wouldn’t have the kind of highway they deserve, after all these years. They should study the lesson learned on the Edie Creek and Bulolo Roads. They should insist on having this highway properly built, with good plant, by experienced roadbuilders”.

As against that, however, it is likely that the Administration will lend a sym pathetic ear to the argument that the building of this road will provide needed relief for many miners who have been having a hard time in New Guinea lately —men who can supervise gangs of native labourers on road-building operations.

Swamp reclamation Harbour improvements .

Buildings and transfer .

Rabaul safety zone £260.000 350.000 248.000 45,000 £903,000