Sip Mining Still Not

Off The Ground

e British Solomon Islands, i has virtually all of its economic in the one basket—copra—has trying desperately for years to ;st overseas mining companies cal prospecting. A number of ;sted parties have arrived to the Solomons over, but have departed. e latest disappointment was a team from the West African tion Trust which in March had rn down a proposition in North ita. e team had arrived in investi

gate the occurrence of heavy minerals there but although they found the source rock it was of no economic importance.

The team has now departed but the company it represents will con tinue to take an interest in anything worthwhile that the Protectorate’s Geological Survey Department turns up.

One member of the West African Selection Trust team already knew the BSIP well. He is Mr. A. M.

McLeod-Smith, who has recently retired from the Colonial Service.

He was Financial Secretary to the

West Pacific High Commission from 1952 until 1957 when he was trans ferred to Sierra Leone.

About the same time as the West African party was there, a Canadian mining consultant, Mr. D. Sharp stone, was in the BSIP inspecting manganese deposits at Hanesavo, nickeliferous laterites on St. George and copper sulphine deposits on Guadalcanal.

Representatives of the Common wealth Geophysical Company were also in the Protectorate making a further inspection of the copper sulphine deposits.