Resolutions By Public Meeting In Wau, New Guinea

THE following report, dated at Wau, New Guinea, on September 26, has been communicated to the “Pacific Islands Monthly” by Messrs. N. P. A.

Neal. M.L.C. (chairman of meeting), H.

T. Allan (president of New Guinea Min ing Association), R. A. Laws (Morobe Citizens’ Association), J. Spence (Wau branch, A.L.P.), H. Taylour (Morobe Chamber of Mines);— The largest public meeting ever held in the Morobe district of New Guinea took place in Wau on Sunday, September 25. The meeting was convened by the New Guinea Mining Association, the Morobe Citizens’ Association, the Cham ber of Mines, and the Wau branch of the A.L.P. At this meeting it was re solved : That the road, Salamaua to Wau, by the most direct route possible, should be commenced immediately: and that this meeting declares itself definitely opposed to the alternative circuitous routes, via the Markham, and/or the Wampit. This motion was passed unanimously.

That Wau should be selected as the site for the new capital of New Guinea, as it can function immediately, with a considerable saving in expenditure. Fur ther, the cost (estimated at £150.000) of the additional road, between Salamaua and Lae, would be eliminated. This motion was carried with one dissentient.

That this community registers extreme resentment against the remarks, which we say are definitely untrue, published in the “Sydney Morning Herald”, by Mr.

Fairbairn, M.P., on his return to Aus tralia from here. Mr. Fairbairn arrived in Wau two days before his notified date, accompanied by the chairman and manager of Guinea Airways, Ltd. He made no effort to interview represen tatives of organized bodies in Wau, re maining two hours only.

The remainder of his visit was con fined to Lae, as the guest of Guinea Airways, Ltd. Mr. Fairbairn then pro ceeded, via Salamaua, to Australia, with out returning to Wau. This meeting states that Mr. Fairbairn’s remarks can not be disinterested, and reflect the views of those opposed to the construction of the road. This meeting records its re sentment of the action of this politician.

This motion was carried unanimously.

The meeting terminated with a unani mous vote of confidence in the Minister for Territories, and a declaration that the whole community supports his ef forts to secure the construction of a road which is vital to the future of the Morobe district.

On Saturday, September 24. a large and representative public meeting was held at Edie Creek, and it unanimously adopted the foregoing resolutions.

The Morobe residents are determined that the road shall be built by the shortest route nossible, and that the con trol of the merchandising and trans portation services, at present existing under the trading agreement between the major firms, shall be broken.