New Guineas Timber Wealth

A Pioneer's Experiences at the Hands of Bureaucracy

Letter to the Editor

NEW Guinea timber seems to be achieving a somewhat belated prominence; and I think it is meet that I should be allowed to be heard on the matter.

When I arrived in the Wau area, in 1924, the first thing that struck me was the wealth of timber. However, at that time I was a man without finance, and could take no action. By 1926 I had be come a comparatively wealthy man, and in that year I applied, in my own name, and in the names of my wife, Mr. Wales, Mr. Everall and Mr. Miller, for 25,000 acres. With this application I deposited as fees, £275; £5O for the licence; and £5 for the permit, in each of the five applications. Note at this time there were no mining activities of any magni tude being carried on, or even projected, on the Bulolo River, which I had chosen as my transport route, for reasons which will be later explained.

Then my troubles started. I asked that the licenses be issued and I was met by a bewildering variety of excuses. First, I was told that a native owner had been discovered, and that the ground there fore was not Crown land. Upon asking again, I was told that the licenses could not issue, as there were NO native

owners. Obviously utter balderdash, but effective in that I did not get the licenses.

With things in this state of fluidity, I went to England. Whilst there, I suc ceeded in interesting a group of very wealthy people and prominent timber concerns—one of which was Gabriel, Wade & English—and everything was set for a suitably capitalised compahy to take over the proposition, and work it effectively. In order to try and expedite matters, I radioed a power-of-attorney to my solicitor in Rabaul, Mr. Hayes: but he had no more success than I had.

The licenses were still not given out. So finally the project had to be dropped as far as London was concerned.

So I came back to Australia. In Bris bane, being ever an optimist, I formed a new company, anticipating that my rights would be eventually recognised.

The preliminary expenses, including the printing of the Articles of Association, etc., came to about £35.

WELL, eventually we got a new Admini strator and a new Secretary for Mines, and things happened. Much to my delight, I got a letter, one day, from the Secretary for Mines, advising me that the Administrator approved my applications. I made a special trip to Rabaul to get the licenses, but got only the “permits”, which in themselves are valueless, although they cost £5 each. I was told I should not be able to get the licenses for some time. The Admini strator was away, and I could not see him before I was compelled to return to my work.

So I went to another official to enlist his aid and this is what happened. He said to me: “You know, some people say that I accept bribes. But the whole time I have been in this office, only one man ever attempted to bribe me. And that was K .” Pointing to his coat hanging up on the wall, he said: “My coat was hanging on the wall, just as you see it now, and I had to go out for a moment. And when I came back, there was £lOO in notes stuffed in my pockets,”

Then, getting up from his chair, he said: “Excuse me. I have to go into the other room for a moment.”

This brings us to A.D. 1932. (Do not forget that my applications were made in 1926.) To advertise the timber, I made a screen of 13 pieces of 12 inches by 1 inch, alternatively 6 feet and 4 feet long, on castors, and left one side dressed and got the other side polished. I exhibited this screen to certain timber-users in Sydney, and in one day got orders for 13,000,000 super feet per annum. Then I took the screen to Canberra and with Senator Kingsmill’s permission it was placed in the Exhibition Hall in the House of Parliament, together with a frame of photographs showing the stands of timber that existed in the Bulolo Valley.

About the end of that year I came back to Rabaul, and again tried to get the much-desired licenses, and was again fobbed off with piffling subterfuges.

AT long last, eight years after I had made the applications, I was told there was no chance of my ever getting the licenses and my fees were handed back to me. The refusal was not embodied in a letter, but by word of mouth, over the counter in the Lands Office in Rabaul. The last official letter I have on the subject is; “The Admini

strator approves.”

The talk of waiting for a road for transport is utter rubbish. Water trans port is quite practicable.

Years ago, I commissioned Mr. Ray Parer to fly over the whole course and make an aerial survey of it, and his re port was favourable. Every gorge has been traversed by a white man. The Bulolo River (the shallowest section of the route) has a flood rise of fifteen feet. The logs could travel down the river on the floods. Sections of the river could be patrolled by native labourers, with cant hooks, to deal with any beached logs. The saw-mill could be located at Labu, at the mouth of the Markham River. The logs could be turned into the Hertzog Zee, picked up by conveyors, passed through the mill, and come out at the Labu end (near the anchorage) finished lumber. Working by this method, all Australia’s requirements in softwoods for quite a few years, could be supplied.

Just one remark in conclusion. The Administration held £275 of mine for 8 high-interest years. The money was al ways mine as it was only a deposit, and did not become the property of the Ad ministration until the issue of the licenses. The Administration drew in terest on this amount for over 8 years, a matter of £100; but when I asked that some interest be paid to me, I met with an uncompromising refusal.

One further remark, and I am finished.

The road must come to Wau, and Wau should be the capital of North and South New Guinea.

I am, etc.,

Charles Booth.

Wau, New Guinea.