NZ Welcomes NG Scrap Metal
p. 15 · Read in the full issue
While New Guinea Tightens Export of Disposals Goods
ACCORDING to the Auckland “Star,” 10,000 tons of structural steel were expected in New Zealand by the “Waitara” in January. All of it comes from abandoned war dumns in Papua- New Guinea. It was stated also that, early in 1949, a similar quantity will arrive in New Zealand on another vessel from the same source.
This steel includes reinforcing rods, mild steel plate, miles of steel air strip, pre-fabricated steel huts and floating dock pontoons.. Engineers are hard at work in New Guinea stripping huts and preparing steel for shipment.
There is wild enthusiasm over this scoop, in the Dominion.
Iron and steel are almost unprocurable in New Zealand and this scrap is there fore, extremely precious. It is to be presumed that it is not so valuable in New Zealand’s sister Dominion, Australia, to whom the scrap originally belonged.
These large quantities of iron and steel, now salvaged by New Zealanders —particularly by the alert Union Manufactur ing and Export Co. —have been lying around New Guinea since the end of the war, in 1945. Every assistance was given to Australian buyers by the Common wealth Disposals Commission and this material has been gone-over and spurned by hundreds of these gentlemen.
It is interesting to note, however, that in a proclamation in the Papua-New Guinea Government Gazette of December 1, 1948, any goods or property acquired from the Commonwealth Disposals Com mission, or Treasury Disposals Section, “directly or indirectly,” cannot now be exported unless consent in writing of the Papua-New Guinea Collector of Customs has been first obtained.
This may be an eleventh-hour attempt to reserve for the Territories such aban doned war materials as will be of use to them. Previously, buyers from the Australian mainland had an open field with regard to Disposals goods, with the result that much equipment that was badly needed for the rehabilitation of the Territories was taken away without re striction and subsequently had to be re imported.
The engagement is announced of Mr.
John EUzpatriek, of Guinea Air Traders, Ltd., Lae, and Sister Patricia Lumley, of Kinwma, Trobriand Islands. Miss Lumley was recently stationed at the Lae Hospital and has been transferred to Wewak.