SLUMP IN COPRA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 398, 6 December 1932, Page 7

SLUMP IN COPRA

CONDITIONS IN NEW GUINEA DESCRIBED BY VISITORS TO CHRISTCHURCH. GOLD PROSBECTS GOOD. The prospects of goldmining in New Guinea, both lode and aluuvial mining, are good, and the Bulolo Company, which should have five dredges operating in about 12 months' time, will be the biggest dredging company in the Southern Hemisphere, a Sun rsporter was told by Mr. T. G. Oliver, who wad a section superintendent for the New Guinea Goldfields at Edie Creek for two years, and later held a sublease from the same company, on the alluvial grounds, for about 12 months. He is in Christchurch at present, and proposes to retnrn to New Guinea in about a year.

Mr. A. W. Turner, A.O.S.M., a New Zealander who has just returned after spending three months in New Guinea, in the district between Port Moresby and, iSamarai, prospecting in the interests of a Christchurch company, also gave some impressions of his trip. Mr. Oliver said there was quite a number of New Zealanders in New Guinea, many of them being from Waihi, and they were all doing pretty well. Some experience was necessary if a man were to have any chance of finding work on the goldfields there. and a man had to put down a bond of £50 before he could land in the country. The climate was pretty trying, but on the whole it was wonderful how healthy it was. "Many of the yarns you hear about it are exaggerated," he said. "There is a little fever, but not very much, and the risk of catching it depends largely on the care a man takes of himself. There is a fair amount of blackwater fever, which is worse than malaria. "Things are pretty dull over there just now, owing to the slump in copra, which is the biggest industry, or would be if the plantations were workin'g to their full capacity." The natives were very good workers, but it took some time to train them — they were not much good until after about six months' training. There were still plenty of dangerous blacks inland, in the uncontrolled areas, and a man went there at his own risk. The controlled area, which was policed, was really only a fringe on the coast, and did not penetrate far inland. There might still be some head-hunting, but he th'ought the stories about that were, exaggerated.

Material by 'Plane. Every nut, every bolt for the dredges and other goldmining plant was taken in by 'plane. The journey only took about 40 minutes, as compared with eight days in the old days. Mr. Turner also> menujion'ed the slump in the price of copra, but said that the price was considerably high'er now than it had been 12 months ago, and the plantations that had reduced their costs were able to hang on and wait for better times. Three companies were acquiring large areas. One company had already had a trial crop, which' produced an exceedingly good yield. The greater part of the area he was in was rough country, and flat land was fairly scarce. The climate was uneven, with wet and dry belts, the rainfall in the mountains being exceptxonally heavy. The natives. too, were of different types, and seemed to vary every few miles.

Native Life. The average day of a typical village "boy" there was to get up rather late in the morning, have a smokei asd a yarn, and then spend most of the rest of the day in bed, while the women did the work. The principal meal of the day was taken at night, and it was a huge one, often followed by dancing. ' He was particularly struck with the bird life. There were hundreds of gaudy birds of paradise, and the Gowra pigeon was also a magnificent bird, with a crested head and beautiful plumage. White cockatoos and parakeets were also there in abundance. The place was alive with birds. Mr. Turner prospected country which had never been properly prospected before, and; he found traces of gold, both alluvial and reef, over a considerable area. "In the high altitudes the climate is excellent in th'e dry season, and they grow tomatoes and EngMsh potatoes up there. The low country is heavily forested, but there are good grasslands higher tip. Certain parts of the country. appearedi suitable fbr cattlei ■

raising, and a lot of the plantations have excellent cattle." Round Port Moresby there were about 24 miles of roads, but the only otber roads were in the neighbourh'ood of plantations or mission stations. ,