Wau, N.G.
p. 65 · Read in the full issue
New Gold At
Development of Sluicing Industry
AN important new phase of the New Guinea gold industry has developed during the past couple of years, said Mr H. T. Allan, in a chat with the editor of the “Pacific Islands Monthly”.
Mr. Allan is president of the New Guinea Mining Association and he him self as a tributer of New Guinea Gold fields Ltd., is now the active head of a successful sluicing enterprise near Wau.
“The day of the man with the box and the pan and a few boys has defin itely gone”, said Mr. Allan. “Under those old conditions about half the gold that was washed out was lost down stream, and only very rich patches could be made to show a profit.
“But there is rich gold all along the hills on either side of the Bulolo River and that applies especially to the hills on the western side near Wau, and along towards Edie Creek.
“During the past two years a number of enterprises based on sluicing, and using the most modern methods, have started up in this latter area, with the result that profitable gold is being won in increasing quantities. These develop ments have changed the whole outlook of the Morobe gold industry. There ap pears to be a very large area of country capable of treatment; but the work must be undertaken by men or by small com panies with sufficient capital to buy the right equipment, and with sufficient knowledge to employ modern methods.
Then the reward is likely to be rich.
“If these developments are possible
under the severe handicap imposed by aerial freight, just think what the pos sibilities are if we could get a road from the coast and could get the benefit of cheap transport. Such a condition Would make profitable many areas which now are regarded as unprofitable, because it costs too much to work them.
“Under present conditions the gold in dustry in and around Wau has a defin ite life, but probably a short one; but if we ’ were given cheap transport— which we have been promised—a bigger and a highly profitable gold industry will continue in this district for a long time to come”.