Millions For Fapua-New

Guinea

Too Good to be True!

THE Sunday Sun of August 27 was responsible for the statement that the Australian Government plans to spend £100,000,000 on a defence and devel opment plan for Papua and New Guinea within the next ten years.

The plan provides for the establish ment, within eight years, of tea planta tions calculated to fill all Australia’s needs. Copra and rubber production is to be increased; planters are to be encour aged to produce cocoa, spices, coffee, jute, hemp, vanilla and “beans”; large tracts of land suitable for cattle and pig-raising are to be exploited; and hydro-electric power is to be provided on a big scale for such industries as sawmilling and can ning.

Private enterprise is to be encouraged, by finance provided through the Common wealth Bank, to enter into these plans.

Editorial Note:

It reads like the pipe-dreams usually indulged in by politicians after a trip to the Territories; but the report says it is the result of deliberations by an inter departmental committee that had been sitting in Canberra during the week. There is no reason v/hy it should all be written off as chimerical—it is quite practicable.

But we shall believe it when we see it.

With a threat of world war, and re newed talk of stockpiling, British and American mining concerns seem to be

showing increased interest in New Cale donian chrome deposits. In 1949 the chrome ore production increased from 75,000 to 89,000 tons.

Rabaul, NG, Works and Housing De partment personnel and friends organised a “send off” to their QIC, Mr. G. Mac- Lennan and Mrs. MacLennan at the New Britain Club, on July 22. Mr. MacLennan is now on six months furlough.