Notes From The Ng

Goldfields

Prom Our Own Correspondent WAU, June 23. r T7AU ADVISORY COUNCIL has asked ' * the Papua-New Guinea Administra iod to give consideration to a proposal »r the installation of a hydro electric tower plant for the district. Despite the tiling off in gold mining activities, the iistrict is still growing; cheap electricity lould assist in agricultural development ud maybe, the building of some secon ary industries.

The Council is also concerned at the i-ck of life-saving devices on the barges perating between Labu and Lae. These urges handle the whole of the traffic i'om the Wau-Labu road which is now msiderable owing to heavy consign ees of timber and other commodities »ing forward, and supplies coming in to 'an. The barges are deteriorating at a ipid rate and as they are often buffeted f rough seas during the crossing, the iquest is worthy of urgent attention.

Another matter which concerns the ouncil, and the whole of the residents of le district, is the Jack of aeradio eom unication. There is agitation to esiab >h permanent connection with the ulolo Control Tower, 15 miles distant, t present, this district goes into re rement at the week-end and should an rcraft be urgently needed, there is no eans of contacting the air companies in ie.

The Council would also be interested in arning just who are the member nations GATT (General Agreement of Trade id Tariffs), and what effect the opera »ns of this Association of nations is kely to have on the economy of trade id tariff in this country, A Parliamentary Delegation visited VVau i June 19, and professed itself impressed ith the Wau coffee industry and the ;ricultural potentialities of this valley.

The party also visited New Guinea Oldfields Ltd. installations at Golden idges, and was present during the pour g of the first ingots of smelted bullion nee the Company re-established itself ter war.

The General-Manager of NGG, Mr. John »hnen, explained some of the difficulties reconstruction under present con tions. During the last few years, he id, the mine and mill which were tally destroyed, have been under re nstruction. Since the opening of the olden Ridges Mill by Colonel Murray in 51, mining and timber milling has sus ined the Company to the point of com etion of the cyanide plant which was irted up in April this year. In addition the normal throughput of mine ore, e Company will now retreat the sand ilings from the battery and hopes to 11 approximately 3,000 tons per month.

Mr. Hohnen pointed out that gold min -1 is still the most heavily taxed in stry in New Guinea and that unless me relief from the 5 per cent, royalty

is provided, the industry can be expected to decline. As an example, he said, New Guinea Goldfields Ltd. has contributed more to the New Guinea revenue over the last 4 years than its accumulated profit over the same period.