"Smellful Odour"

Mr. Green Asks Australian Parlia ment Some Pertinent Questions About Timber Lease

THE action of the Commonwealth Gov ernment in inviting tenders for the lease of timberlands in the Bulolo Valley, New Guinea, under such condi tions that the contract would appear al most a gift to a big company (see page 76 of of September has been strongly criticised on a number of occa sions by Mr. A. E. Green, M.P.

In his last attack on the project, Mr.

Green said that the area offered for lease (4 sq. miles on the left bank and 8 sq. miles on the right bank of the Bulolo, 3 miles from Wau) was too large; and,’in any event, the supplies of hoop, klinkii and other pines were too limited to per mit of wholesale export from the coun try. Mr. Green proceeded:— “I do not wish to lay a charge of cor rupt practice against the Administra tion, or even to breathe that such exists, but I do say that a proposal of this na ture arouses suspicion, and that, as a matter of public policy it would be wiser to divide the area between at least two companies.

“Two men engaged in the sawmilling industry in the northern rivers district of N.S.W. went to New Guinea two years ago, looking for timber lands, and came upon these stands of hoop pine on the banks of the Bulolo River. They made application for permission to market the pine, but nothing was done in the mat ter except that they were asked a con siderable number of questions.

“It will be remembered that in 1926 Mr. Lane Poole made a report on New Guinea. He mentioned the timber areas which are at present being well worked by the missions along the coast, little mention was made of these valuable for ests of hoop pine, klinkii and cedar in close proximity to Wau. There was no idea that they existed to any extent.

“I suggest that in the interests of good government tenders should be called and two leases given. There should be no suspicion of ill-feeling or uneasy fore boding. The two men who went up there two years ago submitted a tender, but their proposal was turned down. I hope it is a baseless rumour that a firm in Brisbane has been granted a lease, but that is common talk in New Guinea.

“The Queensland forests are largely denuded of cedar, the local name for which in New Guinea is toona. In Sala maua a gentleman showed me a log for which, he said, he would get £lOO in Sydney. If we grant exclusive rights over 20 sq. miles of timber which would be hard to match, if it exists, we shall be doing what is altogether wrong in the public interest. I trust that before it is too late provision will be made for at least two tenders to be submitted.

“The amount of royalty is 3/6 per 100 super, feet on hoop pine, and a some what lower rate on second-class tim ber.

“Moreover, in the conditions of tender no provision is made for re-afforestation.

“The lease is to be for ten years. In Western Australia such leases are grant ed for one year with the right of annual renewal if the contractor is carrying out his work satisfactorily. In Victoria such leases are granted for three years.

“In the circumstances it appears to be entirely wrong to grant one company the right to timber fights over such a large

area for ten years. I believe that one company proposes to remove the timber by means of flying foxes, which is not a difficult way, to erect mills on the spot, and to manufacture veneers in the valley where the timber is produced. I trust that the Minister for External Affairs will give this matter his most careful attention, so that the project will not have a smellful odour”.

Second-Lieutenant F. J. R. Nicholls, Royal Artillery, has been appointed Pri vate Secretary and Aide-de-Camp to Sir Harry Luke, new Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. ]\j r< rp rj. Russell, Chief Police Magis trate* of* Suva, Fiji, has been appointed an Official Member of the Legislative Council of the Colony.