Bulolo Delayed

Bad Conditions In New Guinea Ports

IT is reported from the Territories that the Burns Philp motor vessel “Bulolo” is having a bad time in the Territories ports, on her first pre-war trip, and that when she returns to Sydney she will be at least a week behind her planned four week's schedule.

This is partly due to lack of adequate facilities in the New Guinea ports, partly to the non-co-operation of the Admin istration, and partly to the demoralisation of native labour in the ports, compared with 1939 standards.

The main trouble seems to be lack of wharfage. The “Bulolo” is a long ship, with four hatches. If she cannot lie along side a wharf long enough to take dis charge from any hatch, or from any two or three hatches simultaneously, there necessarily is delay and confusion. The Lae wharf is unsuitable: the Rabaul wharf is grossly inadequate.

Mr. Ward’s Administration, while spend ing many millions of Australian money on what it regards as native rehabilita tion, has failed to restore wharfage and storage facilities to the New Guinea ports, which were completely destroyed by war operations. To-day, over three years after war ceased, there is not adequate accommodation or equipment for big ships.

If the matter were brought up in the Australian Parliament —the only way in which the Territories public to-day can get at Australian bureaucracy—official dom no doubt would have a string of excuses for its failure to restore the Terri tories ports. But the facts speak for themselves.

Burns Philp and Co., of course, knew that the NG ports were unsatisfactory be fore they sent the “Bulolo” away; but the Company must have expected condi tions to be better than they are. Otherwise, it would not have made a four-weeks’ schedule. Presumably, it looked to the Administration for more co-operation than it has got.