Guinea

Another Airline In New

Effect of Socialism and High Price of Copra

LAE, April 30. * NEW freight and passenger air ser vice has been started in New Guinea by Guinea Air Traders, whose head quarters are at Lae. . . . . „ , The service is weekly, and it runs be tween Wewak (on the northern coast pf N?w Guinea mainland, near the Sepik an £ Kavieng the northern tip of New Ireland). Between those two Points, regular calls are made at Madang, Lae and Rabaul.

Qantas also run a regular plane over part of this route.. It starts from Lae, and flies to Manus via Rabaul and Kavieng.

New Guinea now is better served by a variety of airlines than it was 15 years ago, in the booming days of the goldfield, The gold industry has not recovered; but increasing production of copra, at a record price, is releasing a good deal of money, to pay for air transportation. The latter is more costly than shipping: but as the policy of the Australian Socialist admin istration is to discourage private enter prise in coastal shipping, while making a tragic muddle of Government-owned shipping and port facilities, the airlines are given a chance to flourish.