Pacific Commerce and Produce

Business Leaders Champion The Cause Of NG Investments

By a Staff Writer

A party of top Australian businessmen who took a first land look at Papua-New Guinea in May, came away convinced hat Territorians were entitled to complain that “lack of ;ecurity” in the Territory had been holding up development here.

3EY think it is more than time that private enterprise be given ouragement and support to de )p the Territory’s economy, and y think a Government guarantee security investment would go a g way towards achieving this, jy hope to suggest a formula to Australian Government.

Tie group was led by Sir James by, chairman of the James N. by Group. Others were: Mr. C.

Darvall, general manager ANZ ik; Mr. A. F. Deer, general nager of the MLC; Mr. M. T. nsen, director of Development ance Corporation; Mr. F. M. witt, company director; Mr. C. T. 3ker, partner of lan Potter and .; and Mr. W. S. Rich, resident irman of the Hunter Douglas aup. fhey spent a week in the Territory, ting Port Moresby, Bulolo, the .rkham Valley, Lae, Rabaul, roka and Mt. Hagen, fhe fact that their visit was ob usly welcomed by the Government 1 that the businessmen were care ly guarded in making any formal tements during their tour gained m the reputation, in some quarters P-NG, of being there on Govern nt-sponsored business with some srior motive.

A "Champion"

But the delegation paid its own exc ises and says it was not “sent the Government. [ts investigations will certainly re t in Territory private enterprise ting a strong and influential cham >n on the Australian mainland. ‘What the New Guinea busmess n need is leadership,” said one of ! deputation. “They are grasping straws—they will listen to anybody o can understand their problems, ey really have a complaint when

they talk about lack of security. They feel insecure, and it’s up to the Gov ernment to relieve this.”

Another of the party said that he had been amazed at how widespread was this feeling of insecurity.

“I had not suspected it before,” he said. “But wherever we went—from the first day we landed at Port Moresby—that was the thing we heard.

“Several people quoted at us the words of the Prime Minister speaking in Port Moresby several years ago, when he said ‘Australia is here to stay’. But back in Canberra the Prime Minister said ‘Better to give New Guinea independence too soon than too late’.”

"Work Like Hell"

The party said that they were careful not to make formal statements during their tour, because insecurity begat insecurity and nothing could be achieved by over-emphasising the local fears. In fact, P-NG was an excellent field for investment. There were many fronts in which the basis of this genuine fear could be attacked and one of them was for the Govern ment to work out some sort of for mula which would guarantee invest ment in the event of swift political developments.

The businessmen saw for them selves that many people in New Guinea had “put everything they had into the place and worked like hell”

and they were entitled to some kind of guarantee.

Following the party’s return, their leader, Sir James Kirby, has been the most active of the group in draw ing public attention to the New Guinea economic situation. He has been quoted widely, and has given addresses on every hand.

He has repeatedly described the “sense of moderation among whites and blacks”—and has done an ex cellent piece of public relations for European enterprise.

He told one meeting: “The chal lenge Australia has to face is to see that suitable leaders in various fields are forthcoming to carry on this development that has so far been the work of pioneers. The greatest security this area could have in the future would be through its rapid de velopment, It makes one feel proud to see what has been accomplished by many young Australians who have the courage and initiative to establish projects in many fields, or who have dedicated their lives to the education and betterment of the native people.”