NEW GUINEA GOLDFIELDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20917, 6 January 1930, Page 8

NEW GUINEA GOLDFIELDS.

DEVELOPMENT OF CLAIMS. INFLUX OF WHITE POPULATION. (Special to .Daily Times.) r t OAMARU, January 4. The latest news from inland New Guinea indicates a remarkable rapidity |n the development of the claims -on the inland goldfields, and especially in the growth of the township of Wau, in the mandated territory. Less than 12 mouths ago Wau consisted of a few native-built huts and hangars for housing the aeroplanes which are used for transporting prospectors and supplies to the goldfields. To-day Wau boasts a population of 2090 people. As tbe centre of the activities of the big Ellyou Company, life iu the windless sunshine of Wau, 4000 feet above the sea level, has been rendered i.iore attractive through the formation of a lawn tennis club, and a croquet club, while social functions at the Ellyou bungalow play an important part in the life of the community. With the completion of negotiations in respect of th cEdie Creek claims, a concrete road has been built by the Ellyou Company from theWau aerodrome to Edie Creek, on which motor lorries, which were transported from Salamoa on the coast to Wau by aeroplanes, are now operating. The building of a railway from the coast, to tap the large area of country over which the Ellyou Company holds the timber rights, was contemplated, but it is now reported that this project has been abandoned in favour of a road, the construction of .which is now in progress. Big schemes in this vicinity are contemplated,* including the building of hydroelectric works.

Reports from the goldfields state that gold in plenty, is being won from the alluvial deposits, and that the whole country has been staked out. A man known ae “Darby,” is reported to have averaged over 200 oz per day for months, his top day!s boxing being put down at 3600 z, Of especial interest to New Zealanders are the operations of the Watut Company, which are being directed by Mr Ivan Paterson, formerly of Oainaru, and who has now been nearly two years on the Upper Watut supervising the erection of two modern plants for working the claims of the company. It is reported that operations should be in full swing with the coming of the new year, and, being the only modern plants on the inland goldfields, the results attained will be of more than usual interest.

The work in the initial stages has been held up to some extent through the delay in transport of material by aeroplanes, about 20 crashes being reported since the planes undertook the transport of passengers and material from the coast inland. For the Watut Company about 50 tons of goods have been landed by plane at the claims, and this has made possible the setting up of two plants with pumps and elevators, and plenty of spares. The plants were manufactured by Messrs Cousens and Black, Dunedin, and the workmanship has earned very high commendation from the men on the job in New Guinea. A considerable length of water race has been constructed by native laboui* at a cost of apparently from £750 per mile in average country to £I2OO per mile in rock, the cost of manufacturing, transporting, and installing the plants being in the vicinity 9f £12.000. It is anticipated that the pipe lines will not need to be shifted for at least three years, and with such a scope of country, it-will be interesting to watch the development of the claims under modern methods, compared with the boxing and panning which have already produced such wonderful results on the New Guinea goldfields.