Questioned

Patrol's Value

What Does New Guinea Gain from Huge Expenditure?

Prom Our Own Correspondent WAU, June 3.

ABOUT a year ago, a patrol of huge dimensions (for a patrol) set out on the Mount Hagen-Sepik trail, in charge of Mr. J. L. Taylor, A.D.0.. who was accompanied by Patrol Officer D.

Black and Medical Assistant J. Walsh.

There was a strong force of native con stabulary and a large number of car riers.

This patrol has been a costly affair, not only because of its size, but also be cause aeroplanes have been lavishly used for commissariat and other purposes.

Undoubtedly, its numbers have had a disturbing influence on the natives of

the country through which it has passed.

A patrol must to a certain extent live on the country. This can be harmoni ously done by a small party, who are able to purchase small quantities of food from native settlements without seriously depleting the local food re sources. It is a different matter when a large party require native foods, and pay for them in tomahawks, lava-lava and so forth —with which the natives cannot fill their stomachs after the party has passed.

Some five years ago two prospectors— the Fox Brothers —did, with a handful of boys, practically the same trek as this large and costly patrol is doing. They had no field-wireless, no constabulary es cort, no aeroplanes; but nevertheless they did a trek which has always been refer red to with admiration. Unfortunately no report of this exploration has ever been recorded. It certainly should have been, for the Fox Brothers were not in search of anthropological knowledge, but were good, solid seekers after what the earth may have contained in the way of minerals and, therefore, they saw the country from its geological aspect. (An account of the Fox Brothers’ remarkable journey, with a copy of a map which they drew, was published in the “P.1.M.” of February, 1936.—Ed.).

Some years ago, New Guinea Gold fields Ltd. financed and sent out a pros pecting party with a geologist, which covered the Purari and Ramu areas. As far as can be gathered, no data have been recorded oificially of this expedi tion. Mr. J. M. Burke, who was one of a party who walked through from the Fly River to the Sepik headwaters and down to the Ramu —minerally intention ed—offered his knowledge to the Pow ers-that-be, which was politely refused.

Anthropology may be “in the interests of posteritv” (to quote the editor of the “Rabaul limes’’), but what value has it from a budget point of view and the opening up and stabilising of this valu able country?

The Territory has been flooded with anthropologists from every corner of the world, under the auspices of scientific in stitutions. Perhaps their scope of re search has been limited by Government restrictions. A wider field of action and, if necessary, a Government subsidy, might have provided all the anthropo logical data required in the region now being covered by an expensive patrol, with no anthropologist, no surveys, no geologist, no agricultural expert in its composition.

One may pertinently ask what econo mic benefits have restated from the pre sent Mount Hagen-Sepik patrol, with no qualified surveyor to map accurately the country traversed; no geologist to deter mine and record the mineral potentiali ties; no agricultural expert to ascertain the capacity of the country to support a white population. As the patrol has not covered these essentials, there are many who rightly condemn it as a waste of money. (It is estimated to have cost between £25,000 and £30,000).

Mr. T. Aveling, formerly of Burns Philp (S.S.) Co.’s Apia branch, left Samoa for New Zealand in May.

Mr. W. Davidson, who is a merchant at Nukualofa, Tonga, paid a visit to New Zealand by the May “Matua”.

Mr. L. V. Waterhouse, well-known di rector of Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., returned to Sydney by the last “Bulolo after a short visit to the Company s workings on the Morobe Goldfield.

“B.G.D.’s No. 7 dredge should be operat ing about the middle of June”, he said, “and No. 8 in October”. He estimated that the Company has at least 12 more years of life.