Claim that P-NG Mining Needs

A leaf from NT’s Book?

Claim that P-NG Mining Needs Stimulation

rpHERE is now no limit to the J. Australian Government loans available for the assistance of “pioneer mining” in the Northern Territory of Australia. These grants have been available since 1939 —but previously there was a limit of

£L.Ooo.

Cabinet has now decided that the Administrator of the Territory may advance £2.000 on his own authority; the Minister may approve larger advances, and ap plications for advances above £5,000 will be considered by Cabinet.

The grants are designed to help mining operations of all kinds where a considerable period of time —and, therefore, money—is needed to test or develop a mine.

The idea is highly commendable —but why limit it to the Northern Ferritory? If mining needs a boost anywhere it is in Papua and New Suinea. Some such aid is proposed for F-NG mining—but not on the STT scale.

No new mining enterprise has jeen undertaken in P-NG since the var; the hundreds of small-time niners who operated there before :942, are now raising cattle, growing :abbages or engaged in some other interprise. Gold-mining is left to i few big companies whose assets ire rapidly dwindling.

Trade figures for 1953-54. just ssued. show the position. Gold ex torts totalled £l,4l4,266—something ike £735.000 less than they were he previous year. Compare this nth the that copra irought in 1953-54.

What a different picture was pre ented before the war when the lew Guinea side of the Territory ot along very well on a gold conomy. In 1940, copra exports lere worth £504,000; gold £3,021,000.

There is little interest in mining -gold-mining or any other variety -in the Territory today. Prospec ing is too expensive a business. Yet : is difficult to believe that the ast untouched areas of the Terri- Dry do not hold valuable minerals till awaiting discovery.

Subsidy On Gold

Production

Application forms for claiming le subsidy under the Common ealth Gold-mining Industry As .stance Act are now available from De Lands Department. Port loresby; Mining Warden’s Office, 7au; and the District Office, roroka.

For the purpose of the subsidy, roducers are divided into large producing over 500 ounces per nnum) and small.

Small producers are eligible for a payment of a flat rate of £1 per ounce, payments to large producers are based on a formula according to cost of production, and the maxi mum payment is £2 per ounce.

More Minerals Staff

Wanted

The Administrator (Brigadier

D. M. Cleland) said late in Feb ruary that the search for minerals in New Guinea would be speeded up as soon as shortage of technical staff was overcome. He agreed there should be a greater impetus to the mining industry in New Guinea.

The General Manager of New Guinea Goldfields Ltd. (Mr. John Hohen) after a brief holiday visit to mining operations in Mount Isa and Northern Territory, said he was surprised at the development— especially the stimulus uranium had given, mainly because the search for it had uncovered other valuable minerals. He said there should be greater concentration on the search for minerals in New Guinea.