Another Little
p. 68 · Read in the full issue
Ship!
Profligate New Guinea Adds to Its Fleet
From a Special Correspondent
Rabaul, May 1.
SPECULATION has been aroused in non-official circles by an advertise ment in the “Commonwealth Ga zette” of April 13, calling tenders for the construction of a wooden motor ves sel, with a length of 87 feet, for the Administration services •in Mandated New Guinea.
Boat-builders in the Territory were not given a chance to tender, specifica tions being available only at Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney.
New Guinea residents want to know where the money is coming from. And to w"hat use is this large vessel to be put?
The public has only half-recovered from the expenditure incurred in putting the Government schooner-yacht “Dorunda” into running order. This craft was a gift, in 1937, from the Queensland Gov ernment, but one hears that it has cost the Administration about as much to put it in running order as the vessel cost when it was originally constructed.
An expensive gift.
And, now, vessels with lengths of 87 ft. cannot be built for a song. The ques tion arises: Does the Territory Admin istration require further ships? It al readv has the “Dorunda”. “Sirius”, “Ne reus”. “Leander”, “Eros”, “Poseidon” and “Thetis”, to say nothing of the “Lola bau” and four Government launches.
Had local finances been in a healthy condition perhaps there would not be
such consternation. General opinion— that is; from non-official sources, and naturally not in a position to quote offi cial figures, but nevertheless endowed with a certain amount of perspicacity— tips that the financial year, ending in June, will have a balance on the wrong side of the ledger—despite the fact that the surplus in December, 1938, was still around £21,000, The idea of such a vessel probably had its birth several years ago, when Japan ese trocas poachers were causing con siderable annoyance. It was suggested then that an Administration vessel should be obtained which could, if occasion de manded, be converted into a patrol ves sel, similar to the “Larrakia”, stationed at Darwin. Considerable publicity was given to the Federal Government’s con sent for such a craft. But that was some years ago. At present there are neither funds nor poachers to warrant such action.