NZ Interest in Papua-New

Guinea

Visit of Government and

Commercial Party

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Lae. Nov. 1.

LAST month, representatives of the New Zealand Government and of private enterprise visited the Terri tory. The party consisted of Mr. Trevor- Smith, of NZ Public Works Department; Captain Webling, of the NZ Marine De partment; Mr. Bryant, engineer NZ Public Works Department; Mr. E. Hirsch feld, Managing-Director of The Union Manufacturing and Export Company,' of Wellington: Mr. Howard Allison, Pacific representative of the same company, and Mr. Burton, representing Fletcher Hold ings Pty., Ltd., of Wellington.

UM & E Co. has bought extensive sal vage rights throughout the territory and with the assistance of the NZ Government is interested in shipping out steel.

The party’s job was to inspect the already-purchased areas and it is under stood that the NZ Government is in terested in certain of the goods contained therein. The Government representatives were present to find out if certain com modities under consideration were neces sary to NZ economy and whether or not shipping could be allocated to remove them.

It is believed that the quantities of dis posals goods involved will necessitate the employment of large vessels, including one 10,000 tonner.

The UM and E Co is interested in the purchase of steel in rounds, flats, RSJ, angle or sheet, and in non-ferrous metals, and piping. It is also intended to export

commodities from NZ tb New Guinea and orders have been accepted from some well-known firms.

New Zealand’s Pacific Treasure

Hunt

AT present the New Zealand Govern ment -and other interests are scour ing the Pacific for abandoned steel of any description. This is to relieve the current acute shortage in the Dominion.

The official lighthouse ship “Matai” has only recently completed a trip to New Caledonia and New Hebrides, where Quonset huts, roofing iron and old motor trucks were loaded. On the same voyage “Matai” called at Noumea to pick up about 60 tons of reinforcing steel and steel plates which were other legacies from the Pacific war.

It is estimated that thousands of tons of junk steel and iron in various forms and millions of oil drums are still lying in the grass and jungles of the Pacific. These have now assumed considerable value, particularly in New Zealand which has no steel industry of its own.

The Australian steel industry, which is extensive, and was capable of fulfilling all her pre-war local and export needs, can not now meet the demand. This is due to the introduction of the 40-hour week, and industrial upsets both in the steel industry itself and in coal production.

It is, however, one thing to have junk steel and drums in the isolation of the islands and another to transport them to the places where they are most needed.

It is obvious that this can be done only with the co-operation of Governments or big shipping interests. And in the mean time three years have passed since the end of the war and the jungle and the islands climate is having its way with

this now precious abandoned war equip ment.

Iron and steel are not the only valu ables to be picked up on island beaches, either. Non-ferrous metals are also in demand. The “Morinda,” on her last trip to Sydney from the BSI brought back 60 tons of scrap brass which is valued at £9O per ton in Sydney.

Mr. Howard Smith, District Services staff, died in Port Moresby Hospital last month.