Wau Has No

Future

\\TA\J could be described as one ff of the New Guinea Adminis tration’s tragedies.

Despite the devastation of the war and the Jap invasion, it should by now be a well-established agri cultural centre and tourist resort, looking out over the broad, green, pleasant Upper Bulolo Valley.

When Sir Percy Spender, briefly the Australian Minister for Terri tories, was introduced to Wau some eight years ago, and the general plan of development was explained to him, he became enthusiastic about it and exclaimed: “Fine — we’ll stiffen the place with white settlers!”

But Spender went away to a more flittering prospect; and, in his place, came the depressing Hasluck, who always has taken a gloomy view of European settlement in New Guinea, rhc Wau “old-timers” have fought bard for official help; but always ire knocked back.

Some rubber men from Malaya, anxious about their future there, :ame in and looked this place over, md seemed well impressed. - But ifficialdom’s attitude and policy dis ;ouraged them.

The Administrator told the dis rict, in a formal speech last De sember (I was there and heard it), hat he would make more land ivailable for agriculture. But ne ater surrendered to a combination )f agricultural and forestry “ex verts” who said it couldn’t and houldn’t be done. ' .

W'au now is a pessimistic little lommunity, supported mainly by tfG Goldfields Ltd. and Koranga Jluicing. It says it has no future.

“Twenty more European farmers lere would make all the difference,” leclared one old resident. “But I lon’t see it—not under the present Administration and Trusteeship, fet, there are no native villagers or andowners to get in the way, as hey claim is the case in the High

ands and other districts.-

Rwr.