Road

That N. Guinea

Administrator Clears the Air

A statement of importance on the subject of the Wau-Salamaua road was made on February 1 by the Administrator of New Guinea (Sir Walter McNicoll), to the “Morobe News”, a new, well-edited and well-printed journal, published in Wau.

The Administrator said: “You can tell your readers that I have always been a strong advocate of the construction of a road from the coast to the goldfields, but I am definitely not in favour of the short route.”

His Honour then went on to say that as a servant of the Commonwealth Gov ernment he had nothing personally to gain by expressing himself on this point, but that he based his opinion on reliable information, and he was only actuated by a desire to serve the best interests and welfare of the Territory.

“I would go further,” he said, “and state that I am not in favour of the construction of a road that is to be financed by a public loan, or that a toll should be imposed when this road is completed, but rather that Government funds should bear the cost of its con struction.”

Morobe interests may not be pleased by this, but at least they can thank the Administrator for the first honest and forthright statement on vexed problem that has been made for w r o years. Now everyone knows where he stands.