Three-Quarters Of A Million !

Cost of Army's Timber-getting Plans in N. Guinea

ORDERS for sawmilling and logging equipment to the value of £645,000 have been placed by the Australian Army for its *New Guinea sawmilling operations; £lO,OOO has been expended on similar equipment for the RAAF in the area.

This was revealed by the Australian Minister for Defence, Mr. Beasley, on August 2—that is, before peace broke out. He had been asked in the House of Representatives for the cost of saw milling equipment in use or ordered by the Army and RAAF; how many mills were in operation, the total number of men employed, and the average monthly output per month.

Mr. Beasley gave these replies:— • The forestry companies which re turned from the United Kingdom brought with them certain sawmilling equipment.

It is estimated to be worth approximately £73 000 Orders have since been placed by the Army for sawmilling and logging equipment for sawmills totalling £645,000, much of which is not, yet delivered, • The numbers of mills producing tim bere are: Army, 13; RAAF, 2. • The total number of sawmilling per sonnel employed by the Army in milling in June, 1945, was estimated to average 400 persons (including some natives). The number of men employed at RAAF mills would average about 60, supplemented by native labour. , on ,nAC • In the quarter ended June 30, 1945, the average monthly output of sawn tim ber from Army mills was 1.800,000 super, feet. • Twenty mills at an estimated cost of £llO,OO are now on order by the Army, but none have yet been delivered. These are to replace existing equipment, and to constitute a small reserve.

Existing Army mills have been set up partly from equipment brought back from the United Kingdom, partly from main land resources, and partly by extempori sation from material salvaged in the islands.

The new mills under order to replace them are standard (thus reducing spare part problems), are quickly assembled or dismantled, are designed for tropical conditions, and are estimated to yield a 25 per cent, greater output per mill.

Further, they are of all steel construc tion, and it is anticipated that they could probably be of great value to the milling industry on the mainland after the war. One plant costing between £5,000 and £6,000 is on order locally for RAAF purposes. All outstanding orders, whether for equipment or for supply items, are at present the subject of re view by direction of the Government, having regard to the reduction of the forces already announced in the House by the Prime Minister.

Editorial Note

r REE-QUARTERS of a million of money—kindly provided by Austra lian taxpayers—seems large enough in all conscience, to provide enough equipment to cut large chunks out of the New Guinea jungle, and produce tim ber sufficient to give every Australian soldier in those parts at least an air conditioned hut to himself.

It would be interesting indeed to know what methods these Army millers have followed and whether their timber-get ting has conformed to the usual Army pattern of wanton waste and destruction.

Peace was exactly 13 days off when Mr.

Beasley gave the above figures, and it is

unlikely that the military authorities will need this fantastically large amount of equipment now. However, it seems un likely that the Australian Government, having contemplated the expenditure of this vast sum, without batting an eyelid, will quietly draw in its horns and invite private enterprise into the New Guinea timber industry. It*, is more likely that Mr. E. J. Ward will want to start a State enterprise.

Many men in New Guinea before the war were letting their thoughts turn to wards timber. But the difficulties of get ting it to the sea coast, the cost of freighting it to Australia, and the Aus tralian import duty made it an impos sible proposition, except for a limited quantity of veneering timber. To-day, Australia is crying out for building materials— arrangements have been made to import some lumber from as far afield as Russia. This then should be a period of golden opportunity for New Guinea timber men. But, will it? , m On July 4, Mr. Ward (External Terri tories Minister) said the development oi timber resources in New Guinea was being “considered” by the Government, and that he hoped to make an early announcement.

With the present Australian Govern ment, “consideration” is tantamount to an attempt at socialisation. Australia will probably import New Guinea timber in the future —but at enormous cost to the Australian consumer and the tax payer, and at the expense of those Ter ritorians who looked to the timber in dustry as their means of rehabilitation in New Guinea.

Mr. D. c7 MacGregor, formerly of the Burns, Philp staff in Papua, will return to Port Moresby shortly as branch repre sentative of Qantas. Ltd., the Australian airline now running a regular service between Sydney and the Pacific Terri tories. Mr. MacGregor spent 1343 and 1944 in the service of ANGAU.