Held Up

Cannot Get Labour

Territories' Richest Mine Is Still Held Up

STEPS are being taken by Cuthbert’s Misima Goldmine Ltd., to scout bore the sulphide formations on the company’s valuable leases on Misima Island. The Company’s rich goldmine is situated in oxidised formations; but operations, from time to time, have shown intrusions of heavily mineralised sulphide ore, and it is thought that diamond drill ing may disclose -something interesting.

Shareholders are being invited to sub scribe £25,000 to a special fund, to make the exploration while awaiting full-scale gold production.

This Company’s mine—one of the rich est in the South Pacific—was suspended when the Jap invasion occurred; and the directors have not been able to resume mining on a payable scale because they simply cannot get labour. Before the war, they maintained a large native staff.

Since then, as a result of new policies introduced by the Australian Socialist Government, the Company can get only 85 to 100 labourers, instead of 250. The Company is still doing its utmost to enlist workers —but the natives, naturally, pre fer conditions around the towns, where the Administration continues lavish ex penditure, and where commercial firms are competing with each other in an at tempt to attract their own labour re quirements.

The Rev. W. F. McKenzie, who was born on an island in the New Hebrides which disappeared into the ocean in a tidal wave many years ago, has been elected Presbyterian Moderator for Queensland.