In Mining

Flutters

In Nh

Sudden Interest In Mining

AT least three organisations or individuals are prospecting for manganese on Efate in the New Hebrides. Three planters in one area have formed a syndicate at Undine Bay in the north, the Maka tea Phosphate Co. is prospecting another area, and another planter had a geologist up from Sydney to make an inspection.

There does not seem to be any doubt that there is manganese in large quantities, but most of it is in the inaccessible native areas.

The planters in the syndicate have signed an agreement with the natives so that the latter will be fully pro tected if the area is exploited. . The advent of the Makatea Co. into prospecting is not altogether unexpected for it has been reported that supplies of phosphate on Makatea are running out.

The opinion has been expressed that there is gold on Efate and one or two other islands, but that lack of access to the jungle has made exploitation difficult.

Observers believe that more than manganese is involved in legislation recently passed to control “mining activity.”

Within the last two months the Makatea Phosphate Co. has started building a dock at Vila. Last Sep tember and October the company was prospecting in an area between 10 and 15 away from Vila.

T Mr. Bill Nicholson, formerly elec trical .engineer to the Suva City Council, was badly burned at his Newport (Sydney) home just before Easter and was two weeks in hos pital.

Bishop Francis John Doyle, newly consecrated Roman Catholic Bishop of Eastern Papua, returned to his diocese from Queensland at the end of April.