Agreement

Socialists And Bsi

Why Gold Search Was Terminated

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Honiara, Sept. 30.

a search for empty oxygen bottles, Mr. J, Cramer-Roberts, who last visited the Protectorate 1947, arrived in Honiara by Qan in September. Mr. Cramer )erts is Mines Superintendent of Associated Mining Companies Fiji. But, although there are asands of oxygen cylinders near liara, very few serviceable ones Id be found. efore the war, Mr. Cramer erts was in charge of prospect operations for the late E. G odore who, at that time, had ices covering 750 square miles Guadalcanal, from coast to it. ider the agreement (signed in between the BSI Government Mr. Theodore) the area was to ystematically prospected in five s, at least £lO,OOO a year being t. Work had only just begun \ Jap invasion caused the drawal of the company’s em jes. i their return in 1945, under a Colonial Office policy the agree : was terminated, so that the e permitting prospecting for iious metals and minerals” was a to read “precious metals e were bound, under this pro -1 agreement,” said Mr. Cramer rts, “to report findings of other rals, without any assurance of granted leases for our com to exploit them. We had fore no alternative but to raw. All equipment and build vere sold, and since then there been no effective mining tions in the Solomons.” view of these conditions, he there was no likelihood of his imes resuming operations in ■roup. editorial note foregoing is typical of the at of the average Socialist Gov ■nt towards private enterprise towards agreements, s well known that there is y-mineralised country, with of substantial gold, in Gua- Lcil, and had the powerful ore interests been allowed to and develop them, as sen proposed, the effect upon j Solomons archipelago calied the Cinderella group ! South Pacific) would have acaiculabie. Now, there is no 3od of the islands’ mineral

wealth being opened up, and the economic outlook for the Solomons is dismal indeed, BriSSTS 1941 alld 1945 - the British Government passed under the control of Socialists; and the Empire, financially and in prestige has been going downhill ever since.’