Solomons

Future Of The

Gold is Difficult to Work

THERE undoubtedly is gold on the is land of Guadalcanal”, said Mr. A.

Macgeorge, a member of the Austra lian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, who returned to Sydney from a gold in vestigation in the Solomon Islands in June. “But it seems that its development is a matter for the future. It would cost at least £30,000 to construct a decent road, and the cost of developmental work would be very heavy. ‘‘There is a range of mountains up to 8.000 ft. in height that forms the back bone of the island of Guadalcanal, and it is on the ridges that gold is likely to

be found. But it is difficult, broken, country. Some prospectors are panning small quantities of gold in the rivers in the gullies”.

Australian Control?

MR. C. E. CORDING, who went to Guadalcanal to investigate the chances of purchasing land in gold bearing country, also returned to Syd ney. He said the Solomon Islands should be administered in Australia. ‘‘Colonial Office administration does not seem to be successful”, he added. “The whole place seems to be dead. There is no developmental work. Roads are want ed badly. The British officials there seem to be sitting back waiting for the time they can retire.

“Accommodation for the visitor is bad.

I travelled through Dutch New Guinea several months ago, and the Dutch have erected comfortable resthouses in many places. There is nothing like that in the Solomons”.

Editorial Note

It is easy for casual visitors to criticise and condemn. These Pacific Territories are administered in accordance with cer tain policies. In the case of the Solo mons, the policy of the British Colonial Office is to govern the Protectorate as an important group of islands, of little eco nomic value, except for copra production.

There can be no reading plan unless there is money provided therefor, and money will not be provided unless there is a policy of encouraging settlement and development.

There is no such policy in existence in relation to any of the British-owned Pacific Territories—except Fiji (where the colony is well-established, and the impulse comes from within) and Papua (where there is a Governor wise and strong enough to do something on his own account). In all the other Terri tories, the officials mostly sit and wait for instructions from London, Canberra or Wellington: and the latter Govern ments merely fumble around, aimlessly, and become petulant and spiteful when urged to formulate some well-planned policy of development.