Guinea

Plans For New

Mostly Held Up By the War

IT was stated in this journal in Sep tember, immediately after the out break of war, that various changes and developments anticipated in New Guinea probably would be killed by war condi tions. We referred particularly to the plan for removing the capital from Rabaul to a non-volcanic site; the scheme for introducing some measure of amalgamation between New Guinea and Papua; and the plan for developing a deep water port at Salamaua, and build ing a road from Salamaua to the Morobe goldfield.

Four months have passed, and it is clear that that forecast was reasonably correct.

Rabaul To Remain Capital

It was stated in the Sydney “Tele graph” on January 3, apparently with me authority of the Minister for Terri tories, that there is little likelihood of the New Guinea administrative establish ment being removed from Rabaul —at least, not before the end of the war.

Nothing more has been heard of the amalgamation plan, and very little has been said about the various develop mental activities that had oeen discussed.

The proposal to build a road from Salamaua to Wau should not be regarded as entirely abandoned, however. The New Guinea Mining Association, with its headquarters m Wau, is Keeping up pressure on Canberra, where it nas the sympathy of Mr. Hughes; and, now that me Commonwealth excise tax on gold produced in New Guinea has been placed in a trust fund for the benefit oi New Guinea, it is possible that this money will be used to complete the financing oi the road project. The construction of the road—which quite definitely was put aside in recent months —may oe undertaken during 1940.

But although the engineers hesitantly agree that there is a practicable route for the road straight over the mountains from Salamaua to Wau, the probability that Wau ultimately will get its road communication with the coast via the Markham Valley should not be disre garded.