Roading

Air Traffic And

Guinea Airways Attitude to New Guinea Project

ON page 76 of your issue of October cer tain resolutions, stated to have been passed at a largely attended meeting, convened at Wau on September 25 by the New Guinea Mining Associa tion and other representative local bod ies, are published. One statement is made that: — “Mr. Fairbairn arrived in Wau two days before his notified date, accom panied by the chairman and manager of Guinea Airways Ltd.”.

It is desired by my Board to point out that no significance it attachable to the fact that this Company’s managing di rector, Mr. H. M. Smith (not the chair man) and the general manager, Mr. E.

H. Chater, accepted a casual invitation by Mr. Fairbairn to fly with him from Port Moresby to Wau. Although our chairman (Mr. C. V. T. Wells) has visited the Territory four times in the last six-and-a-half years, he has not been there since November, 1936.

A further quotation from the record of the Wau meeting reads:— “The remainder of his (Mr. Fair bairn’s) visit was confined to Lae, as the guest of Guinea Airways Ltd. Mr. Fair bairn then proceeded, via Salamaua, to Australia, without returning to Wau.

This meeting states that Mr. Fairbairn’s remarks cannot be disinterested, and re flect the views of those opposed to the construction of the road. This meeting records its resentment of the action of this politician. This motion was carried unanimously”.

In the opinion of my Board, the im pression conveyed by a perusal of the foregoing remarks is that Guinea Air ways Limited is opposed to the policy of road building in New Guinea and more particularly of a road between the coast and Wau. There is also the plain inference to be drawn that the officials of this Company at Lae had attempted to influence Mr. Fairbairn against the policy of the Commonwealth Govern ment to build any such road or roads.

I am authorised to state definitely that Guinea Airways has never been op posed to the principle of road construc tion in any part of New Guinea. The attitude of my Board has always been that roadways are necessary to a gen eral scheme of development of any country, and to the Morobe district of New Guinea in particular. At first glance, road construction in the vicinity of an established airline might appear to be prejudicial to air traffic, but my Board has never regarded the matter in this light.

Evidence of this is the following ex tract from our chairman’s published ad dress to shareholders of this Company on November 27, 1931 (seven years ago), in Adelaide: — “The policy of Guinea Airways Ltd. is not and never has been one of ob struction towards road building in the district. Although a serviceable traffic road through such country might take two years or more to construct, it would undoubtedly have a stimulating effect upon the development of the surround ing Territory and provide employment.

Nevertheless it would not and could not displace air transport. It would be com plementary to it”.

These views have not changed in the

years that have elapsed since they were expressed.

In conclusion, my Board has never com municated with Mr. Fairbairn at any time, nor discussed his views on any subject.

I am, etc., For Guinea Airways Limited,

(Sgd.) E. J. Collever,

Secretary.

Adelaide, 20/10/’38.

Mr. George H. Farwell, formerly of Tahiti, has been elected to the Council of the Anthropological Society of New South Wales. Several years ago Mr. Farwell was a member of a treasure-seeking expedition to the Tuamotu Islands. Since his marriage he has been a resident of Sydney, and is well-known for his contributions on Pacific topics to the Australian press.