Pacific Islands Monthly - 22 February 1933

Mr. Bunting’s Store Destroyed.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 10.

THE business premises of the Hon. A.

H. Bunting, at Samarai, were de stroyed by a fire in the early hours of the morning of January 5. The fire started at 4 o’clock and by 8 only smok ing ruins remained.

The retail stores and offices were separated from the bulk store, by an iron partition which made possible the salvage of the office records, the safes, and a portion of the retail store effects, but practically no stock was saved. Mr.

Bunting estimates his loss at over £ 2000 after allowing for £5000 covered by in surance.

The copra sheds of J. R. Clay and Co. adjoining Mr. Bunting’s premises were undamaged, though the heat from the fire blistered the paint on the main building.

A native bucket brigade rendered use ful work on one occasion when rafters caught alight on the shed nearby.

Mr. Bunting is carrying on business without interruption in temporary pre mises in Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd., bulk store. The rebuilding of new premises on the old site has already commenced.

The Hon. A. H. Bunting is a non official member of the Legislative Coun cil of Papua and has been over forty years in the Territory—and besides planting and trading, has taken an ac tive interest in mining.

30 Years’ Service.

Mr. Bond-James Retires.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, Jan. 26.

AFTER devoting practically the whole of their lives to mission work in the Eastern Pacific, the Rev. Bond-James and Mrs. Bond-James left by the “Ma kura” on January 30 for New Zealand.

Mr. Bond-James and his wife have served the London Mission Society for over 30 years, first in the Cook Group, then at the Ellice Islands, for a short period in Samoa and, during the last 20 years at headquarters of the Society’s Cook Islands branch, Rarotonga.

Such prominent and respected resi dents were not allowed to depart with out many functions being arranged in their honour. Prominent amongst these was a farewell gathering of friends ar ranged by Judge Ayson at his official residence, “Ngatipa,” at which a cheque donated by the European community was handed to Mr. Bond-James.

A round of leave-taking functions were given by the natives, presents of all kinds being heaped upon the missionary, his wife and daughter.

One of the practical results prominent in London Mission work here is that re lated to education. Many responsible positions in private firms and several in the Administrative offices have been suc cessfully filled for years by native as sistants educated at the Mission School conducted by the missionary and his wife prior to the opening of Government schools.

Messrs. Carpenter Build New

500 Ton Vessel For New Guinea.

Minister Launches “Bolton” at Jervis Bay.

THE “Bolton,” a 500-ton motorship for Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd., was launched at Huskisson, N.S.W., on February 11.

The ceremony was performed by the Minister in Charge of Territories (Major the Hon. C. W. C. Marr) after the vessel had been christened by Mrs. Marr.

Praising the Company for having its vessels built in Australia, Mr. Marr said that the vessel was built at a time when Australia needed all the work it could get. The hull of the “Bolton” is built entirely of local hardwood and, down to

the last bolt, every part of it is of Aus tralian manufacture. Mr. Marr praised highly the workmanship of the builders, Messrs. A. W. Fettree and Co., which he said would be a credit to any shipyard in the world. Taking everything into consideration, the price tendered was lower than could have been obtained overseas.

Mr. W. R. Carpenter, in responding, paid a warm tribute to the workman ship in the “Bolton.” He said the Com pany was so well satisfied with the ves

sel that another had been ordered from the same builder.

It is to be hoped that other concerns follow the example set by Messrs. W. R.

Carpenter and Co., and, instead of send ing abroad for ships, will have them built in Australia, where they will get an excellent job and, at the same time, do much to lift the depression that has fallen on local yards.

The “Bolton” is to be towed to Syd ney, where her machinery will be in stalled. This consists of a 200 horse power Widdop Diesel engine and the lat

est pattern electrically driven winch and windlass. The whole of the propulsion and deck machinery is of British manu facture.

Sea trials are expected to be completed about the end of March when the “Bol ton” will sail for Rabaul, her future home port, from which she will make regular voyages to outports in New Guinea.

Besides being a good carrier, the “Bolton” has accommodation for passen gers in six staterooms

Papuan Coffee Finds

Ready Market.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 17.

MR. G. A. LOUDEN has always found a ready market in Australia for the Robusta coffee grown on his estate, Eilogo, in the hills about 30 miles behind Port Moresby.

He has shipped up to 67 bags per steamer to Melbourne, and has been receiving a good price for his product.

At least one buyer in Melbourne is eager to get Papuan coffee, and has intimated that he will absorb a much greater output. A bag of Papuan Ro busta coffee weighs about 70 lbs.

Mau On The Wane?

Supporters Discontented.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Apia, Jan. 20.

IN spite of statements to the contrary, Mau influence among Samoans is rap idly waning.

Nobody in Samoa expects an early re turn of Mr. O. F. Nelson, and the na tives are greatly disappointed at the non-success of all recent efforts and will refuse to bear any more sacrifices for the movement.

The number of former Mau adherents who are becoming “loyalists” is steadily increasing.

Trade In Human Flesh.

p. 8

The Cannibalistic Orgies of Dutch New Guinea.

Written for “The Pacific Islands Monthly" by Dr. G. H. Vernon, of Daru, Papua, Copyright.

IN Malay countries, the British alone are distinguished from other Euro pean races by the title “Orang Puteh,” the “White Men”—and the Malays are no mean judge of character.

A handful of British bird-shooters who made South-west Dutch New Guinea their base for hunting operations during the decade following the war, fully de served the title, for they were a fine set of fellows. Alas, each one was destined to meet with a violent death in the land of his adoption!

You can count the members of this little team on the fingers of one hand — Bell, Penrose, Jackson and Roche; to the quartet add Dressier, a German, but a man of the same intrepid character, and you have the lot.

So far as the writer knows, no other Britons were settled in that unknown land during the years in question (1920- 1930), and, since their death, no one has taken their place. That they were men who could be ill-spared from any com munity is evident to anyone who knows what life in such a savage country en tails. Strength, mental and physical, was needed for such a career. Not only does inanimate Nature place all sorts of ob stacles to their journeyings, but Man, cruel and callous, living in a state of anarchism where might alone is right, is a constant menace to anyone who ventures outside the very circumscribed area that Dutch authorities have tamed.

Truly this quintet of adventurers were men of more than usual courage.

In 1924, a paper in Rotterdam, Hol land, published an account of the expedi tion written by one of the priests sta tioned at Merauke, the capital town of Southern Dutch New Guinea, who ac companied it into the wilds, and there is no doubt that the almost incredible state of cannibalism described is wholly ac curate. If confirmation of this were necessary, Dick Roche gave it many a time when he used to remark, in his im pressive way, “There’s more human meat bartered for and eaten in the jungles over there in a month than beef on Thursday Island.”

George Penrose’s death, details of which may still be unknown to many of his friends over the border in British territory, is graphically described in the Dutch paper by the Belgian priest, and it is from his narrative that this sum mary is made.

The expedition, which was apparently of an exploratory and punitive nature combined, left Merauke in October, 1921, and at a place called Assiba they fell in with Jackson and Roche.

The two bird-hunters were still in great distress on account of the loss of their friend and colleague Penrose, in the previous July. During that month birds had been scarce, and Penrose had decided to penetrate into the Upper Kawo district, notorious for the savag ery of its inhabitants, in search of bet ter luck. The others tried to dissuade him; they had heard from friendly na tives that the “Stone People” (so called because in their district are found the fine black stones so much in demand for axes and clubs) were fierce cannibals who objected to the intrusion of strangers and were habitual dealers in human flesh, which they preferred above

all commodities in exchange for the stones.

But their warnings fell on deaf ears and Penrose left with his boys, intent only on getting more birds.

A few days after, one of his shoot ing Malays cleared out with a gun, and in order to prevent a recurrence, Pen rose gathered all the arms in every night and placed them under his camp bed.

This precaution was undoubtedly the cause of his death.

At about 3 a.m. on the 14th of July, he and his boys were surrounded by a mob of natives. The unarmed boys scat tered in all directions, two being killed as they fled; Penrose himself received seven arrows in his body, one in the abdomen eventually proving fatal. He was a very strong man, fearless and re solute, and he fought his way out, only to collapse in the darkness of the bush, where one of his boys found him and, placing him on his back, carried him into a safer spot. Here he remained in hid ing through the rest of the night, weak from loss of blood and the increasing pain of his wounds, while his assailants could be heard preparing with shouts and chanting for their ghastly feast of victory.

Jackson was camped about six hours’ walk away and, on hearing from one of the fugitive Malays what had happened, set out with a rescue party and arrived at the spot before dark. The hideous orgy was at its height when he came on the scene, the murderers being then en gaged in eating the bodies of the Malays they had killed.

Jackson, with signal bravery, drove them off and, later, came across his friend lying under a tree in a dying con dition. Penrose recognised him; he looked at him, but could not speak.

Then he closed his eyes for ever.

Setting watch, Jackson prepared to spend the night by the body of his friend, but shortly after midnight he was disturbed; a light was cautiously ap

preaching their camp from the jungle.

Jackson picked up his gun, and would have fired at once, but one of his boys, with a better knowledge of savage cun ning, stopped him until the light came closer, when the spy was put out of ac tion. It was then found that the torch had been fastened at the end of a long pole, and premature firing would have missed the bearer.

According to the narrative, Penrose’s remains were finally brought to Merauke.

The members of the priest’s expedi tion later camped on the very spot where Dressier and Bell had been mur dered in 1920, and here they fell in with a tribe who spoke quite openly about their cannibalistic habits.

All the elderly people who cannot re sist are “Namnan” (eaten), and even some of the women share this fate, so that it is not only strangers who fall victim to the lust of the tribesmen. Some misdeeds, adultery, for instance, are punished by death and the culprits are subsequently eaten.

Human flesh is the greatest delicacy of these people and the chief medium of exchange, a leg having about the value of an axe. Men who go out to kill and who bring supplies of flesh to the mar ket place are held in high repute; they are the honoured citizens of these jungle communities. When asked if it were really any good, their reply was that no meat is so delicious as human flesh. So great becomes the craving for it that their own children, who perish by acci dent or sickness, are subsequently eaten.

A proof of this was forthcoming at this camp. Just as they were ready to move on, some of the carriers asked to be excused, as an accident had occurred in the village, one of the children having fallen from the raised verandah of a house. Next day, they reappeared, one of them bearing the parts of the little victim of this accident. ‘There is never any difficulty in ob taining carriers from these tribes for a punitive expedition; there is always the chance of meat, and they gleefully set out in the hopes of satisfying their sinister tastes.

“Homo homini lupus.” As one reads these tales of modern cannibalism, the old saying, “Man to man is a wolf” be comes startlingly real.

Natives of Dutch New Guinea at a police post, paying their annual head tax. This is the type of native described in accompanying article.

Wau Aviation

p. 9

Fatality.

Ray Parer Gives Eye-witness’s Account of Accident.

From Our Own Correspondent WAU, Jan. 17.

DETAILS of the flying fatality at Wau on December 26, when Pilot Drayton and Mr. L. H. Harper were killed, are to hand.

The ’plane, a Moth, had taken off from Wau on a flight to Bulwa aerodrome, when it was seen to roll at a height of about 300 feet. Pilot Drayton, on finish

ing this move, apparently attempted to

recover and opened the throttle. The en gine did not respond and the ’plane struck some trees and crashed.

We quote the evidence of Lieutenant

Ray Parer, who was an eye-witness:

“I am the qualified Chief Pilot of Pacific Aerial Transport, Ltd., and reside at Wau. Yes terday afternoon, a little after 4 o’clock, I was sitting on the verandah of the Hotel Bulolo, when I heard an aeroplane engine rev up, and I noticed it was Guinea Airways, Ltd., ‘Moth.’

I saw the machine leave the ground. It appeared to be climbing very slowly. When about 200 feet above the aerodrome, I saw the machine turn to the right and complete two right hand turns.

Finishing the end of the second turn, pointing south, the machine went into full roll. It came out of this rather low. The pilot then apparently attempted to recover, and opened his engine. The engine spluttered appreciably, and did not regain its full revs until it was too late to miss the trees.

“A moment before striking the trees the engine appeared to be picking up. I think if it had picked up immediately, the machine would have cleared the trees.

“The machine appeared to be responding well to its controls, just prior to the crash, for the turns seemed to me to be well executed. I actually saw the machine in its manoeuvres until it passed out of my line of vision and crashed into the trees down in Wau Creek. I heard the crash, and about half a minute after wards saw smoke rising from the locality. I rushed down to the hangar for a fire extinguisher, but found it had been already taken out. I then proceeded to the scene, and from the bank of the creek viewed the burning machine and the attempts at rescue which were being made by Europeans and natives.

“I saw Mr. Drayton about fifteen minutes before the fatal flight, and he appeared quite normal to me. I did not know at the time of the accident that he was the pilot of the ‘Moth.’

“I know the Guinea Airways, Ltd., ‘Moth’ well, though I have never flown in it. I have seen it landing and taking off on the different ’dromes on many occasions, and I am of the opinion that the take-off of that particular "Moth” was not as good as some of the other ‘Moths.’

“From where I stood on the Creek watching the burning ’plane, I noticed that the ’plane was on its back, pointing South.

“There is no question in my mind that the engine ceased to function in the middle of the roll. The engine seemed to be working well when the pilot opened up, taking off, but the ’plane did not appear to gain height as quickly as it should have done. When taking off, I noticed that the pilot made right hand turns; it is more usual for pilots to turn to the left instead of the right. That is how I came to remember that turns to the right were made in this instance.”

The gallantry of the first men on the scene of the crash deserves praise, as they made brave attempts to rescue pilot and passenger from the burning wreck age. Mr. J. A. Crockett, of the clerical staff of New Guinea Goldfields, Ltd., sustained severe burns to the hands; but his attempts at rescue were foiled by the blaze.

The fatality, the first of its kind at Wau, cast a gloom over the district and

much sympathy is felt for the young widow of Pilot Drayton and his infant son, particularly as they are eye-wit nesses of the disaster.

The late Frank Dray ton came to the Terri tory in 1927 with Cap tain Moody, Les Trist and F. Ward, of the Air Gold Co. He was born in Richmond, N.S.W. In 1931 he married Miss Bobbie Thompson, of Sydney. Their only child is Peter John, who is a year old.

The late L. H. Har per, the passenger, was employed by Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., and had been in the Terri tory for two years. He came from Georgia, U.S.A., and was an only son. Being popular among his friends, he will be sadly missed.

After a short service conducted by Reverend Bradley, the remains of Frank Nelson Drayton were taken by Guinea Airways Junker ’plane to Lae for interment on December 27. A large cortege of his friends accompanied the coffin to the ’plane and there were many floral trib utes. The burial took place at Lae.

The remains of Lewis Heymes Harper were interred in the Wau Cemetery on December 27. The ceremony was conducted by Assistant District Officer H. L.

Dowling.

All that was left of Pilot Diayton's aeroplane acouple of hours after the crash at Wau, N.G., in which the air man and his passenger were killed.

Wallis Is. Branch.

p. 9

Burns, Philp Extend to French Territory.

Apia, Jan. 20.

AFTER having recently established a branch on American territory at Pago Pago, Messrs. Burns, Philp (S.S.) Co., Ltd., have now further ex tended their activities to neighbouring French territory on Wallis Island.

Mr. C. C. Brady, inspector of the firm, recently travelled by the “Makoa” to Wallis Island and successfully closed negotiations with local traders, thereby acquiring the interests of Messrs. J. S.

Brial and Wing Ming and Co.

Mr. Jones, late accountant from the Vila branch, has been appointed mana ger of the new agency at Wallis Island and will arrive there at the end of Janu ary. The branch will be put under the management of Apia office.

The new, elaborate office and store building of B.P.’s at Apia, now in course of erection, promises to be the largest and highest building in Samoa when completed at the end of the year. The estimated cost of the building (about £22,000) easily constitutes a record for Samoa.

The rapid extension of B.P.’s activities may serve as a reassuring and confi dence-inspiring fact to those who won der about the future prospects of the Is lands. The large investments of B.P.’s

and other firms should strengthen the belief that prosperity is bound to return to Samoa.

Splendid Record.

p. 9

Where Tonga’s Rulers Were Taught.

Prince Uilliame Tugi, Prince

Consort to Queen Salote and Premier of Tonga, was given a rousing recep tion by the old boys of Newington Col lege at their annual meeting on Febru ary 15 Prince Tujri , who to his contempor aries is "Billy Toubou," made a witty speech, in which he recalled many me mories to members whose period at Newington coincided with his own. speaking of the seven Tongans who be gan their school career him, he said that with the exception of two who were dead all were occupying prominent positions. One was Minister for Lands and Deputy Premier; another, Finau, was a representative in the House of Assembly; and "a boy called John: was one of Tonga's Governors. There was an Old Newingtonians' Union in Tonga.

Enthusiastic applause greeted the statement of the Headmaster, Mr. P. R. le Couteur, that Prince Taufa-ahau, the 14 years' old son of Prince Tugi, who is attending the college, weighed 15 stone and could putt the shot 42ft. 6in. A son of Dave Finau is also at Newington.

Tropicalities

ALL Islanders who ever had anything to do with the Prime Minis ter’s Department at Canberra must have read with pleasure the brief an nouncement that Mr. John H. Starling had been promoted to the post of Under secretary. He has been for years, in charge of that section of the Depart ment dealing with the affairs of New Guinea, Papua, Norfolk Island, etc., and he has been a most courteous, kindly and efficient official. Thousands of people sought his assistance, at different times, and he has never been known to refuse a hearing, even to cranks. He will prove a worthy successor to several notable men who have held this Under-Secre taryship; and probably he will leave be hind a much better reputation for good manners than some of the others. Mr.

Starling’s step up probably will mean promotion for two other popular officials of this Department who have much to do with Islands affairs —Mr. Halligan, who is concerned with New Guinea ad ministration, and Mr. C. G. Garrioch, whose special responsibility is Papuan affairs. * * * WHATEVER may be said against life in the Islands, it brings a certain peace of mind —not necessarily of the manana quality—that breeds a lengthy memory. Life in cities usually destroys this and with it go memories of many pleasant events.

When Island men are in Sydney on holiday, it is usual for them to fore gather at a well-known George Street caravanserai, which also enjoys the pat ronage of a band of Sydney journalists, possibly because some of the latter have themselves knocked about the Pacific.

Recently one of the scribes was hailed by two apparent strangers who used a half-forgotten nickname in addressing him. Recognition came to him slowly, for he left the Islands eight years ago; but he refused to let his memory be jogged until he had pronounced the names of the two Island men, who are well-known on the Guadalcanal coast and were celebrating their arrival in the “Smoke” on a well-earned holiday. They were just interrupting questions like, “Do you remember old Blank’s schooner the —?” with counter queries such as “What’s become of Long Bill?” and “Did Charlie Dash do any good out at ?” when another habitue, long known to the journalists by sight, joined in the con versation and did not lose much time in establishing his identity as “Balasuna Bill,” an ex-resident of Guadalcanal who has not been in the Group for twenty years.

The chin-wagging that ensued stirred even the blase barman to an excited in terest in Islands affairs. * * * THERE may be a ray of hope for copra-producers in the fact that one quarter of Antarctica has been placed under the control of Australia, said Mons. N. Hagen, of Noumea, to the editor of The Pacific Islands Monthly, the other day. “Australia,” he explained, “has huge amounts invested in coconut plantations in the South Seas. The price of copra has fallen so much that production is barely worth while. The main cause of the copra decline is the enormous quantity of whale oil produced in Antarctica, which is deodorised and purified, and comes on to the market as

a competitor of coconut oil. This whale oil production is rapidly destroying the Antarctica whales —if not checked, by international action, there will be no whales left, in a few years. Now, since Australia is responsible for the good government of so large a part of Antarc tica, Australia would do a double service in seeking co-operative action regarding this whaling industry—service in sav ing these creatures from extinction, and service in reducing the production of whale oil, and saving the copra-pro ducers from extinction.”

It is quite a sound argument: and we have had pleasure in passing it along to the Commonwealth Government.

Papuan Gold.

New Syndicate to work Lakekamu.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 8.

THE Lakekamu is by no means dead, a local syndicate has been formed and named the Nipa Mining Syndicate, with, as manager, Mr. A. F. Bethune, an experienced miner of long standing who, in the early days of the Lakekamu (1909- 10), prospected the field. The Syndicate hopes to recover gold by hydraulic sluicing.

Leases have been granted and the plant for the operations arrives by next steamer, and in April or May the Syndi cate hopes to start work.

The Hon. J. G. Nelsson left by the "Macdhui” on January 20 for Australia.

He has mining leases on the upper Mambare and his visit to Sydney is a business trip in connection with their prospects. Reports say that both the Mambare and the Gira are well worth consideration.

Mr. Ward Williams is still at work on the Yodda, and though no definite news has come through, it is the general opinion that he is satisfactorily im pressed with the prospects, or at least sufficiently encouraged to continue.

Auckland Out!

“Morinda" Returns to Old N.L.- N. Hebrides Run.

OWING to confusion in the freight business, as a result of the New Zealand Government’s embargo on fruit grown in Australian territory, the shipping service which was maintained by Messrs. Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd. between Auckland and Norfolk Island is being- discontinued.

This service was maintained by the “Morinda,” which called at Auckland each round trip to Norfolk Island and the New Hebrides.

As from February 25 it will be con ducted as it was before Auckland was included. The “Morinda” will make a trip to Norfolk and Lord Howe; then will return to Sydney and sail a few days later for the round trip to Lord Howe, Norfolk Island and New Hebrides ports, returning by Norfolk Island and Lord Howe.

The “Morinda’s” time-table and itiner ary are given in our shipping pages.

Papuan Rubber.

Planters’ Representatives Confer With Manufacturers.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 17.

His Excellency, Sir Hubert

MURRAY, returned to Port Mores by on January 11 from the Eastern Division, interrupting his journey to at tend a meeting of rubber planters in Pt.

Moresby.

In December the rubber manufac turers of Australia announced their de cision to cease buying- Papuan rubber as a protest against the import duty of 4d. per lb. on all raw rubber, other than Papuan, entering the Commonwealth.

A radio was sent at the time by Sir Hubert Murray to the Prime Minister at Canberra, drawing- attention to the fact that the rubber manufacturers were try ing to force the Commonwealth to re move the duty. A request to render the boycott harmless was also added and sug-g-estions were offered, if desired, by the Administration and the rubber planters.

The Prime Minister wired on January 5, asking- for suggestions. A meeting was held by the rubber planters in the pre sence of His Excellency and it was de cided that both the Hon. E. C. Harris, Treasurer to the Papuan Government and Hon. Arthur Jewell, non-Official Member of the Executive and Legislative Council, would go down to get in touch with the rubber manufacturers and the authorities at Canberra. Messrs. Harris and Jewell left for Australia by the “Macdhui” on January 18.

A conference between Messrs, Harris and Jewell, representing the Papuan Ad ministration and rubber growers on the one hand, and representatives of Aus tralian rubber manufacturers on the other, took place in Melbourne early this month.

The discussions —contrary to expecta tions —were not of a hostile character.

There were frank explanations from both sides and an appreciation by each of the other’s special difficulties. As a consequence, progress was made towards formulating a scheme which, while giv ing some substantial relief to the rubber manufacturers, will also protect the Papuan growers.

Details of the scheme are now under consideration by the various interests concerned.

An important aspect of the problem is the fact that the Federal Government has reaped an unexpected revenue ap proaching £500,000 per annum from the duty on raw rubber; and the Federal Government naturally is not eager to sacrifice this sweet morsel.

The fact that the rubber consumers of Australia, and the rubber manufacturers are being taxed to the extent of nearly £500,000 p.a. is not, of course, a matter of great concern to the Government.

Nauru Chiefs’ Request.

THE retiring Administrator of Nauru (Mr. W. A. Newman) on his arrival in Sydney recently, brought with him a petition from the chiefs asking that the Minister in Charge of Territories (Major C. W. C. Marr) should pay them a visit. No Commonwealth Minister has ever visited the island.

It is unlikely that Major Marr will have an early opportunity of paying a visit to Nauru, as he will leave in April for New Guinea.

Rarotonga-Tahiti Line.

Union Co. May Abandon Service.

From Our Own Correspondent.

PAPEETE, January 26.

RUMOURS are again afloat in Tahiti that the Union Steam Ship Com pany intends to abandon the San Francisco-Tahiti-Wellington service at the end of March, when the Australian and New Zealand mail subsidy expires.

Although these rumours are sup ported by an article in the local paper, “Le Reveil”, and by private informa tion from San Francisco and Sydney, we have not heard anything definite from the company’s local agency.

While the stoppage of the “Makura” and “Maunganui”, which provide a regular 28 day service both ways be tween Sydney and San Francisco for mails and passengers, will be a serious blow to Tahiti interests, it will come

as no great surprise in commercial circles. The least observant person among the crowd which habitually gathers on the Papeete wharf to watch the arrival of the mail steamers, can not have failed to remark the decrease in the number of through passengers travelling by this route. Since the in auguration of the Messageries Mari times service, a large proportion of the copra output has been sent direct to Prance, and the fact that the mail steamers will not carry such lines as timber and petrol has encouraged the sending of casual vessels from the Pacific Coast. These now take a large share of the copra going to America.

It is obvious that the Union Co. has maintained this service only at a loss for a long while.

Exchange Rate.

Samoa Anxious About Cost of Imports.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Apia, Jan. 20.

THOUGH imports from England make only 17.8 per cent, of the total im ports in 1931, a large portion of the New Zealand and Australian imports are re-exports of British goods. In 1932 the proportion of British-made goods has probably further increased, while imports from Germany, U.S.A., and other gold standard countries are practically negligible at present.

The raising of the exchange, New Zea land on England, to 25 per cent., which simultaneously came into force in Samoa, is bound to affect trading con ditions here adversely and again to raise the cost of living to a considerable ex tent. In this regard it may be of interest to point to the origin of our imports in 1930 and 1931, as given in the Adminis trator’s last report to the League of Nations.

EDITORIAL NOTE. —Our correspondent over looks the fact that, if imports cost more under the new exchange, exports of Samoan products become correspondingly more valuable. As a matter of fact, the advantage is with the Samoan producers. It is only countries like Australia and New Zealand, which have to send a huge interest payment overseas every year, which secure doubtful benefits from a high rate of controlled exchange. We think that non debtor countries like Fiji and Samoa, when ac counts are finally taken, will find that they have benefited enormously from this development of exchange.

Commander Garsia, the newly-appointed Administrator of Nauru, inspecting the native police, just after landing. He is accompanied by the retiring Administrator, Mr. W. A. Newman.

1930. 1931.

Percentage.

Percentage Value.

Value.

U.K. £47,183 17.1 £29,280 17.8 N.Z. 81,388 29.6 56,450 34.2 Aust. 58,653 21.3 35,468 21.5

U.S.A.

54,369 19.7 23,805 14.4 Other countries 33.762 12.3 19,941 12.1 £275,355 100.0 £164,950 100.0

Fliers From Wau.

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby. Jan. 20.

MR. A. McLennan, of Rabaul, paid a flying visit from Salamaua to Wau and Port Moresby on December 26.

He left again for the Mandated Terri tory by the “Macdhui,” thus making a round trip by ’plane and steamer.

Captain Mustar, general manager of Guinea Airways, Ltd., arrived by ’plane from the goldfields on January 10, piloted by Mr. C. A. Gurney. He left on the return trip to Wau via Kokoda the next day, to inspect the route to Kokoda and the new landing ground which was opened up recently to assist mining op erations on the Yodda.

It is intended to use bigger ’planes on this route to carry freight and machin ery as soon as the drainage of the new Kokoda ground has been completed.

Seedless Oranges.

Discovery in Tahiti.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, Jan. 26.

Dr. Gerrit P. Wilder, Who Has

been engaged upon botanical re search in Tahiti for several months, is leaving by the tourist cruiser “Stella Polaris’’ on February 9, for Fiji, whence he takes the mail steamer for Honolulu.

Among other interesting discoveries, Dr. Wilder was fortunate in locating, in the Punaruu valley of Tahiti, a re markable orange tree, which not only produces a luscious seedless fruit, but is thornless. A quantity of wood from this valuable tree, suitable for grafting, has already been despatched to Hawaii.

Introduced by early English mission aries, the orange quickly became es tablished in the genial climate of Tahiti and ran wild over the island.

At the present time, fruit of unsur passed quality may be gathered in almost any valley; but, for some un explained reason, the citrus belt which once covered the flat land has been grievously depleted, leaving only an oc casional tree, and that bearing fruit much inferior to that of the valleys.

Before the citrus industry was well established in California, and as late as 1907, large quantities of oranges were shipped there from this group. The fruit was picked by the natives, rolled in pandanus leaves, about 3 to a leaf, tied in individual bundles and packed in crates made of Purau sticks, for shipment in steamers or sailing vessels.

In this trade, the schooner “Papeete” (now the “Zelee”) made a voyage from San Francisco to Papeete, under sail, in 17 days, which has never yet been beaten.

Papuan Produce.

From Our Own Correspondent.

PT. MORESBY, January 2u.

The “Montoro,” which left Port Moresby on December 29 for Sydney, shipped the following cargo:—1,160 packages of rubber, 648 cases of desiccated coconut, 122 bags of copra, and 14 bags of coffee.

About Islands People.

p. 12

Mr. P. R. Hinds, a well known figure in Papuan commercial circles, has just severed his connection with the Terri tory by the disposal of his business at Daru and departure to New South Wales, where he intends to reside in future. Mr. Hinds spent nearly twenty years in Papua; he was in the medical department of the Government and later with the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. before starting in business on his own account.

He will be missed, for his generosity and open-heartedness, by many folk in the Territory.

Judge Paul Cruyl, Belgian and neutral judge and Acting-President of the Con dominium Court in the New Hebrides, and Judge E. de J. Carey, the British judge arrived in Sydney by the “Mor inda” on February 14.

The Rev. W. H. Cox, chairman of the New Britain District of the Methodist Mission Society, arrived in Sydney by the “Montoro” on January 4 to repre sent his district at the annual meeting of the Mission Board. He was accom panied by Mrs. Cox.

Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Burt returned to Sydney from Papua by the “Montoro ’ on January 4. Mr. Burt has been Tech nical Instructor at the Methodist Mission, Salamo, for three and a half years.

Judge Ayson, Administrator of the Cook Islands, sailed from Rarotonga for New Zealand by the “Makura” on January 30.

Mr. S. Savage, Registrar of Courts, Rarotonga, sailed by the schooner “Tiare Tapore” on December 24 for Manahiki to fill the position of Resident Agent, which has been vacant since the death of Mr. H. Williams last July. Mr.

Savage is regarded as an authority on native languages and has been working for years on the compilation of a dic tionary of Polynesian words. While stationed at Manahiki, Mr. Savage in tends to expedite this work.

Mr. F. W. Edwards, who was recently appointed Inspector of Police in the Cook Islands Administration, arrived at Rarotonga on December 30.

Mr. J. Cheyne, of the Customs De partment, Thursday Island, has been transferred to Brisbane, and, with his family, sailed in the “Taiping” on January 23.

The Rev. Dr. C. E. Fox, of Pawa School, Ugi, Solomon Islands, who has been in Sydney on furlough, will return to the Solomon Islands this month.

Mr. H. Holland, of the New Guinea Mission, returned from furlough by last “Macdhui.”

Mrs. D. E. Ure (Gwen Milne), of the L.M.S., Papua, is expected in Sydney this month.

Dr. C. J. Nicholas, S.M., Catholic Vicar-Apostolic of Fiji, who has been on a visit to Ireland, France and Rome, left Sydney on February 11 by the

“Monterey” on his return to Fiji. He was accompanied by Rev. Father A.

Buret, of Fiji.

Rev. T. G. Gibson left for Rabaul by last “Macdhui” to relieve the Rev. F. R.

Bishop, who has served with the New Guinea Mission for nine years.

Rev. Thomas McMillan is in Aus tralia on furlough from Tanna, New Hebrides, where he has been working for the Presbyterian Foreign Mission under the John G. Paton Fund.

Messrs. J. G. Nelsson, E. C. Harris and A. Jewell, members of the Legis lative Council of Papua, arrived in Sydney by the “Macdhui” on January 25.

Mr. George Fulton, manager in Aus tralia of Lever Bros., Ltd., and Major Frank Hewitt, the company’s manager in the Solomon Islands, arrived in Suva by the “Mariposa’' on January 20. They are on an inspection visit, after which they will return to Sydney on February 11.

Mr. W. Wise, Commissioner of Works, and Lieut.-Colonel J. S. Gamble, In spector General of Constabulary, have taken office as nominated members of the Legislative Council of Fiji.

Senator H. S. Foll left Sydney for Papua on the “Macdhui” on February 2.

He is accompanied by Mrs. Foll.

Mr. J. G. Nelsson, a Member of the Legislative Council of Papua who re cently visited Sydney, returned to Sama rai by the “Macdhui” on February 2.

Mr. J. A. Todd, B.Sc., left for Moe wehafen by the “Macdhui” on February 2. He has been permitted by the Aus tralian National Research Council to in vestigate sociological problems of the natives of New Britain and expects to be there about 12 months. Mr. Todd graduated at Sydney University in 1931 and has since been doing anthropological research work. His present mission has been made possible by a grant from the Rockefeller Trust.

Dr. and Mrs. Leo Brem, who recently arrived in Sydney from Germany, sailed by the “Macdhui” for New Guinea. Dr.

Brem is a graduate of Wurzburg and Dublin Universities, and Mrs. Brem is a qualified dentist. Both are members of a German society which has placed 300 medical missionaries in foreign lands. They will work with the Sacred Heart Fathers in New Guinea.

The Rev. G. S. Shinkfield, of the Methodist Foreign Mission, arrived in Sydney by the “Monterey” on February 1. With Mrs. Shinkfield, he is returning to England, after 17 years’ work in Western Samoa.

Miss I. Foulcher, of the Methodist Mission, Matavelo, arrived in Sydney from Fiji seeking medical treatment.

Nurse E. Geeves, of Bua Mission Station, and Miss A. Uphill, of Nadroga, are also in Australia.

Mrs. C. E. Gill, of the New Guinea, Mission, and her son David left Bris bane by the “Ormonde” for England on.

January 27.

Mr. N. D. Lewis has resigned his. position as chief accountant of New Guinea Goldfields to take up an appoint ment with a new concern which will commence operations on the Waria, River. With Mrs. Lewis, he arrived in Sydney on a short holiday by last.

“Macdhui.”

Mr. H. Taylour, mining warden at Wau, N.G., and Mrs. Taylour arrived in.

Sydney by the “Macdhui” on January 25.

Captain Eric Chater has joined the flying staff of the New Guinea Airways.

He was recently chief instructor to the Victorian Aero Club and introduced night flying and blind flying instruction, to Australian civil aviation.

Mr. N. Hagen, the well-known mer chant of Noumea, New Caledonia, who had been on a visit to Sydney, left by the last steamer for the French Terri tory.

Mr. F. Robartson, a well-known resi dent of Rabaul, New Guinea, has been appointed to the Lands Department of the Administration, and is at present engaged in field work in the Kavieng District of New Guinea.

Mrs. A. H. Nicholls, accompanied by Miss Nicholls and Miss Rowena Nicholls, were passengers from Vila for Sydney by the last “Morinda.”

Mr. A. L. Grant, who was accom panied by his wife, arrived in Port Moresby on January 20, has taken over the managership of the local branch of the Bank of N.S.W., relieving Mr. N.

Calcutt, who left for Sydney on Feb ruary 9.

Papua, etc.

p. 12

Handbook of New Guinea, Papua, etc.

The Handbook of New Guinea, Papua, British Solomon Islands and Norfolk Is land, which has been compiled by Paci fic Publications Limited, will be pub lished within a few weeks. Publication had been arranged for the end of Janu ary, and everything was completed for that purpose; but final printing had to be postponed owing to the non-receipt of certain vital data from one of the Territories —the result apparently of a letter missing an Islands mail.

The Handbook will contain, in addi tion to all necessary general and statis tical information relating to the Terri tories (brought right up-to-date) a list also of the names, occupations and ad dresses of the European residents in all of the four Territories named. Therefore, it will be a useful directory.

The Handbook is being published at the low price of 2/6 per copy: and will be on sale at most of the Islands stores.

The request for a school at Kavieng has been refused by the N.G. Adminis tration on the grounds that there are only fourteen European children there.

The Administration insists on a mini mum of fifteen children before a school is established.

Planters’ Association And Missions.

p. 13

[Letter to the Editor ] My attention has been directed to a letter appearing in your October number from a planter, signing himself “Mortgaged,” and a reply thereto in your issue of December 20 from “A Catholic Missionary,” on the subject of Mission Trading.

I do not desire to participate in a newspaper controversy of the nature raised by “Mortgaged” on this subject.

As the Planters’ Association’s name has been introduced without authority, some comment is called for.

His Lordship, Bishop Vesters, did not state —as alleged by your anonymous contributor —to the President of the Planters’ (and Trades) Association that trading is opposed to the Canon Law of his Church. “Mortgaged” made this statement without the knowledge or authority of the Association. This state ment is emphatically incorrect.

The most friendly relationship exists between this Association and the vari ous Mission organisations operating in the Mandated Territory. The Association does not hold itself responsible for mis leading statements introducing its name which may lead to a breach of existing good feeling, nor does it necessarily en dorse the views expressed in such state ments. This applies equally to irrespon sible statements emanating from either an anonymous contributor or from one with sufficient faith in the honesty of his views to append his signature thereto.

I would be obliged if you would kindly publish this letter on behalf of the Planters’ Association.

I am, etc.,

J. C. Mullaly,

President, Planters’ Association of New Guinea.

Rabaul, 26/1/’33.

Massacre!

p. 13

Prospecting Party of 11 Killed In New Guinea.

TWO white men and nine native car riers were murdered in an “uncon trolled area” in the Morobe district of New Guinea on January 6.

The news was brought to Otibanda police post on Surprise Creek, in the Upper Watut watershed, by a native of the village of Wein, who had escaped from the massacre with two spear wounds in his back.

The victims were two prospectors, William Naylor and Emile Clarius who, with their party of carries, were at tacked at a spot two days’ journey from Otibanda.

When the news reached Salamaua, a party, under District Officer G. W. L.

Townsend and Assistant District Officer Penglase, immediately set out for the scene of the assault.

This party also was ambushed and in the subsequent fight three of the at tackers were killed and two wounded.

The Administration party escaped in jury.

The bodies of Naylor and Clarius were found, together with those of three na tives; all had been clubbed to death. No arrests had been made at latest reports, but special steps are being taken to bring the district under control.

Messrs. Naylor and Clarius were pros pecting in the country between Surprise Creek and the headwaters of the Langa mar River. Since October an Assistant District Officer and three Patrol Officers have been stationed in the area, trying to bring the natives under control; but such a task necessarily takes time. The prospectors had penetrated country well outside the sphere of the Administra tion’s influence.

D.O. Townsend’S Story.

District Officer Townsend arrived in Sydney by the “Montoro” on his way to England on furlough. Describing the country in which he found the bodies of Messrs. Naylor and Clarius and nine of their native carriers, he said it was rugged jungle which would make the ar rest of the murderers extremely difficult.

The bodies of the victims were found beside a creek and, owing to the absence of signs of conflict, it was evident that they had been the victims of a surprise attack. It is considered that three na tive carriers, who are unaccounted for, escaped into the bush.

Mr. Townsend considers that it will take about two months to search for and arrest the murderers. The area is prac tically unknown and a strong police party, sent out after the murderers, is endeavouring to bring it under control.

The natives of the area have never seen Europeans before and their savagery made journeying among them an ex tremely hazardous enterprise.

New Hebrides Tariff.

p. 13

Suspended and Then Rescinded!

From Our Own Correspondent.

Vila, Feb. 7.

THE new Customs duties, which were to have come into force as from January 1, were suspended and have finally been rescinded.

Had they come into force they would have imposed an increase of 9 per cent, on general merchandise—i.e., necessities —a substantial increase on perfumes, silks, and other things considered lux uries and, for some obscure reason, an increase of 94 per cent, on matches. The superstition of three smokers not light ing from one match was threatented with extinction!

In the meantime, the business houses in Vila have been costing and selling their goods on the basis of the new tariff; and many good householders are now wondering how they will stand legally if they demand a refund.

EDITORIAL NOTE. —The only information available in Sydney to explain the extraordinary volte face described above, is to the effect that the Condominium officials discovered, when they sought to impose the new tariff, that it was in conflict with their constitutional law. It is ex pected that they will now seek some other method of raising necessary revenue.

Another Slump

pp. 13-14

Copra Down To £12/2/6.

THE London c.i.f. price for South Seas copra is down this week to the cal amitous level of £12 per ton. Even tak ing the Australian exchange premium into consideration, this means starvation for the coconut planter.

There is much comment among copra growers, copra exporters and students of international commerce; but no one seems able to ascribe to any one factor the steady de cline which has brought copra down from £15 per ton a few months ago to £12 per ton to-day. The general opinion is that Unilever Limited—the huge in ternational combine which virtually con trols the edible oil market of the world —has been able to buy enormous quan tities of Antarctic whale oil very cheaply; and that prices of all the veg etable oils are being slaughtered ac cordingly.

The slump which has taken place in price is not directly connected with in ternational exchange; it has nothing to do with the gold standard; it is a de finite fall in the value of the commodity itself —as fixed by the combine! How long it will last it is impossible to say— there is nothing to guide the student of the market. Present prospects are not encouraging.

The slump has come at an unfortun ate moment for the New Guinea pur chasers of expropriated plantations, who have been asked to resume interest pay ments as from January 1. It is impos sible in the circumstances for the New Guinea planters to accept any additional obligations—with copra at its present price it is almost impossible for the majority of planters with any capital obligations to carry on at all.

We understand that representations have been made to the Minister (Major Marr) along these lines and it is hoped that the Federal Government will see its way to extend the complete moratorium for a further period.

Until recently, the Rev. Father Vitale, of the Yule Island Mission, who has sel dom left the island since he arrived there in 1888, had never seen a motor vehicle. When one was taken to the Mekeo District, he was an interested spectator and did not lose much time in riding in it. His last visit to Port Moresby was about 20 years ago, when motors were unknown in the settlement.

The South Sea Myth.

p. 14

An Indignant Resident of Tahiti Wants “Damages!”

Written for “The Pacific Islands Monthly ” by Robert Dean Frisbie.

ON the island of Moorea, along two kilometres of beach, there are 19 white men who have arrived during the past six months.

They are all victims of ridiculous, mendacious books about the Pacific is lands —such trash as “Isles of Eden” and “White Man, Brown Woman,” for in stance. A year ago there were two whites along this beach, both old resi dents, men who have a moral right to live in the islands, for they are pro ducers.

But our 19 new whites are a different species. They wander down the beach in such scanty attire that the natives turn their heads and blush; they stick gar denias behind their ears, make love to the native girls, strum ukuleles on the outer beach, and live on a native diet, even though it makes them ill. They are trying to create the atmosphere they ex pected, but failed to find.

Some of them are out-and-out beach combers; others are perfectly respect able people who are unable to adapt themselves to their environments.

All the more accessible islands of the Eastern Pacific have their quotas of de pression-evaders, beachcombers, alco holics, lechers and romanticists. It is true that there has always been a sprinkling of them —but never before so many as at present.

Mr. Loring Andrews is responsible for about half of them. In his book, “Isles of Eden,” he tells his readers that money is a secondary matter in the islands —in fact, one can “live on ten dollars a month and have a new girl every day,” or words to that effect —I am quoting the sense of an advertisement in the New York Times!

He says it is a simple matter to throw a line in the water and haul out any quantity of fish; that in pig hunting all one needs is a bush knife; and that you can have all the food you want for the picking!

Think of the effect such statements have upon the men who are suffering from the hard times! Some of those who have enough money left come to the islands, to be disillusioned; but they come with round trip tickets —the authorities see to that. When their few pounds are gone, they return to the bread lines of civilisation, wiser but poorer men.

Though its effect may not be as vicious as “Isles of Eden,” “Trader Tom”

Richards’ volume, "White Man, Brown Woman” is probably the most amazing mass of fabrications to appear since “Baron Munchhausen.” I do not object to the fibs he has told about himself, for, though he has certainly overdone it, still it is ethically permissible for an author to claim as his own the experi ences of another. It is simply a matter of technique: the first person is more effective than the third person in re counting an experience. However, it should not be over done, especially when the things recounted occurred before one was born.

But what I object to in “White Man, Brown Woman,” is Richards’ misrepre sentations —or rather, lies —about the is lands. Open the book at random, read a sentence, and the chances are that it will be a falsehood. I write advisedly.

For instance, about Manahiki (never

having lived there, “Trader Tom’’ does not know how to spell the name of the island): Hundreds of pigs were killed for the feast (there are not over a hundred pigs on Manahiki); the dancers trod on live coals (humbug!); the lagoon was red with the blood of man-eating sharks (there are no man-eating sharks in Manahiki lagoon); the chief always gives a stranger his eldest daughter (Tom had better not go back to Manahiki after writing that); Tom beat his native woman and one of his native men merci lessly (in the first place, he never had a native woman; in the second, he was a short, slight lad, hardly out of his teens when he was in the islands); Tom saved the day when the British flag was hauled down (the incident happened years be fore Tom was born). The above are only a few of the questionable things in one chapter about Manahiki.

I believe that men who have come to the islands on a wild goose chase, after reading such trumped-up and meretrici ous books, should have damages from the authors. If one is told, in a volume that claims to be factual, that he can go to an island and live on ten dollars a month; or that the chief will give him his prettiest daughter; or that he will be looked upon as a white god—and if he goes to such an island and finds that no such conditions exist, why should he not be able to sue the author and win his case.

The author has trespassed upon his credulity, has obtained money under false pretences and has done him an in jury, perhaps an irremediable one. Per sonally, I should much rather have an author pick my pocket for £10 than have him cost me £100 in a futile voy age to a mythical land.

I really believe that some day an author will be held responsible for the veracity of his work. Then such books as O’Brien’s “White Shadows in the South Seas,” Robert Keable’s “Numer ous Treasure,” Middleton’s “South Sea Foam,” Artist Gibbings’ “Iorana,” Mr.

Somebody’s “Island Women I Have Loved” (!), Andrew’s “Isles of Eden,”

“Trader Tom’s” “White Man, Brown Woman,” and a host of others will be published as romances or phantasies; and the Pacific Islands will be rid of many of the beachcombers, who are both unsightly in their semi-nude condition, and are injurious to the prestige and good name of the permanent white resi dents.

Thriving Secondary

p. 14

Industry.

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 17.

THE manufacture of desiccated coco nut is becoming a thriving in dustry in Papua.

In the Eastern Division, the Gili Gili factory and Ahioma factory are working at full pressure and absorbing a large quantity of coconuts. The Hisuo factory in the Western Division also reports that it is producing good quantities of the commodity.

The Condominium.

p. 16

Opportunity to Review an Un

wieldy, Unworkable and Un

economic Arrangement.

ACCORDING to the annual report for 1931 of Mr. G. A. Joy, British Resi dent Commissioner in the New Heb rides, the non-indigenous population of the Condominium is:

Compared with 1930, the British have decreased by 33, the French have in creased by 87, and the French Asiatic labourers are fewer by about 1,500 (hav ing been repatriated owing to the de pression).

These figures disclose a movement that has been going on for years— namely, the gradual transfer of this rich group to complete control by the French.

We have nothing to say against the French. On the contrary, we must ac knowledge that they have carried on the work of developing and settling the New Hebrides with energy and intelligence; and they have been well supported by the government of France. The French deserve whatever good they may get out of the New Hebrides.

The record of Britain and Australia in connection with this Territory is dis creditable and deplorable. Both coun tries undertook certain definite obliga tions in the New Hebrides—and both ran away from those obligations. They carried out the letter of the Condo minium Agreement, but broke it in spirit

—and abandoned to their fate those British and Australian planters and traders who entered the Group in the belief that they would receive sympa thetic support and encouragement from Britain and Australia.

It is no use going over the ground again—we have tried for two years to induce someone in authority to take no tice of the New Hebrides position, and we have failed utterly.

We believe that, owing to the depres sion, a financial crisis threatens the New Hebrides Condominium Administration; and we suggest that this is a suitable time to call for a revision of the whole ridiculous and tragic arrangment. Britain may as well realise that it is absurd to maintain in this Territory a costly pub lic service organisation for the sake of 227 British people. She must either take steps to colonise and develop her share of the New Hebrides, or make the best bargain possible with the French, and get out.

Actually, the fault is not Britain’s.

Britain entered the New Hebrides, and became a party to the Condominium, only at the urgent solicitation of Aus tralia; and the successive groups of pro fessional politicians who have controlled the Commonwealth Government have been either too lazy or too ignorant to interest themselves in the New Hebrides problem. The transfer of the New Heb rides —a territory right opposite Aus tralia’s richest coast —to a friendly but foreign Power is only another default to be laid at the door of Australia’s dread ful political system.

British Planter’S Story.

The following is taken from a private letter written to the Editor of this jour nal by a British planter in the New Hebrides.

“To give you some idea of how the average Britisher is treated in this Group, I will write you an account of my experiences since coming here!

“I landed here from Australia, early in 1920 and was interested in and man aged two of the biggest British planta tions until 1925, when I started on my own account. In January, 1929, I pur chased this plantation, which was in a very run-down condition, overgrown and neglected.

“At that time, copra was bringing about £18 per ton on the beach, and there is no need for me to tell you how it has fallen since—to as low as £4/5/-.

“Of course, there was a big expense at first, cleaning, clearing, building, etc., and then with the low prices, it was a battle to keep going and out of debt, with no chance of putting by a reserve for a time such as this. However, the plantation was in good working order, and the palms loaded, when the Febru ary hurricane came along and wiped me out.

“I will not go into details of the hur ricane. Suffice to say, that every build ing (21 in all) was flattened out, in cluding the store with £300 worth of trade, which was swept out to sea! The dwelling-house, copra house, smoke house, kitchen, and outbuildings were flat and smashed to matchwood! The iron was twisted like tissue paper. A big tree was blown on to the cartshed and workshops, smashing the launch and cart! The morning following the hurricane we had not a stick standing— not even a sheet of iron to shelter under.

“About two weeks after this the B.P. steamer ‘Malinoa’ came in and the cap tain and supercargo, with two Govern ment officials (one British and one French) came ashore to estimate the damage. They took notes and were un animous in their decision that my losses exceeded £2,000. And there the matter has ended,, so far as assistance, financial or otherwise, is concerned!

“What annoys and disgusts me is the total inactivity and unconcern of the British Government on behalf of their settlers, badly hit, and practically crippled by this hurricane, in compari son with the activity of the French Gov ernment towards their people in a simi lar position.

“The French Government immediately set about helping their people in a prac tical way by making available a sum of three million francs in cash, to be dis tributed amongst their stricken planters and traders. This was to enable them to buy foodstuffs, rebuild, etc. —in fact, to put them on their feet again and so en able the mto carry on.

“The British, on the other hand, wrote us letters of sympathy, and let the mat ter end there!

“ ‘Love thy neighbour as thy self,’ sounds very nice, and I presume is as it should be. But, after living in a place like this; under dual control, where each national is supposed to have equal rights, one tends to become bitter or jealous when one sees the other fellow getting the easy end of the stick all the time, and in every way. That is what is hap pening here.

“When things were at their worst, and it was hard to see where the next ra tions were coming from, let alone any nails, timber, or iron for rebuilding, and, after seeing my French neighbours ap plying for and getting necessary relief, I personally approached the British Re sident Commissioner in Vila, and asked for a little temporary relief. I was in formed that it was not the policy of the British Government to move in the mat ter in any way.

“So that was that! It meant that I had to disband my labour, and let the thousand and one necessary jobs go to (Continued at foot of column, page 15.)

British.

French Nationals 227 1,018 labourers — Tonkinese — 3,300 Japanese — 42 Chinese — 44 Totals 227 4,534

College For “American” Samoans.

p. 17

Barstow Plan — And Some Criticism.

THE Barstow foundation, which was created in September, 1931 and en dowed with £ 40,000 for the education of youth in American Samoa, plans to finance a school in Tutuila in which a selected group of young men will be educated in American and Samoan ways of life.

Last July a committee of the Founda tion visited Samoa and details were dis cussed. The school will have two white instructors, man and wife, a Samoan will be in full-time residence. In addi tion, there will be supplementary Samoan instructors in special subjects, arts and crafts.

Students, who will not exceed 18 in number, will live at the school and will be selected from young men recom mended by chiefs. No distinction will be made between men of full or part Poly nesian blood but only candidates of pro mise will be accepted. Other plans in clude the training of a Samoan nurse in hygiene in Honolulu and the sending of a selected candidate there for an in tensive course of agriculture. These of fers are being considered by the Gov ernor and will be sent for approval to the Secretary of the Navy, who has the final say in the matter.

Now comes the Hawaiian newspaper, “New Freedom,” on the scene. In two scathing articles it attacks the ideals of the Barstow Foundation, and says that while he means well, Mr. Barstow is “barking up the wrong tree.” Higher education for Samoans is dismissed curtly as unnecessary and uncalled for.

We quote from the article: “The Samoans during the last hundred years have been getting, in the London Missionary Society’s schools, all the edu cation they need or can absorb. What is very badly needed down there, in what they call ‘American’ Samoa, is not more education but some more doctors and sanitarians to teach the Samoans to use latrines, properly screened from flies, . . . . To look after their children, . . . . when their houses are swarming with flies that alight in bunches on the eyes of the little children. . . . On the small island of Tutuila, including the adjoining islets, there are a total of 270 persons either totally or partially blind in a population of 9,831. It’s a big blind institution that’s needed on Tutuila —not a college.”

The author then quotes American pot —in fact, put the clock back a couple of years! Having to let my labour go was like drawing several eye-teeth, but, under the circumstances, it was the only thing left to do as I could not feed them.

“All this has been very disheartening, to say the least; and it seems to me it is very like having to pay the penalty for trying to be British in a French col ony. For French this place is surely be coming, despite the fact that Britain maintains and retains a staff of officials in Vila.

“Please do not take it that I am ‘griz zling’ because the French were assisted. 1 know that that assistance was neces sary! What annoys me is the unfairness of the whole thing. If for one, why not for the other fellow, if there is to be equality of privileges between the nat ional of the Condominium.”

Samoan statistics, which show a large number of natives suffering from all sorts of diseases. He states that if the money it is proposed to spend on educa tion were spent on curing and prevent ing these, the Samoans would be much happier.

The results of education of natives in Honolulu are taken as an example.

There the natives have ceased to grow their own food (taro) and are too lazy to catch fish for themselves, leaving Chinese or Japanese to do it. The Ha waiian women consorted with American bluejackets in the same way that Samoan women are now doing at Pago Pago, and the result is that pure blood natives are disappearing, leaving a num erous progeny of half-white.

The second article goes on in much the same strain, and also says that Tu tuila is an unsuitable site for a school.

“New Freedom” perhaps overlooks the

fact that education of the natives is the best means of introducing sanitation to Tutuila, Recent investigations concern ing the causes of depopulation in the Pacific have shown that it is important that natives should get the right foods.

The Barstow Foundation proposes to educate young Samoans in agriculture and sanitation.

Salamaua-Wau

p. 17

Aeroplanes.

Major H. de Havilland, who visited New Guinea to supervise the introduc tion to the Salamaua-Wau service of two Fox Moth ’planes for Messrs. W. R.

Carpenter, Ltd., returned to Sydney by the “Montoro” on February 16.

The new ’planes will be used for freight carriage between Salamaua and Wau (Major de Havilland told “The"

Sun”). By air, the return journey with 650lb. is 55 minutes. The same trip would take 10 days by land.

Major de Havilland said that at pre sent more flying was carried out in New Guinea than in the whole of Australia.

Formally Declared Open.

p. 18

New Hospital At

Finschhafen.

Contributed by V. Koschade.

ALTHOUGH the weather looked very threatening, and slight rain fell at midday, a very interesting after noon was spent at the dedication ser vice of the new hospital buildings at Finschhafen, New Guinea. At 2 p.m., a small number of Mission people as sembled at the hospital. We were also pleased to see a visitor from Salamaua with us, in the person of Mr. Kenward.

Superintendent Rev. Lehner gave a short history of medical missions in the

Lutheran Mission. He emphasised how our first little hospital at our mission station Immanuel, under the supervision of Rev. Stoessel, a first aid missionary, was a success, and how he treated the various types of ailments so prevalent among our natives; how he also per formed minor, as well as some more serious, operations with success, and how the natives sought relief from their terrible sores when Salvarsan was pro cured.

The speaker also told how this primitive little hospital was abandoned when Rev. Stoessel left for his home country, and under very primitive con ditions the work was carried on by the first American nurse, Sister Ida. It was her desire to see a more adequate hos pital erected: and the steady increase of patients daily, brought it about that finally a small building was put up at Finschhafen. This building consisted of two wards and a dispensary, mainly for the treatment of natives. This building was known to Europeans and natives as “The Dalec Hospital.” This building was dedicated in February, 1923.

Even this building, which was better equipped, was soon too small to take all the patients who asked for admis sion, and only the more serious cases could be accepted. Enthusiastic women of the “American Lutheran Church", interested in our medical mission work, contributed enough money, enabling the Mission Society to make it possible

to erect more up-to-date hospital buildings.

Two Australian carpenters were sent who, under the supervision and direc tion of the Superintendent and Dr.

Braun (medical missionary of our staff), made an excellent job in the erection of three very fine buildings.

These buildings, situated on a some what higher elevation at the back of the plantation, having a very fine view over the bay as well as the sea, com prise a very fine ward for natives; one side being for women and the other side for men patients. There is a hos pital for the sick members of the mission staff, of which one ward is known as “The William Siemon Ward”; also a nurses’ quarters, and doctor’s quarters, dispensary, laboratory, dental room, and a very well equipped sur gical room.

The Superintend ent also expressed regret that it had not been possible to have present on this important day other members of the European commun ity, especially the Medical Officer, as well as the District Officer of Salamaua.

Rev. W. Flierl ad dressing the natives of the Kate tribe in their language, and Rev. Lehner ad dressed the Melanes ian natives who had gathered for the oc casion.

Refreshments were served by the nurses, after which the gath ering dispersed, im pressed with the pro gress made by the medical missions in the Lutheran Mission at Finschhafen.

May the mission work develop, and

the Hospital become a blessing for the many natives who are seeking relief for their bodily ailments, and for the uplifting of a fallen race!

Reports that there is a “gold rush” from Rabaul to the Ramu are denied by the Warden on the Morobe goldfields.

The builders of the Hospital. Messrs. A. and H. Kohnke, of Brisbane, and their team of native carpenters.

Gentle Grafters.

p. 18

Cold Reception in T.I.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Jan. 25.

LATELY, the town has been visited by a company of get-rich-quick artists from the west and south, who have been introducing some new ideas in gambling.

The local police staged a turn the other night which was not on the visi tors’ programme, and in consequence of a raid made in one section of the town the Magistrate held a levee next morn ing, when the exchequer benefited to the extent of £ 200 or so.

The coast steamer later took two of the fraternity away, to try their schemes on unsuspecting folk elsewhere.

Gentlemen of this type now find T.I. a very inhospitable place. The police of ficials are determined to keep the town clean of undesirables and, during the past couple of years, by raids and in other ways, have raised the morale of the town and assisted the citizens in getting rid of the unwanted element, a state of things on which they are to be congratulated.

Legislative Council of N.G.

p. 18

Official Opening Fixed for Historic Date.

THE new Legislative Council of New Guinea will be officially opened on May 9. It is an historic date in Aus tralian history.

It was on May 9, 1901, that the Com monwealth Parliament was inaugurated, and the opening of the new Parliament at Canberra took place on May 9, 19217.

Civil government was inaugurated in the Mandated Territory in place of the military occupation on May 9, 1921.

The Minister in Charge of Territories (Major the Hon. C. W. C. Marr) will officially open the new Legislative Coun cil He will leave Sydney by the Mac dhui” on April 27, arriving at Rabaul on May 8, and will return to Sydney about May 30.

Major Marr, during his visit to the various ports will attend to a great deal of departmental business affecting the Territories of Papua and New Guinea.

The Passing Of Primitive Man.

pp. 19-20

Melake Tells of “Fashion B’long Before.”

Written for The Pacific Islands Monthly by William C. Groves.

IT is after midnight in this native village of Fisoa, in the north western corner of New Ireland, in the Melasian Islands of the Pacific.

I have just come in from a long night’s session with a group of Melake’s men-folk, visitors from his ma ternal village many miles distant.

Melake, it must be stated, is ‘‘a Pirin”—big fella man b’long all some thing b'long before” —the only sur viving man of Fisoa who knows every thing there is to know of the old days of native life —what we are inclined to call, I think, “the bad old days.”

With the death of Melake, which cannot be distant now, for he is very old in body, though yet strong in spirit, these old far-off forg’otten things will surely die. If I am here for his death, I shall have the unique opportunity of viewing the passing of the mortal remains of this last of the “big fella men b’long before.”

The spectacle will not be a pleasant one, for the body of the old chap, like that of all his predecessors, will be publicly cremated over a huge bonfire, accompanied by the funerary and cere monial wailings of the women of his family group. Much elaborate ritual surrounds these mortuary practices and cremation. So that, for its his torical value as well as anthropologi cal, I shall certainly be a close ob

server of the rather gruesome spec tacle.

Soon, with the coming to old-man hood of the present generation of young men, no more will these people “cook” their dead. No more, too, will they carve those finely-patterned intri cately-designed malangans, that form the focal point of the periodical elaborate ‘‘in memoriam” cycles of ceremonies that are such an important feature of the social organisation of these people.

The last of the great men of “fashion b’long before!” is Melake, a native of high social status and much political

power in the district; cunning in the art of carving the Malagans, with an infallible knowledge of the patterns belonging to each individual family group, patterns handed down matri lineally for ages. He bears to-day, in his upper arm, the long scar of the spear of Kambawas, received in the last of the big tribal fights of de cades ago—“fashion b’long before.”

As I sat with Melake to-night, squatting amongst the group of his ad miring relatives, and supplying him with tobacco while feeding his vanity on hollow-sounding flattery, in his dirty ragged old grey-back shirt and with his skinny frame, watery eyes, and betel-nut filled mouth, he certainly

Melake, of “Fashion B’long Before" and Bolaf, of “New Fella Fashion" —village of Fisoa, New Ireland.

did not look very great or inspiring.

He was recounting for me the old, old stories that provide a legendary ac count of the beginnings of his people and their culture.

And as he told them, alternately whispering in a tense excitement, and shrieking dramatically where the narrative demanded, I realised that the stories, for these people, were no longer alive. Save for me, the group of listeners were frankly bored.

No more do the old men tell these legends to the young fellows in their period of seclusion within the sacred enclosure: for these young men of the generation of to-day, working on plan tations or finding other and new in terests of a dubious value, no longer go into the enclosure. That, as they rather contemptuously express it, is “fashion b’long before.”

The middle-aged folk, fathers of these youths, in a rather tragic spirit of resignation, say simply that the old fashions died with the new teachings of missionary and the new mode of life and discipline introduced by the white man and his government.

It is true that they do not feel very deeply about these things. They do not argue; they simply accept things uncomplainingly, being. I think, un able fully to appreciate the import of the changes that have come upon them with such bewildering rapidity and in such variety. Life is to them a thing socially controlled, a regular and un deviating pursuit of the path tradition ally prescribed. If the nature or the course of the path change, “Maski!” (never mind); there is still a line to follow, and they follow it unthinkingly.

That is, the older people; it is not so, however, with the youth.

It is when one sits amongst these people at such times as I am now writing about, that there seems to come to

one an inexpressible sort of under standing of their mental modes and outlook. One realises the lack of breadth of their mental reactions, due, again, to the lack of complexity in their customary life and the conse quent lack of demand upon their men tality to interpret matters that would

challenge the mind of the European.

The gospel of “Maski!” and “me no savee” represents, indeed, all the fatalism of the native universe done up in verbal tabloid form.

What does one get out of it all, this work? And what is its practical value, this study by the man of the more complex mental equipment of his fellow-man of a lower mental plane?

I don’t know, much; and I care less.

There is nothing of personal ambition in one’s attitude, that much is certain; all that seems to vanish when one comes amongst these people and realises their mental simplicity. Be yond the satisfaction of knowing and feeling daily more and more that one is gradually entering with under standing into a world of creation’s manifestation infinitely different from one’s own, what more could one de sire?

As I sit here now writing, I look outwards to the primitive village. The moon is up, bright and clear as only the tropic moon can be; the surf lines shine momentarily silver as their advancing ranks break and eddy upon the reef-bar.

There is a spirit of festivity, even at this late hour, in the village below, for is not this the great gathering time of Malagan, as was the fashion b’long before? Groups of clan re latives, gathered together from distant places for this great and final gesture of Melake, squat in dotted numbers all over the ground, each around its small open-air family fire. “Sing-sings” (dances) are practising everywhere.

Young people, not otherwise engaged, inspired by the general air of fes tivity, parade about aimlessly, laughing and whispering, a little self-conscious, perhaps, as is the universal way of youth, but with an entire absence of shame.

And Melake himself? The centre of an admiring group of his clansmen, in the men’s enclosure that belongs ex clusively to the clan —the older women are in the “house mumu” (cooking stone houses) for no woman in this society ever approaches the portals of the men’s reserve —he tells over and over, with pauses that represent the backward wanderings of a mind that looks ever backwards, of what even he, despite his traditional primitive con servatism, has learned to call, in that curious pidgin that is everywhere sup planting the old native tongues, “fashion b’long before.”

Another study of Melake, “big fella man b'long altogether something b'long before.”

N.G. Cadetships.

p. 20

Fine Type of Applicants.

THE 2126 applicants for the six vacan cies for cadets in the New Guinea Administration service have been nar rowed down to 76. After interviewing these applicants, the Minister for Island Territories (Mr. Marr) commented fav ourably on their physique and other qualities.

Among the men whose applications are still before the Minister are University graduates, accountants, ex-flying officers and ex-naval officers of the Jervis Bay Naval College. The selected men will spend two years in the Mandated Terri tory and then will study anthropology for a year at Sydney University.

Mr. Marr said that the Federal Cabi net had agreed to subsidise the Chair of Anthropology at the Sydney University at the rate of £1,250 a year, and had asked the State Governments to add a further £1,250.

Penalises Thursday Is.

p. 21

How the Navigation Act Penalises Thursday Is.

Residents Want Japanese Ships to Call.

From Our Own C»rrespondent

Thursday Is., Jan. 28.

SINCE the withdrawal of the E. & A. steamers from this port, owing to de viation of route, passengers have found it difficult at times to obtain travelling accommodation.

The A. & O. steamers, and the B.P. ships, as well as the coastal boat, make a regular monthly run, but only one of the B.P. steamers carries women passen gers, the other (a converted cargo steamer put on after the loss of the “Malabar”), having accommodation for only a limited number of males.

Another drawback is that, as time tables are at present arranged, all the steamers for South leave T.I. within a few days of one another, leaving a gap of a fortnight or three weeks before the next ship. The “Taiping” this month is a full ship, and the wires have been busy concerning passengers waiting to travel south, including children return ing to school.

It was announced first of all that there would be no accommodation for other than second-class passengers, and pos sibly not even that, no definite informa tion being available until the ship was within a couple of days of port. Com munication was then established with the Commonwealth authorities to ascer tain whether permission would be granted some waiting passengers to travel per the Japanese mail steamer, due within a few days.

The Japanese steamers call here monthly, and formerly carried passen gers to and from south, but under the provisions of the Navigation Act this privilege was withdrawn from them as well as from other overseas vessels not British-owned.

Following upon urgent representations, instructions were received locally for the A. & O. steamer to provide suitable ac commodation. A day before the steamer’s arrival, wireless messages were received stating that a case of smallpox was on board, and that there was every prob ability of the steamer having to proceed straight to Sydney in quarantine.

As over 20 people were anxiously awaiting information as to how they were to get away, there being no other steamers due with permission to carry passengers until the middle of February (and no airways service), the wires were again requisitioned, and permission sought for the Japanese steamer to con vey them when she calls in a few days.

On arrival at the anchorage on Janu ary 23, however, the Quarantine Officer pronounced the A. & O. ship clean, and a sigh of relief went up from the stranded ones.

It is time, however, that some definite steps were taken to have an alteration made in the Act permitting- Japanese steamers to carry passengers from here.

It will possibly be said that the stumb ling blocks are the rates of wages on these ships and the employment of col oured labour; but both the other lines employ coloured men and it would prob able be found that there is no very great difference in rates of pay.

Thursday Island residents, after the present experience, combined with the inconvenience of long waits between ships will now not be content until some better arrangements are made.

New Guinea Gold.

p. 21

Rich Discoveries.

THE Mining Trust, consulting engineers for New Guinea Goldfields, Ltd., re port that they have received a mes sage from the manager that new dredg ing areas have been discovered —pre sumably in New Guinea.

The areas are at the junction of two rivers, each the size of Bulolo, one cov ering a grass flat, eight miles long by 1500 feet wide, the other ten miles by 3,000 feet. Both are potentially import ant dredging areas, Drilling will be necessary to deter mine the values and the character of the bed rock; but as an indication of the possible values of the new ground, pros pects taken on six of the best panning beaches average 3/6 per yard. The pros pect holes were not bottomed owing to water.

The hydro electric possibilities of the areas have not yet been investigated but are reasonably assured.

Mission Trading In

New Guinea.

[Letter to the Editor ] I have read with interest the letters of your various contributors about Mission Trading, and now let me kindly add my little squeal.

I have been trading for three years in the Markham Valley, New Guinea, where I am opposed by two Lutheran mission stations, one at Kayapit and one at Gabsonki. When Mr. E. A. Feldt was District Officer here and was en route to the Ramu disturbances I placed my case before him and he declined to issue licences to the missions men tioned. Later the missions appealed to the Administrator and have since been granted trading-licences. I am enclos ing the reply to my objection to these licences.

It is useless for these missions to say they do not trade. Their prices are dearer than mine, but they have more influence over the natives, and do not hesitate to use it to foster trade.

I have been compelled to close my Antiragin store on account of mission opposition. A missionary receives £40 per annum and found; the transport officer receives £10 per annum and found; missions receive a great quan tity of their goods in donations from Germany and America. So how can a trader be expected to survive against them ?

I think the missions should be com pelled by law to confine themselves to the spiritual welfare of the natives and thus put an end to such companies as “The Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ltd.” of Kokopo and the “Lutheran Mission Stores” of Finch-hafen and its branches.

I am, etc.,

Clement Hendry.

Sangan, N.G., Dec. 20, 1932.

The enclosed letter from the District Officer at Salamaua to Mr. Hendry is dated December 14, 1932, and reads;— “Receipt is acknowledged of your letter of 5th instant, in which you lodge an objection to trading licences being granted to the Lutheran Missions in respect of their properties at Gab sonki and Kayapit.

“In reply I have to advise that the Missions are, by law, entitled to trade on certain properties and, conse quently, when they apply for trading licenses for such properties same are issued.”

Caught in Fiji Waters.

Swordfish.

WHILE trolling- with a hanclline from the Government ketch “Derek,” Mr.

Rostier, of the Fiji Works Depart ment, hooked a swordfish near Kandavn on January 25. The swordfish fought viciously till subdued and it took the efforts of three Fijians to lift it on board. It measured 7ft. 5½ins. and the sword was 2ft. 7½ins. long. This is proof of the assertions of Mr. Zane Grey that there is good swordfishing to be had in Fijian waters.

Litigation in Papua.

Judgments In Port

Romilly Suit.

THE long-drawn-out litigation in con nection with the Port Romilly Saw mills was brought to a conclusion on January 3, when Mr. Justice Gore gave judgment for the plaintiffs (Port Romilly Sawmills) on one suit and for Captain Fitch (managing director of the Steam ships Trading Co.), defendant, on the other.

The Company claimed from Captain Fitch £1049/13/7 as an amount wrongly retained as commission while acting as a voluntary liquidator, together with £81/10/- as interest to the date of the writ. The plaintiffs got judgment for the amount claimed, but the claim for interest was disallowed.

Judgment was given for Captain Fitch on his counter claim of £1279/1/1. His Honor found that just and proper work, beneficial to the Company, was done by defendant and was unconnected with the voluntary liquidation. He allowed Cap tain Fitch £223/17/2 as an indemnity against costs incurred by defendant in the action Lett v. Port Romilly Sawmills and Fitch. The order of the Court was that the amount due for costs should rank equally with other costs, charges and expenses of the liquidation.

Malaria.

New Preventive Measure.

A NEW method of fighting the malaria scourge to be adopted by the Bengal Government in the Burdwan district, where the disease is probably more pre valent than elsewhere in India, and causes hundreds of deaths every year is thus reported in “The Sydney Morning Herald.”

Methods hitherto employed aimed either at curing people already infected or ex terminating the malaria mosquito, but the new experiment aims at preventing the mosquito from being infected by en suring that persons from whom the mos quito collects malaria parasites shall themselves be non-infective.

To achieve this it is proposed to ad minister a drug called plasmoquin. which, if taken with quinine for three days, it is claimed, will render the patient non-infective to mosquitoes. The experiment, which will cost £1540 will take place this summer, when treatment centres will be opened in a selected area of Burdwan and a field staff deputed to distribute the drug.

For the purpose of assessing the ex port duty payable on copra, the assessed value per ton of copra exported from the Mandated Territory during January was declared to be £ 10/11/10.

“Whisky-Ruled Mentality.”

[Letter to the Editor]

Sir —Mr. Henry Dexter "does me proud” with certain of his remarks under the above title, in an open letter in your far-flung organ of the Pacific, ad dressed to my humble and aged self.

I, therefore, forgive him his witty criticisms —especially as they are really, when one analyses them, a defence of whisky-drinking in the tropics!

Dear old, wise, and selfish Lord Chesterfield gave us what we badly need, nowadays, as a chart, or “vade mecum”; but his “wise cracks*’ are hidden from the present, game-mad generation-in-plus-fours, by the eclips ing cricket and golf news. But I must quote his famous: “A letter left long enough, will answer itself.” Time will answer Mr. Dexter.

Mr. Dexter writes from beautiful Milne Bay, that wonderful and his toric harbourage, where pre-historic astronomers and voyagers graved upon the rocks their interesting evidences; and where later heroes, Captain Moresby, the noble and splendid Abel, and others, found a safe resting-place.

Now, my first experience of Milne Bay was as the guest of a hospitable pearl trader, whose dangerous vagaries nearly brought my Pacific investiga tions to a close —caused by his all too devoted attention to the whisky bottle !

How many a beautiful youth, the result of generations of parental care and civilisation, has received his fatal dose of malaria, or B.W. fever, when stretched in the inviting lounge-chairs under “pub” verandahs, with the usual, flash bare-knees, after a long looked-forward-to meeting with the “boys”—and a few drinks of that poison of tropic-hospitality— whisky!

Eve (whose apple was probably an orange, the peel of which has ever menaced the Achilles-heel of Adam)

to-day rules the modern world! Mere man can hardly enter her presence without observing the social procedure of first partaking of poisonous and ex hilarating cock-tails, or whisky.

The old, well-made, and valuable national-drinks of England, Germany, and France, beer, cider and wine, have mostly disappeared before the now prevailing Scotch pick-me-up—whose first and only excuse was that “vilain soir d’hiver” of Highland snows, and indigestible porridge-diet!

The only value of old fogies, like myself, to later-arrived humans is that our experiences may serve as guidance.

But this is proverbially unwelcome to the Dexters of the new generation!

When I arrived in Australia as artist for a London paper in 1887, the greatest writer the Pacific has seen, button-holed me at the Club, and said: “You look like a youngster who will take advice! Now, in Queensland, you must either be a teetotaller, or drink whisky like a fish. They’ll look upon you as a great fool for not getting drunk! But your compensation will come in after years, when you can regard them in that same light!”

There are great drinkers who can withstand tropic conditions, like the Boyds of Fiji and elsewhere, of past days; but they are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Probably most of our troubles in England and Papua, to-day, are born of this “whisky-mentality” which Mr.

Dexter has so kindly enabled me to have the opportunity of “gassing” at length about—not after “a few months’ experience,” as he writes; but after two or three times his experience, at any rate, of tropic conditions in the Pacific, as well as elsewhere, I am, etc.,

Arthur J. Vogan.

Pymble, 31/1/33.

Airmen For Pacific.

Departing Pilots Saluted by Aero Club.

THE “Macdhui” and the “Aorangi” both left Sydney on the same day (Feb ruary 2) and both vessels, as they departed, had air escorts as a mark of honour for airmen leaving on Islands enterprises.

Three members of the Aero Club were giving an airman’s farewell to Capt. H T. Hammond, who left by the “Macdhui” for the Morobe Goldfield, New Guinea; and three more saluted Mr. J. G. Boehm, of Australian Aircrafts, Ltd., who left by the “Aorangi” with Genairco ’planes and equipment for Fiji Airways. As an nounced in our December issue, Mr. A.

S. Cross, having organised Fiji Airways, Ltd., with the support of the Fiji Gov ernment and Guinea Airways, Ltd., is now settled down in Suva, and Mr

Boehm will join him there.

Beatrice Grimshaw To Grow

Tobacco.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 10.

Miss Beatrice Grimshaw, The

noted novelist, who has recently re turned from a visit to Rossel Is land, to get local colour for a new novel, has bought a property on the Laloki River, 15 miles from Port Moresby, owned previously by Messrs. Flynn and Adams and called the Laloki Tobacco Plantation.

Miss Grimshaw intends planting to bacco and is making arrangements to secure a manager for the property.

Papuan tobacco has a market in Eng land and it is not long ago that over three shillings a pound was offered for a good grade of tobacco from Papua.

Tongan Princes In

Sydney.

Prince Uiliame Tugi, Prince Con

sort to Queen Salote, and Premier of Tonga, accompanied by his son Prince Taufa’ahan, arrived in Sydney by the "‘Aorangi” on January 27.

Prince Taufa’ahan will remain in Syd ney and will attend Newington College, where Prince Tugi was educated. Both are keenly interested in cricket and have spent much time at the test matches.

Other Tongan nobles have been and are being educated at Newington.

receive co-operation here Monopolies

p. 24

“Bremerhaven” — And

“Monopolies.”

A valued correspondent in the British Solomons writes bitingly: On the arrival of the s.s. “Mataram at Tulagi, the capital of the Solomons Group, it is usual for the residents to go aboard and meet friends returning from holidays and to receive news.

On December 7 I was wandering around the lower deck and, on entering the hall, chanced to glance at the wire less news. There was one message at least that interested me.

“Bremerhaven will in future call at the Solomons to collect copra for direct shipments overseas. Great consternation here (Sydney) for fear of disease likely to be imported into the Group.

What a feeble effort on the part of “someone” to cruel the pitch for the ulti mate establishment of a cheap cargo service! It is about time we were given a cheaper service and those responsible for the “Bremerhaven” calling here will

receive co-operation here Monopolies

and frozen credit are undoubtedly the cause of world depression to-day and we have to thank monopolies for the slump in copra, and it is a well authenti cated fact that it entirely rests with one monopoly at least whether copra prices will ever rise again, unless other firms compete on the open market or the mon opoly evil is forbidden by law.

The same thing applies to shipping.

Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd. have for many years been left unmolested, with the re sult that they can charge what they like.

They also receive a mail subsidy. A five days’ trip from Brisbane to Tulagi costs an Island’s resident £3/12/- per day, yet a tourist—who, by the way, is noth ing but a damned nuisance and is utterly useless from a business point, as he spends nothing in this Group can travel from Sydney around the Group and back (occupying 28 days) tor the sum of 30/per day. Which, naturally, seems ridicu lous to the residents here.

Zeitgeist.

EDITORIAL NOTE. —Our conrespondent is so far astray in his conclusions that we were dis inclined to publish his communication. But, as others seem to hold similar views, perhaps we may reply to them all together.

The alarm concerning ships from the far East entering the Solomons and other groups without proper check against diseases, is quite real and genuine. So long as the New Guinea and Solo mons groups are worked by ships from Australia, there need be no anxiety; but there should be the strictest examination of vessels coming in o places where they may pick up diseases dangerous to men and plants. An Asiatic epidemic could do incalculable harm to the native races before it could be checked, and the introduction ot a plant disease might easily cause damage running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. There was no assurance in December—and there is none yet—that these ships from Asia, entering the Solomons, would comply with quaran tine and other regulations; and the agitation apparently will not cease until that assurance is givn.

The feeling against Messrs. Burns, Philp, ex pressed by our correspondent, is typical and quite illogical. If the big firm were making excessive profits and dividends, there would be justification for such talk; but its accounts show that, during many decades, it has traded only for a comfortable margin of profit, and can fairly claim to have been a benevolent monopoly. There is no point in the reference to tourist fares.

The ships are run primarily, not for tourists, but to give service to a certain definite com munity in the Islands; and fares are planned ac cordingly. The tourist traffic is irregular and evanescent, and cannot be depended upon, and rates, therefore, are kept low to attract tourists.

If there were a fixed number of tourists per

voyage, it is obvious that the residents’ rate could be lowered and the tourist rate increased.

But that is impossible under present conditions.

The attitude of both big trading firms towards the German competition is that such competition will not give them serious concern, so long as the Germans are forced to comply with the same conditions as are imposed upon the Australians.

Arrival at Tulagi.

p. 24

From a Special Correspondent.

Tulagi, Jan. 31.

THE “Bremerhaven” paid her first visit to Tulagi on Boxing Day. It was rather an unfortunate time to turn up, as a trading licence for the remain ing days of the year would have cost £ 80, so business was somewhat hampered; especially as the “Mataram” had only a few days before cleaned up the port.

However, a common carrier’s licence costing £15 for the trip was taken out and a small amount of freight was landed in Chinatown from Hongkong.

Her main port on this voyage will be Gizo, where it is understood 800 tons per annum have been guaranteed.

If promises are fulfilled, this vessel may capture a fair amount of trade, and Messrs. Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd., and W. R. Carpenter will need to do some quick thinking and acting in order to compete with her.

Another point that will have to be considered is the effect on the stores.

Chinatown to-day is, very largely, im porting its own goods direct from China, in spite of the fact that most of the Chinese are heavily in debt to one or other or both of the big firms; and, owing to the alarming increase in vari ety, and astonishingly low prices of Chinese manufactured trade goods, these traders are capturing a slice of local white trade. Since the advent of the “Bremerhaven,” which is to call at Tu lagi every two months, they will no doubt land their goods more cheaply than hitherto.

Air Mail To Goldfields

p. 24

THE Australian Postal Department advises that arrangements have been made to utilise the aerial service from Port Moresby to Wau and Salamaua for correspondence posted within the Commonwealth addressed to these places and goldfields in New Guinea.

The aeroplane leaves Port Moresby shortly after the arrival of the steamers “Macdhui” and “Montoro,” and air mail correspondence will be accelerated from seven to fourteen days according to the address.

The aerial service commenced with the “Macdhui,” which left Brisbane on February 4.

The air mail fee is twopence per ounce, in addition to ordinary postage, and if the Aus tralian air service is also utilised, an additional air fee of threepence per half ounce is necessary.

All classes of postal articles except parcels will be accepted, and they should bear a “Par Avion” blue label or be endorsed “By Air Mail.”

Samoan News.

p. 25

Brisk Christmas Business.

From Our Own Correspondent.

APIA, January 20.

CHRISTMAS in Samoa was much quieter than for many years. The merchants had tuned down their business expectations; but they were pleasantly surprised when business during the festive season turned out to be very good indeed.

Sidewalks and stores of Apia were thronged by busy buyers, and it seemed as if Europeans and natives had saved up in their proverbial stockings for a long time, to be able to celebrate Christmas much in the usual and normal way. Nobody will grudge the long suffering commercial community this well deserved good-luck, when fateful 1932 has spelt mostly losses and disappointments for them.

MALUA college breaking-up.

The Administrator and Mrs. Hart last month paid an official visit to the old-established London Mission Society College at Malua. The premises were tastefully decorated, and a guard of honour of 100 students paraded to wel come the visitors.

At the annual prize-giving of Malua College, Mrs. Hart graciously distri buted the prizes to the students.

Later, the adjoining Boys’ High School was inspected, and Mrs. Hart also distributed prizes for the year’s work. As at the College, His Excel lency again addressed the scholars in appropriate words. In the afternoon, a native ta ’a colo (dance and song) was given by the students in honour of the Administrator’s visit, and some beauti ful presents were handed to the guests.

The proceedings were terminated by the students singing the National Anthem.

Tamasese’S Memory.

On December 28, a memorial service was held at the handsomely decorated graves of the late High Chief Tamasese and other dead Samoans. A procession of about 400 Samoan Mau women, clad in Mau uniforms, marched in proces sion through Apia to Lepea, to attend the service.

Farewell To Rev. Shinkfield.

The Rev. and Mrs. Shinkfield were guests of honour at a farewell party at the Casino on January 17, when about 25 friends foregathered to say “Tofa” to the popular minister. Rev. and Mrs. Shinkfield received the good wishes of all present for their departure from Samoa’s shores.

Native followers of the Wesleyan Church from all parts of the group, had gathered at the Faleula Mission to bid farewell to Rev. Shinkfield. Large numbers of natives attended the gathering, and many valuable presents were given to the departing minister.

New Bathing And Boating

Club.

A club is being formed for bathing and boating amongst the younger sports of Apia. It is proposed to erect a bathing shed and boat houses for canoes etc., on a site conveniently Situated at Valala,

Anglican Women’S Guild.

An Anglican Women’s Guild has been formed by Apia ladies to promote the work of the new Anglican chaplaincy under Rev. Morain. At a gathering at the Casino, Mesdames McCarthy and Smyth acted as hostesses at tea to a large number of Apia ladies, prominent amongst whom was Mrs. Hart, the wife of the Administrator.

Personal.

Mrs. and Miss Turnbull left for New Zealand by last “Maui Pomare.”

Mr. C. McKay, of the Secretariat, returned from Furlough by the “Maui Pomare.” Mrs. McKay is staying in New Zealand for an extended holiday.

The Auditor, Mr. Gair, and Mrs.

Gair, left by the “Maui Pomare” on furlough.

Two-Thirds British.

New Companies’ Ordinance in N.G.

A NEW Companies’ Ordinance for New Guinea, published on January 19, provides that no company having for its objects or one of its objects the engaging in agricultural, pastoral or for estry pursuits, or aerial navigation, shall be formed or registered under its pro visions unless at least two-thirds of the shares issued by the company are held by or on behalf of British subjects.

T.I. Rainfall.

Water Shortage Feared.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Jan. 25.

THE town reservoir has been depleted for some weeks, and water has been turned off, residents having to de pend on their own rainwater tanks.

January has been a dry month, and only five inches of rain have fallen to date, though normally we should be get ting from twelve to thirty inches for the month. There have been exception ally dry years when the annual rainfall has been only about ten inches or so, as in 1890, and townsfolk are hoping that 1933 is not going to be included in that list.

In the early days of the settlement, when water was scarce, the naval cutter “Pearl” was requisitioned to carry a cargo to the town. The commander, how ever, objected to his “gunboat” being used for water-carrying and protested, but submitted to authority. Just as he got into the harbour, a deluge of rain came down and filled the domestic tanks.

The most pleased person was the “Pearl’s” commander, who straightway emptied his water tanks into the sea and was thus able to say—“I told them I wouldn’t act as a common water carrier, and I didn’t!”

The Postmaster (Mr. Grenier) has been looking up rainfall records over the last forty-two years, and comparisons are very interesting. Some of the figures are:

Inches.

Inches. 1890 10.50 1911 53.11 1891 80.37 1912 61.54 1892 71.08 1913 82.87 1893 79.79 1914 79.47 1894 79.58 1915 43.87 1895 34.16 1916 94.22 1896 34.67 1917 89.30 1897 59.65 1918 45.33 1898 98.50 1919 54.12 1899 63.53 1920 58.26 1900 32.04 1921 63.54 1901 57.09 1922 63.04 1902 68.67 1923 77.21 1908 60.68 1924 60.92 1909 80.28 1925 65.01 1910 75.82

Among Lunatics.

Their Practical Joke.

Trader Who Thought He Was Among Lunatics.

By “Zeitgeist."

A GOOD deal of interest has been manifested in the Solomon Islands of late regarding the identity and purpose in these waters of a Japanese mystery ship.

It is stated by those who have seen this ship that it is about 50 tons capacity, low in the water, has collapse able masts, carries a powerful search light and is exceptionally fast —its speed being no less than 20 m.p.h. with silent engines.

At first it was assumed that the ship was being used for the purpose of shell piracy, but after much consideration on the part of authority the conclusion is that some ulterior motive is connected with its presence here.

An amusing episode connected with the above was enacted in Tulagi a few days ago.

Two young Government officials de cided to have a joke with a new Gov ernment arrival. They entered a Chinese restaurant here for a meal, knowing that the new official would be along shortly. They had not long to wait. When all were eating, the matter of the Japanese ship was dis cussed, and one of the jokers said that a certain trader had actually obtained a distinct photograph of the ship. Up pricked the ears of the new Govern ment official; but he was told to say nothing about the matter. The next morning he had told his superior officer about the photograph, and the name of the trader. The result was that an urgent letter was immediately despatched to the trader, who was in port at the time, requesting his im mediate presence at the ‘‘top office."

He was received like a long-lost brother, and after much talk about patriotism, piracy, pratique, espionage, etc., he was firmly requested to hand over the photograph of the Japanese ship.

The trader, being quite ignorant of the whole thing, naturally concluded he had fallen among lunatics, and the explanations that followed were pain ful and embarrassing.

The newly-arrived official is believed to be planning a dark and dirty re venge.

Airman’S Engagement.

AN engagement of interest is that of Miss Ruby Waldon, daughter of Mr, and Mrs. B. Waldon, of Granville, Sydney, to the famous airman, Lieuten ant Ray Parer, of Wau, New Guinea.

Miss Waldon is a distinguished violin ist and won scholarships at the Sydney Conservatorium to the Royal Academy, London, where she graduated L.A.B. She holds the Colony Medal for the violin.

Miss Waldon, who is popular among New Guinea and Papuan residents, was a social hostess on the “Macdhui," where she met Lieutenant Parer.

The rainfall at Rabaul for the month of December was 13.22 inches. This is higher than the average, which for the last 18 years was 9.88 inches.

Popularity of South Pacific Cruises.

p. 27

THE increasing popularity of short holiday cruises from Sydney by pal atial overseas liners has prompted the shipping companies of other nations to follow suit.

Messageries Maritimes, Ltd., an nounces a cruise by the motor liner “Eridan” on April 28. This vessel is well-known in the Australia-Marseilles- Dunkirk service and will take about 100 passengers for a 10-day cruise, two days of which will be spent in Noumea.

While Port Moresby is making a bid for popularity as a tourist centre, Nou mea still seems to be the drawcard. The P. and O. time-tables include a cruise to Noumea in April by the “Narkunda” and another by the “Mooltan” in July, as well as two cruises to Papua, one by the “Maloja” in June and another by the “Strathaird” in August.

A cruise to Noumea will be under taken by the Orient liner “Oronsay” at Easter. The “Otranto,” of the same line, will go to New Guinea and possibly on to the New Hebrides in June, and the “Oronsay” will again make a cruise in August, but this time to New Guinea.

When the Cunard liner “Carinthia” calls at Sydney on her world cruise, Australian tourists will join her for the remainder of the voyage. This will be the first time that any of these world tourist steamers has picked up passen gers at an Australian port for the con tinuation of the tour. The “Carinthia” will be followed closely by the new Mat son liner “Lurline,” which is making a world cruise as her maiden voyage.

Skilful handling of a 'plane by Lieu tenant Ray Parer prevented what might easily have been a crash at Wau on January 2. The 'plane, a Fokker, ar rived at Wau minus a part of its land ing gear, but, being handled in masterly fashion by Mr. Parer, made a good land . ing due to the ability of the pilot.

Orient Liner Oronsay Entering Noumea Harbour.

-Photo by courtesy of “Church Standard."

Seaplane for N.G.

p. 27

Administration.

THE Department of Defence and De partment of Territories are consider ing the question of sending a sea plane to the Mandated Territory to re place the steam yacht “Franklin,” which was sold recently.

It is considered that a seaplane would expedite travel, could go to any place that a steamer could visit and would be much cheaper to maintain.

Fiji News.

p. 28

New Scenic Road.

From Our Own Correspondent.

BA, January 14.

The Lautoka-Sigatoka road was opened a few months ago to light traffic, and a number of motorists have made the trip. Some of the views are beautiful, and well worth the journey.

A pass has to be obtained from the District Engineer before one can pro ceed, as the road is sometimes impass able after heavy showers, and a car would plough it up. About 20 miles still remain to be gravelled, and the road will be open to public traffic.

This delightful trip should become a favourite with motorists, and charming Sigatoka will become a rendezvous for excursions.

Cyclone “Misses.”

We have had constant rain and hot weather lately, and, as is usual during this kind of weather, much mild sick ness is about; no doubt caused by the very sudden changes in temperature.

Swarms of mosquitoes are prevalent, and we should be thankful that malaria is not on our list of sicknesses.

The glass dropped a few points when a cyclone in the New Hebrides was veering our way. We felt quite re lieved at the news that it had passed by, as none would like to experience a recurrence of the disastrous flood and hurricane of 1931, when so many lives were lost.

Talkies For Lautoka.

Mr. C. Meyer, of Suva, has several times visited Ba and Lautoka with his “Talkie” outfit, and hopes soon to be able to erect his own theatre here.

Owing to the present hall not being built for talkies, none of his shows have been quite successful, but have

been good considering the circum stances under which he has to show, and he deserves every success for his enterprise. He has been unfortunate in having several serious breakdowns, but when he has a permanent installa tion we hope to be up with the times.

Cricket And Dance.

The Governor’s yacht, H.M.C.S.

“Pioneer” came from Suva to Lautoka on Christmas Eve with a full comple ment of sporting enthusiasts. The item of interest was the cricket match between the Northern and Southern divisions for the Governor’s Cup.

Suva was not able to send a represen tative team, so we had an easy vic tory of 9 wickets. The standard of play was not very high, owing, no doubt, to Christmas celebrations and the prevailing hot weather; but every body enjoyed themselves. The visitors were entertained at luncheon by the winners. It is hoped that a return match will be played in Suva at Easter.

On Boxing night, a dance was held in the Lautoka Social Hall for the visitors, which was patronised by a large crowd. No one seemed in a hurry to leave, and there was a rush to board the last boat for the ship in the wee hours. Everybody voted the dance a success, and all thanks are due to Mr. “Bhai” Bossley for his untiring efforts to give the visitors a good time. During the evening, Mrs.

N. Edwards, Miss Ryder and Mr. Frank Beddoes kindly contributed to the music.

A drowning occurred last Sunday in the Vitogo River, about 5 miles from Lautoka, when a Bombay Indian was drowned. About thirty of his com patriots went for a picnic, and the de ceased went further up the river than the others. He must have got out of his depth. The only witness of the tragedy was a young lad, who called for help which came too late.

Two Europeans and five half-castes have been made to take out prohibition orders against themselves or else loose their jobs. Every four weeks a large number of the C.S.R. Co.’s men get paid, and on the Friday and Satur day nights most them have a real “night out.” In a place like this, where there are so few amusements for the young folk, and where the male popu lation exceeds the female, it has been the custom for these men to congre gate at the local “pub.” Apparently the Company have got tired of warning them, with the above results, and last pay day passed almost unnoticed.

Unflattering Opinion.

p. 28

The Melanesian.

[Letter to the Editor ] I note from recent issues of “The Pacific Islands Monthly” that wide publicity has been given to the severe sentence imposed upon a New Guinea planter for his treatment of a native labourer. Might I, as a reader of your most interesting and just publication, be permitted to express my admiration of the fair stand you have taken re garding the matter. I am specially re ferring to your remarks following the article written by Mr. Vogan.

This gentleman publicly states that he is an authority on native psy chology, etc., but my friends, who are internationally-known anthropologists, do not know him.

If Mr. Vogan knew anything about the hybrid mixture called Melanesians and their extremely distant descent from the first sub-race of the fifth root race, he would refrain from comparing them with the last sub-race of the fifth. The progenitors of the Melanians suffered nearly total annihilation, through causes created by themselves.

The Melanesian racially is an ex tremely poor specimen, ranking amongst the lowest type of humanity.

He has no form of religion, he is an arrant coward, a liar to the backbone, constitutionally weak, lacking in gratitude, and an animal by instinct.

There is a geometry that applies to races and nations, an equation of their curve of advance; but the Melanesians have not even advanced to the de finition stage. Mr. Vogan certainly defends the native and does not fail continually to emphasise the fact that their predecessors were, in the dear dead days beyond recall, natives of India. I suppose I could also state, with a fair degree of accuracy, that my own race progenitors sat at the Last Supper with Christ, but that does not prove that I am a Christian or that I am at liberty to partake of Com munion with the saints.

Mr. Vogan would probably do well to commit to memory the following, especially as it is a Vedic transla tion: — “Each gain for self denies the self that knows the self is vain; Who crowns accomplishment with pride must build the whole again”

I am, etc.,

Zeitgeist.

16/1/33.

On An Eastern Cruise.

p. 29

Rush to Join “Franklin’s” Crew.

BY last “Macdhui” a party of 19 left for Rabaul, where they will join the ex Administration yacht “Franklin,” which was sold by the Commonwealth Government last month. The new owner, Mr. W. L. Buckland was a member of the party.

Mr. Buckland purchased the “Frank lin” with the object of cruising in the East in her. Having advertised in Aus tralian newspapers for a crew of “pas sage workers” at 1/- per month, he was inundated with applications, over 1,000 amateur mariners being eager for jobs.

Most of the applicants were young University graduates and under graduates and, after a strenuous period of interviewing applicants, the re quired number were chosen. The “crew" includes a number of young women and all were in the best of spirits when the “Macdhui” left Sydney and looking for ward eagerly to the adventure.

However, they will find the “Franklin” a vastly different proposition from the “Macdhui.” Though she is labelled a yacht, the “Franklin” is a notoriously bad roller and, as the tender for the R.A.N, College at Jervis Bay, distin guished herself on several occasions by making hard-bitten destroyer seamen seasick.

Once they got their “sea legs” the crew should have an interesting cruise, as it is seldom that an opportunity occurs of visiting the many ports the “Franklin” will of necessity call at.

Samoan Sentenced.

p. 29

Fight About Native Title.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Apia, Nov. 20.

AFTER an extended hearing occupying five days, a case, arising out of an affray between Samoans over a na tive title, terminated last week. A native Tuimalo was struck with an axe during the fight and died in Apia Hospital from his injuries.

A native, Lamoletolo, known as Tolo, was arrested and charged mainly on cir cumstantial evidence, though he stead fastly denied his guilt.

The case was heard before four asses sors, one of whom was a Samoan chief.

Much conflicting evidence was heard and the accused, in the witness box, denied possession of the axe found at the scene of the murder and stated that he had not seen the victim at the time of the fight.

After lengthy deliberations, the Jury agreed on a verdict of manslaughter, which was pronounced by the foreman, Mr. F. A. J. Rutherford. The assessors added a recommendation for leniency, owing to the great excitement amongst the interested families over a disagree ment about their native title.

His Honor, Chief Judge J. H. Luxford, thereupon pronounced sentence of seven years’ imprisonment. He commented that the deed had been committed under pro vocation and specially admonished the Samoans in future to abide by the de cisions of the Lands and Titles Com mission in regard to their native titles.

His Honor specially thanked the asses sors for having performed their difficult and arduous task in a very satisfactory way.

Fiji’S Record Sugar

p. 29

Crop.

How to Beat Depression.

From Our Own Correspondent BA, Jan. 14.

THE Lautoka mill stopped crushing early in the month, and Rarawai fol lowed suit a week later.

Both mills have just completed record crushes and are hoping to effect all re pairs and overhauling in 16 weeks, so that they may be able to dispose of the record crops of cane now growing.

Money now seems to be circulating and business in most of the stores seems to be improving. All we need now is rain and next year the ugly word “depression” will seem but a nightmare.

Both mills were fortunate in having no serious breakdowns, and everything ran smoothly, which reflects credit upon the efficiency of the staffs.

Pioneer Of Tonga.

Death Of Mrs. Mary

Brahne

THE death occurred in Sydney on Feb ruary 1 of Mrs. Mary Brahne, who had been a resident of Tonga since 1879.

The late Mrs. Brahne was an Aus tralian and, in 1879, sailed with her brother in the schooner “John Wesley” on what was in those days an adventur ous voyage.

In Tonga she met and married Mr.

Brahne and settled on his plantation near Nukualofa. Mrs. Brahne had ten children, of whom three sons are still in Tonga; a daughter Violet is a nurse at the War Memorial Hospital, Suva; and two sons are in Auckland.

After the death of her husband, about three years ago, the late Mrs. Brahne came to Sydney and had been living quietly at Neutral Bay.

Murder Feared.

Two Travellers Disappear Near Dutch Border.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Jan. 25.

FEARS are entertained that Messrs.

Sebree and Jones, two young men who bought a cutter at Thursday Is land and sailed her through Torres Strait and up to the coast, of New Guinea, have been murdered by New Guinea natives.

Boigu Island people, just off the coast of New Guinea but within Queensland borders —the island on which the “Tree of Skulls” stands —have brought along reports of the tragedy as they have re ceived the story from friendly natives of New Guinea, and the Thursday Island police are investigating, as relatives of the missing men are anxiously seeking news of them.

The “Kuiam,” the cutter in which the men sailed, was last seen to the west of Boigu, after the third member of the ex pedition, a young man named Gatty, had left the two others and made his way ashore on the New Guinea coast oppo site Saibai Island.

According to reports from friendly na tives, the boat called in at a spot near the Morehead River, and there the two men (who are said to have been on a prospecting expedition, but were reticent about their plans) landed and began to build a circular structure of cement, with “glass bottles and a lot of wires,” which caused the natives some concern.

How they were killed is not yet ascer tained, but a native policeman is stated to have obtained the heads of the vic tims from the tribe responsible, and to have taken them to the Dutch officials just over the border, as the nearest British officer is stationed at Daru, along way eastward.

Although the villages opposite Boigu and just along the New Guinea coast are quiet, further into the west the na tives have a bad reputation as head hunters, and strangers should certainly not go seeking adventure in that vicin ity unless they have due protection.

The Daru officials, in addition to being a long way from the spot, are without means of sea transportation at present.

There are no missionaries working in this particular locality, although Govern ment is represented by a native police man.

The idea that there are still canni bals within a day’s run of Thursday Is land is frequently smiled upon by visi tors, but incidents of this character in dicate that our neighbours on the nor’west side are not by any means all civilised.

Bananas For N.Z.

“Maui Pomare’S Full Load.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Apia, Jan. 20.

THE “Maui Pomare” took a full load of 5,670 cases of bananas for the New Zealand market on January 19, for which 3/- per case was paid to growers.

Owing to the effects of the hurricane season on banana plantations, the offer ing for shipment was exceptionally heavy and the fruit inspectors had a difficult task in condemning fruit un suitable for export, and repacking. About 9,000 cases were offered and 3,300 re jected.

It is expected that a full shipment will await the “Maui Pomare’s” next return voyage which is scheduled for Febru ary 9.

Wau Notes.

From Our Own Correspondent.

WAU, January 14.

Hogmanay Celebrations.

AN enjoyable dance was held in the Recreation Hall on December 31. This function was fancy dress and a farewell to the Old Year.

Wonderful and varied were the fancy costumes worn by the people present. Over twenty ladies and one hundred men took part, so the ladies were hopelessly outnumbered. One man remarked during the speech of the evening, “No wonder I can’t get a dance.”

Prize winners were: —Best-dressed lady in fancy costume, Mrs. T. Flowers as an ‘‘Early Victorian lady.” Best-dressed gentleman in fancy costume, Mr. T. Flowers as ‘‘master of the hounds.” Best-thought-out costume for ladies, Miss Christie as ‘‘theatre usher.” Best thought-out costume for gentleman, Mr. A. L.

Mount as ‘‘Admiral Nelson.” The prize for the waltzing competition was won by Miss D.

Stewart and Mr. C. G. Clark, who gave a spirited exhibition.

During the evening Major G. A. Harrison made a speech, in which he conveyed the best wishes of the people of Wan to Mr. and Mrs. H.

Taylour, who are going South by the ‘‘Macdhui” on a well-deserved holiday. Mr. H. Taylour.

Mining Warden, will be very much missed, and we hope, after a good holiday, he and his wife will be in our midst again.

New Year Sports.

The Bulolo Recreation Club held a sports meeting on the Cricket Ground at Wau on January 2. There were many visitors present from Salamaua, Lae, Edie Creek and Bulolo.

Horse and motor bicycle races were held. Foot races, tug-of-war, hop, step and jump, and other sports took place. The centre of attraction was the horse racing wheel, on which the sporting crowd tried their luck during the day.

Personal.

Mr. and Mrs. R. Dugan are leaving Wau by ’plane for Port Moresby to catch the ‘‘Macdhui,” and will be away for a few months.

Mrs. Drayton and her small son, Peter, are going South. We will be pleased to see them back again in Wau.

The manager of Edie Creek Alluvial, Mr. J.

P. Livingstone, will go South soon on a health trip.

Miss Josephs, matron of Wau hospital, has been kept busy lately. Mr. T. Flowers, who was operated on recently, has now recovered, and Mr. E. Bartlett, who has been in hospital with malaria, is on his way to recovery.

Prospectors Murdered.

Alarm was felt in the district when news came through of the murder of W. Naylor, a Swede named Clarius, and nine native labourers.

The party was prospecting on the headwaters of the Langamar River.

D.O. Townsend and a strong police party went to investigate immediately on receipt of the news, which was conveyed by a native who had been employed by Naylor,

Mild Hurricane.

p. 31

Samoa and Niue.

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, January, THE new year had a rough and inau spicious start in Samoa, when a cyclone broke on New Year’s Day and stormy weather, combined with torren tial rains, continued for the first week of 1933.

A strong north-westerly wind was blowing, the centre of the storm being reported at Rotuma Island. Rainfall on January 1 and 2 amounted to about three inches. A second cyclone developed in the Cook Islands on January 2, and exceeded in force the first cyclone.

On the Samoan coast mountainous seas prevailed. Shipping in Apia har bour had to seek shelter in Mulinu’u, and one of the large mooring buoys in Apia harbour was torn off the moorings and thrown on the beach. Luckily no damage to the shipping is reported, due, probably, to the timely warnings given by Apia Observatory.

Again the storm increased in force on January 5, 6 and 7, the blow again com ing from N.W. right into Apia harbour, causing exceptionally high seas and mountainous breakers, which caused considerable damage and inconvenience on the waterfront. Shipping was at a standstill. On the plantations breadfruit, coconut and cocoa trees in large num bers were blown down, while most seri ous damage was done to banana planta tions. A lot of old native houses crashed to the ground, whilst European houses suffered damage to a lesser degree.

On January 7 and 8 (Saturday and Sunday) 12 inches of rain fell in a con tinuous downpour. The rivers and creeks overflowed and in their course down the mountain sides were carried all kinds of trees, plants, livestock and debris. A number of bridges were damaged by the latter. There was no loss of life, except a native girl aged six years, who fell into the Fuluason River, near Vaimoso village, and was drowned before help could be rendered.

The district of Samatau and Falelatai, west of Apia, and the Manono straits suffered most severely from the blow.

The cocoa plantations of the West Coast report a lot of damage, especially to the young plants, while many of the larger cocoa pods of the maturing crop turned black from the effects of the continuous rain.

The island of Niue apparently was in the way of the cyclone, as conditions there, reported by wireless, were much the same as in Samoa.

By January 11, the weather had cleared up and the disturbance died out.

The rainfall for the week ended January 11 was reported by the Observatory as about 15 inches.

The Hurricane Season.

Rarotonga, Dec. 20.

Penrhyn offers the best haven for vessels dur ing the hurricane season, and shortly both the “Tagua” and the “Tiare Taporo’’ will go north to Penrhyn and remain there until February or March.

At present the “Tagua” is at Rarotonga pre paring for her final trip for the year to the Lower Group.

Both the lagoons at Penrhyn and Manihiki are open for pearl fishing. The percentages of pearls which are saleable on foreign markets is rela tively small—sales apparently being confined to pearls of a particular colour rather than to perfect shape.

The “Tiare Taporo” is at present on her way to Tahiti, where she will have her Diesel engine overhauled.

Methodist Missionary Society.

p. 31

Annual Meeting Proposes “Cross and Cargill” Memorial.

THE annual meetings of the Methodist Missionary Society were held in Syd ney for four days, beginning on Feb ruary 8. The President General, the Rev.

A. T. Holden, presided.

The centenary of the landing at La keba of Cross and Cargill, the first white missionaries, is to be celebrated in 1935.

To commemorate this event, it was de cided to raise a fund of 10,000 guineas by private solicitations of the secretaries in each State, The objects of the fund will be a new church building and of fices at Suva, an endowment fund for district educational institutions, and a “Cross and Cargill” memorial church at Lakeba.

The Rev. W. H. Cox, giving an ac count of the work of the Society in New Guinea, said that services were held in 350 churches every Sunday, most of them being conducted by preachers trained in the institution. Sixty Chinese

children attended the day school at Ka ibaul and the first convert was recently baptised.

The Rev. G. T. Goldsmith, of the Northern Territory, said that evil in fluences among the natives were largely due to the crews of luggers of foreign nationality which visited the northern waters.

The general statistics of the Society showed that, excluding the Tonga Church, but including Samoa, there are 138 active ministers, 1960 teachers, 1123 churches and 42,907 members under its jurisdiction. Improved finances have made it possible to fill nearly all vacant missionary stations, and it is hoped to place 10 new men in the field in 1934.

The meeting offered its congratula tions to the Rev. R. L. McDonald, chair man of the Fiji district, and the Rev.

Roger Page, president of the Tonga Con ference, on the attainment of 25 years’ service.

Gold Discovery.

Rumours from Tavua Hint at Rich Find.

From Our Own Correspondent.

BA, Jan. 14.

EXCITEMENT has been caused by gold finds at Tavua and a number of claims have been pegged out by European prospectors. They are not let ting much information leak out, but we hope they are successful and that in a few months’ time it will be a paying proposition.

Another find has been reported near Penang and, if the rumours concerning these two discoveries are true, Fiji will soon be the scene of a “rush.”

At present, very little authentic infor mation is available.

Papuan “Discovery.”

Somewhat sensational reports in Aus tralian newspapers in December and January, about a rich discovery of gold and other precious metal in Eastern Papua, were subsequently discounted by reports from Port Moresby, to the effect that the Administration knows nothing about the matter.

Yellow Press And

Malaita.

Distorted Interview About Health of the Solomon Islanders.

WHEN L. M. Maybury, of the Mela nesian Mission arrived in Brisbane by the “Mataram” on February 6, the representative of certain Australian newspapers, apparently seeking a blood curdling “cannibal” story, interviewed him.

Their subsequent accounts of Malaita, where Dr. Maybury has been stationed, would convince readers who knew no thing of Solomons conditions, that the island was inhabited by a race of lepers whose only chance of not being killed by the disease was to die first of malaria.

Headed “Disease-ridden Island,” one paper’s “story” begins: “Sixty thousand natives, leprosy and tuberculosis rife, and not a single doctor! That is the plight of the Island of Fauaba, in the Solomons, where a hospital is being con ducted by two sisters and native boys.”

Dr. Maybury obviously did not suspect that his remarks would be so distorted.

Anybody who knows the Group knows that while the Government has some what retrenched its medical service it would not withdraw from an island with 40,000 inhabitants (not 60,000 as stated) all medical services unless it was well aware that this was being provided in some other way.

Another journal says that “malaria and yaws are among the other com plaints rampant on the island and Dr.

Maybury ... expressed the hope that another medical man would be found.”

At Auki, the Government Station on Malaita, is a District Officer, part of whose duty is to keep an eye on the health of natives, A few hours’ distant from Malaita is Tulagi, where there is a modern hospital for Europeans and na tives, staffed by two medical men helped by European nurses. Not long ago a medical expedition spent much time and effort on Malaita in an anti-yaws cam paign.

Besides these, there is the head quarters of the Malaita Company at Su’u at which medical men and women are frequent visitors. So it is fairly safe to assert that the health of the natives of Malaita is as good as that of those in any other island of the Group. If there is actually a larger number of natives there requiring medical attention, it is

Strait.

Place Names In Torres

Mr. P. R. Frith’s Researches.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Jan. 28.

THE Geographical Society had another night out recently, searching for the authors of place names.

On this occasion, Mr. P. R. Frith, head teacher of the Aboriginal School at Ma buiag Island, addressed a large audience in the School of Arts concerning early navigators in Torres Strait with particu lar reference to D’Urville, the French ex plorer, and the question of who named Napoleon Passage, near Mabuiag.

For some time past Mr. Frith has been in communication with French authori ties, and at the lecture he produced copies of D’Urville’s route map, sent out from Paris, and also exhibited a number of excellently-drawn maps and portraits, some of his own handiwork. One which called for special comment was a plan of Mabuiag, showing the number of is lands, over 40, which may be seen from Kuiam Hill. This was used to illustrate the reference in De Prado’s “Relacion,” concerning the voyage of Torres through the Strait, that “from this island, which is lofty, we counted forty, all among the shoals.”

It has been thought by some that this “lofty island” is Dauan, close to New Guinea; but that assumption is almost certainly not correct, as men who know the Strait well declare that that number of islands cannot be seen from Dauan.

On the other hand, somewhere within the vicinity of Mabuiag (or Jervis, to give it its English name), Banks, or Mulgrave Islands, would seem to fit the description exactly.

At the above meeting, Mr. Frith was presented by the President (Alderman A.

Corran) with a fine atlas and book of photographs, as a memento of a visit made by members of the Society to Ma buiag during last year.

Seasonal Shut-Down.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Jan. 28.

THE Murray Island Fisheries Com pany, engaged in the development of the sardine industry at the head of the Barrier Reef, has temporarily closed down, during the nor’-west season. The European staff has returned to Bris bane, with the exception of Mr. G.

Bright, who is in charge of the Com pany’s auxiliary ship “Troubadour.”

It is stated that a fall in the price of the product which the company has been working to place upon the market, combined with other reasons, are re sponsible for the temporary cessation.

At this season of the year there is a shortage of fish, the sardine shoals ap parently migrating to other regions, or, what is more probably the case, staying at home for three months or so, since it is now practically certain that the big shoals are visitors only and that Murray Island is not their real habitat, but this particular difficulty could be got over by providing for excess requirements dur ing the other nine months of the year. because Malaita carries about half the population of the entire Group.

Dr. Maybury is on his way to England via New Zealand. Two nurses of the Mission also returned by the "Mataram,”

Sister Y. A. Dawes being ill and Sister B. Guylee attending her.

Mysterious Craft.

p. 33

Suspected Poacher in Torres Strait.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Jan. 28.

THE strange launch reported three or four months ago in Torres Strait, and identified as a Japanese shell poaching outfit, has reappeared in the Strait and called in at Naghir Island to replenish water supplies. Yesterday afternoon, excitement was caused locally by the appearance of another strange vessel, this time not far from T.I.

It was sighted by the sigalman at Goode Island lighthouse, who immedi ately communicated with the harbour master. A launch was sent out to make enquiries, but on seeing it approach the stranger made hurried departure and vanished.

It is described as a launch about 100 feet long, without masts, grey in colour, and carrying a number of Japanese.

There are no vessels belonging to the authorities at T.I. which can be used for overhauling poachers or other craft. The Customs Department is without a boat; the police authorities have no vessel in which to do patrol work or pursue run aways; and there are no naval ships here.

EDITORIAL NOTE. —Discussing reports of the presence of unidentified vessels in Torres Straits, believed to be poaching on Australian pearling and trochus grounds, the Minister for Defence (Sir George Pearce) expressed the opinion that a Government patrol boat should be stationed in those waters. If sufficient funds are available, some action will be taken.

Thursday Is. Notes.

p. 33

More “Ocean Messengers.”

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Island, January 25.

A NUMBER of globular glass floats, used on fishing nets down south, come floating round the Torres Strait islands now, and every now and then the natives bring in tide-current papers from bottles flung over from ships cross ing the Pacific.

The currents work up into the central part of Torres Strait, but ocean-current bottles have been picked up on Saibai Island, close to New Guinea.

Through an arrangement arising out of a suggestion by the local branch of the Royal Geographical Society, the records are handed in to the Harbour Master for forwarding, instead of being sent direct, to the United States or Samoa, so that official note may be made of the information for Australia’s benefit.

When the Islanders first came across the glass floats, they imagined they were a new form of container for the tide-papers, but couldn’t dis cover an aperture through which it might be inserted. One widely travelled native explained their real use. “That one he no belong paper; he belong along table when white man he want drink rum. I been see that kind along steamer, for put whisky inside, only he got something stop on top for capsize him along glass.”

But his suggestion that it was a decanter that had come floating in faded out when he, too, couldn’t discover a hole in it.

Produce Shipments.

Shipments of M.O.P. go forward slowly. A consignment of nearly 400 cases was ready for despatch by the “Taiping” this week, but only about 140 cases could be taken, owing to the fact that the oil-tanker “Pinna” was discharg ing a big cargo alongside the wharf, and the “Taiping” had to anchor in the stream, making loading operations much more difficult.

Trocas continues to maintain a good price, and is at present round about £80 to £82 a ton.

Beche-de-mer has dropped again, and, with the troubled conditions in China, the market is very uncertain.

Cure Of Leprosy.

p. 33

Expedition to Investigate.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 18 .

AN expedition of eleven doctors and four nurses will assemble soon in Pt.

Moresby to experiment on the treat ment of leprosy in New Guinea and the Islands.

The party will include the noted scientist, Dr. Arthur Torrance, of the University of California, who recently returned from research work in Man churia.

The party carries supplies of the lat est ethyls of chaulmoogra oil for the treatment of leprosy and hopes, with the wide field for experimental work in the Islands, to find a cure for the disease.

Mr. Quincy F. Roberts, who has occu pied the position of American Consul at Suva for several years, arrived in Syd ney by the “Lurline” on February 19, accompanied by Mrs. Roberts. He is on his way to Saigon to take up an ap pointment as Consul-General.

Another Mysterious Visitor

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Jan. 25.

MYSTERIOUS craft have been seen at various times lately in Torres Strait, and this week a mysterious aeroplane put in an appearance. The flying machine was seen circling over Horn Island, and a launch with Customs and other officials on board (the sub Collector of Customs being a represen tative of the Naval Department, amongst his other duties) went across to make investigation, and endeavour to get some information from the people there that would reveal the identity of the stranger.

Australia’s northern door is apparently attracting quite a lot of attention from strangers, but whether it is with a view to acquiring information regarding the Barrier Reef and its commercial possi bilities, or with the object of collecting information for other purposes must be left to the imagination.

Samoa Herald.

G. W. Griffith Assumes Editorship.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Apia, Jan. 20.

FROM January 1, “The Samoa Herald” appeared under the editorship of Mr.

George W. Griffith, Mr. W. Tarr hav ing resigned his position on the paper.

The new editor hails from Australia and has had considerable experience on newspapers in Queensland, New South Wales and New Guinea. Mr. Griffith was introduced to Samoa by the proprietor of the “Herald,” the Hon. Alport Barker, of Suva, Fiji, who paid a short visit to Apia for the purpose.

Mr. Griffith announced his future pol icy in the issue of January 13 and in vited the co-operation of the public, pro mising a neutral and open-minded deal ing with all the difficult political, social and economical questions of the moment.

The first few numbers of the “Samoa Herald” under his editorship are in at tractive form and if he succeeds in in ducing local talent to colloborate more effectively and actively with the enter prise, his success will be certain and well-earned.

Papua “Discovered.”

American Tourist Enthusiasm.

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 10.

WITH nearly three hundred passengers on board, the Cunarder “Carinthia” is due at Port Moresby on March 5.

Though the vessel leaves the same day in continuation of her world cruise, ar rangements have been made for the en tertainment of the tourists.

The call at Port Moresby has become a feature of these tours.

The Matson liners “Mariposa” and “Malolo” both called at the port in their cruises in 1931 and 1932 and it was ac knowledged by passengers to be the most interesting place the vessels visited.

Referring to Port Moresby, Mr. A. H.

O’Connor, representative of the Aus tralian National Travel Association in America writes: “A wonderful tourist at traction rivalling even the highly pub licised island of Bali.” To advertise fur ther the attractiveness of Port Moresby, he urgently supports an arrangement with the Australian and Papuan Gov ernment to organise a spectacular dis play in America of the highly decorative ornamentations of the tribes of the Ter ritory.

“Linked with Australia,” he continues, “I am convinced that if Port Moresby is the extraordinarily interesting place which tourists seem to think it is, we should seize upon it as one great attrac tion to bring people to Australia.”

The Federal authorities have communi cated with the Administration of Papua and it is reported that they intend for warding a collection of curios for the purpose shortly. Suggestion from resi dents have been invited for other means of attracting publicity.

"Seafarer’S" Voyage.

THE yacht “Seafarer,” which left Suva on January 3, arrived in Maunganui, N.Z., after an eventful voyage lasting nine days. The yacht was manned by Messrs. Langdale, Longren, Stenbach and Lee brothers.

Owing to strong headwinds, the crew accepted a tow on the last 30 miles of the voyage.

Vila Tennis.

Resch's Cup Results.

From Our Own Correspondent.

VILA, January 23.

THE tennis tournament for the Resell’s Lager Cup, presented by Tooths & Co., Ltd., for the winners of the men’s doubles for three successive years, was played on January 21 and 22. The results were: — First Round: Dollahan and Gollan v. L. de Gaillande and A. Rossi, 6—l, 6—4, 9—7; Keegan and Thomas v. Hill and McCoy, G—3, 14 —12, G—o; Capel and Tassy v. W. McCoy and J.

Jocteur, 6—-3, 6—l; Desg,ranges and Desestre v.

McLean and Bairstow, 6—3, 6—3.

Second Round: L. de Gaillande and A. Rossi v. Buteri and F. Rossi, 6—3, 6—2; Keegan and Thomas v. Laroque and Chaverot, 6—3, B—6; Capel and Tassy v. Demoulieres and Gratlan, for feited; McLean and Bairstow v. Jones and Steenbohm, 6 —o, 9—7.

Semi Final: McLean and Bairstow v. Capel and Tassy, 6—l, 6 —4; Keegan and Thomas v.

L. de Gaillande and A. Rossi, 6—3, B—6.8 —6.

Final; Keegan and Thomas v. Bairstow and McLean, B—6, 6—4, 6—3.

Tahiti News.

p. 35

New Steamer Service.

From Our Own Corretpondmt.

Papeete, Jan. 26.

IT is announced, on good authority, that the “Marc Saint Hilaire,” a coal-burning steamer of 2,000 tons, be longing to the Messageries Maritimes Co., will shortly arrive in Tahiti to in augurate a regular inter-island freight and passenger service in French Oceania.

For many years past communications within the group have been maintained by means of trading schooners without fixed schedules, and, with few excep tions, offering little in the way of com fort and convenience for passengers.

The proposed new service should add materially to the attractions of Tahiti from the point of view of tourists, and prove of great convenience to local business men who are obliged to take periodical trips through the Islands.

Horticulturist Dead.

Mons. Constant Defleselle, an old resident of Tahiti, passed away in France after a protracted illness. The deceased gentleman, who got his first glimpse of The Islands some thirty years ago, whilst serving as an officer on a French war vessel, was so at tracted by the place that he very soon afterwards returned to make Tahiti his permanent home.

Being wealthy, with a natural flair for horticulture, and possessed of an admirable public spirit, he soon ac quired land and commenced intro ducing useful fruits and flowers from other countries, which beneficial work he carried on unceasingly, and at his own expense, until failing health com pelled him to leave the Colony.

We have to thank M. Defleselle for many of the beautiful flowering trees which now adorn certain quarters in Papeete and outlying districts, and which remain as permanent reminders of his generosity.

Yacht In Dirty Weather.

The yacht “Vanora”, an English schooner-rigged steel vessel about 65 feet long, arrived in Tahiti yesterday by way of the Galapagos Islands.

Lt.-Commander Hollings, R.N., appears to be the owner as well as the master of the vessel, and has three com panions on a world voyage. He brought with him two native Indians from Panama, who are somewhat of a curiosity in Tahiti.

The “Vanora” ran into bad weather before reaching Tahiti and suffered damage to her rigging and sails. When this has been repaired she will sail for Hongkong, via Fiji and Samoa.

Voyage Postponed

The schooner yacht “Pilgrim,” which left New York some months ago, en route to the South Seas, is laid up in Panama awaiting the result of an im pending lawsuit in America.

Dr. Hawthorn, who was with the party as first mate, arrived in Tahiti by the last Messageries Maritimes steamer from Panama, and states that the “Pilgrim” was built to order in

the United States, under the super vision of one of the foremost naval architects in that country. Soon after leaving the States the vessel developed a series of leaks which caused much anxiety and had become really serious by the time the Canal was reached.

Here the “Pilgrim” was put into dry dock and an examination made of her hull, when it was discovered that the holes which had been bored for the purpose of fastening the planking had been filled with copper spikes too small for them, and that in consequence water oozed into the vessel from every nail hole.

Efforts to force litharge and other filling materials under pressure into these thousands of apertures were ap parently ineffectual, and it seems that nothing but an entire renewal of her planking will serve to put the “Pil grim” into sea-going shape again.

In the meantime, the proposed cruise, which was subscribed to by a party of friends, has been abandoned. This is assuredly a case which has all the appearance of deliberate sabotage.

Shipping Mishaps.

p. 35

TWO large overseas vessels suffered serious mishaps in New Guinea waters within a few days of each other early this month.

The British motorship “Olivebank,” from Auckland to the United King dom, via Rabaul, grounded on what is thought to be an unchartered reef off the New Guinea coast and reached Rabaul for overhaul with her forepeak full of water, after being refloated un aided.

The Japanese freighter “Shin-ai Maru” was helplessly drifting off the east coast early in January with a broken tailshaft. She was taken in tow by the “Tateishi Maru,” which brought her to Sydney for repairs on January 18, after a remarkable tow of 1800 miles.

Remaining stocks of New Guinea stamps of the “Hut” and “Bird of Para dise” designs have been destroyed in Rabaul.

T.I. Resident Settles

At Daru.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 8.

IT is reported that Dr. G. H. Vernon from Thursday Island has settled at Daru in the Western Division of Papua, and that he has recently pur chased the business of Mr. P. R. Hinds.

It is reported that Dr. Vernon intends making a study of the diseases of the western tribes and the natives of the Fly River.

The western tribes are interesting and primitive without the gloss and veneer that covers some others.

Thursday Is. Notes.

Regatta and Picnic.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Island, January 28.

One of T.I.’s flourishing institutions is the Aquatic Club, which, as an indication of its popularity, has recently had to add to its boat shed accommodation. Some young ladies, coached by Mr. C. Cleveland, are proving adepts at the sculls, and fine outings in this exhilarat ing exercise have taken place. On December 4 the Club held its annual picnic, and this proved a very enjoyable finale to the season’s racing.

The picnickers, in launches and sailing boats, visited the sand beach near King Point, on Horn Island, and had a happy time. Mr. H. G.

Vidgen’s boat “Alice" was the winner of the handicap sailing race, held during the day.

Bishop Of Carpentaria.

The Lord Bishop of Carpentaria returned from Sydney in November, but went through to Dar win, instead of landing at Thursday Island, and after a month there returned to the Island by the B.P. boat in December.

The Rector of Darwin, the Rev. W. H. Davies, who has been there for seven years, is return ing to Wales, and the Bishop has made arrange ments for the position to be filled by the Rev.

J. A. G. Housden, who is at present in charge of the Cathedral during the absence of the Sub-Dean on furlough.

Missionaries' Movements.

Mr. and Mrs. Dogherty, and Miss Byron, from the Presbyterian Mission stations in the Gulf, have gone on furlough, and Mr. and Mrs. S.

G. Port, from the Anglican Mission station on Arnhem Land, also went on furlough recently.

Ladies’ sport is becoming increasingly popu lar, and the formation of a ladies’ cricket team is the latest development. A match, married versus single, was played on December 26, on the cricket ground, and brought out a crowd of interested spectators. The married members knocked up 55 amidst considerable enthusiasm, but the single girls started in with determination and beat the score by 30. However, there are some more matches to be held, and doubtless the losers will get their revenge.

The talkies have duly arrived, and so far have been well patronised. The installation was made in time for townspeople and visitors to have an evening out at the opeu-air theatre just before Christmas.

New Year’s Eve saw a successful dance under the auspices of the Cricket Association. There have been several other attractions during the holiday period also. The coloured people had a well-attended dance evening in the Parish Hall recently, with music by their own orchestra.

Fiji Bananas In Bad

Condition.

THE shipment of 1,407 cases of Fiji bananas which reached Melbourne by the “Dimboola” on January 31 caused much disappointment, as a quantity of the fruit was unsaleable.

Mr. A. Barrow, the agent handling the fruit, said some of the fruit was green and some over-ripe and badly crushed.

The prices realised were from 15/- to 27/- a case, as compared with 35/- a case paid for the previous shipment.

Major Clive Joske, the growers’ repre sentative who visited Melbourne to watch the shipment, was also dissatis fied with the shipment and blamed the conditions under which the bananas came from Sydney. Transhipment in volved five handlings of the fruit. It is probably that future shipments to Mel bourne will be carried direct by the

The Boycott.

Melbourne, Jan. 28.

Attempts by a Labour organiser to stop the sale of Fiji bananas in Mel bourne were unsuccessful.

The “Mariposa’s” consignment were being sold, and the prices had increased from 27/6 a case to 35/- a case, when the organiser went among the buyers and suggested that they should not touch the fruit as it had been grown by black labour. He made very little im pression and left the saleroom when asked to do so by an official.

To prevent the sale of well-developed Australian fruit, misrepresented as Fijian, it has been suggested that every Fiji banana packed should bear a small brand. While this would involve an en ormous amount of work by either grower or shipper, it would stop misrepresenta tion and a similar scheme has been used with success by the N.S.W. Egg Board.

All Aspects.

Native Trading.

N.G. Board To Enquire Into All Aspects.

ACCORDING to a circular issued by the Acting- Administrator of the Mandated Territory (Brigadier Gen eral T. Griffiths) and dated January 25, a Board of Enquiry has been appointed and will enquire into the question of na tive trading-.

The Board will submit recommenda tions to govern the future Administra tion policy regarding the system of na tive trading. The personnel of the Board is: President: His Honour Judge F. B.

Phillips: Central Committee Members, Mr. V. A. Pratt, Tohera Plantation; Mr.

J. H. Jones, Assistant District Officer, Rabaul. Mr. J. H. Jones will act as sec retary to the Board and arrange for at tendance of witnesses.

Aspects of native trading to be in quired into are: (1) Trading Allotment Licenses. (2) Freehold and long lease hold trading stations. (3) Licenses, mer cantile, copra, pedlars, permits to buy shell from natives. (4) Sub-letting of trading stations. (5) Trading limits and restrictions. (6) Management and trad ing policy of trading stations. (7) Con ditions applicable to leases for trading purposes.

The Pacific Islands.

pp. 37-44

Problem Of Depopulation In

Dr. Cilento’s Masterly Summary of How Native People React to Contact With European Civilisation.

THE problem of depopulation of the Pacific will, one day, be one of the gravest Australia has to face. If for no other reason than sentiment, the Pa cific Islands races should not be allowed to die out without every means being taken to prevent that possibility.

Though thoughtlessness and callous ness have played their parts in reducing the native population of the South Seas, they are not altogether the direct cause of the regular fall in the census returns in most of the Pacific groups. Nor is the cause always the diseases and vices which are brought by the intruding races, though these, of course, have played a large part.

Discussing tropical medicine as it ap plies to depopulation, Dr. R. W. Cilento, M.D., B.S., D.T.M. and H., in a paper in the Medical Journal of Australia, Octo ber, 1932, considers the position is not hopeless, though it will require the skil ful handling of patient, sympathetic men who are interested enough to regard the solution of the problem as a life work.

After reading Dr. Cilento’s article, one is left with the impression that the pre vention of depopulation is as much a question of economics as of medicine.

The first effects of the early intrusion by white races was a waste of life by violence, disease and alcohol. As the Pacific became more “civilized” this waste intensified and continued, and other factors were added which hastened what has, to-day, become a serious men ace. These were the dislocation of tribal customs and normal village life by the indenturing of native labour for work on plantations, schooners trading stations, etc. The recruiters naturally picked the young, virile men, and an enormous de cline in the native birth rate was the result.

The ill-effects of recruiting on the numbers of the native population were felt in many ways. Firstly, the boys, after a taste of civilisation, were disin clined to return to village life, the pro cess of “civilisation” having begun.

Those who did return took with them the habits and half-baked ideas they had become accustomed to while working for white men.

There is a point in the civilisation of native races where the road forks. Either the natives take to civilisation and flour ish with it or else they go to the wall.

Dr. Cilento, who may be regarded as an authority, says: ‘‘While medical officer with the British mili tary occupation of German New Guinea during the war, and later as Director of Public Health for that Territory when under mandate, I was able to make a close study of the various factors suggested by different observers. It was soon obvious that actual destruction of native life by violence might be disregarded, and that over-recruitment, though to some extent a factor, was increasingly controlled by Government action. The wearing of clothes was found to have no significance one way or the other, where close comparisons could be instituted between populations clothed or unclothed. The patriarchial system of marriage, which had been impugned, was defended by the fact that it had existed from the earliest times, not only through the period of decline, but through the whole period of former density of population. It began to be obvious that, in a medical sense, one must look for, as one would anticipate, factors of a more definite nature to explain depopulation—factors

not confined to Melanesia, but universal in their application. ‘‘Three phenomena present themselves to the medical administrator. They are, first, the heavy infantile mortality rate observable in many parts of Melanesia; secondly, the considerable mortality rate at all ages from preventable diseases; and thirdly, the fact that the great majority of the native populations live on a borderline diet, or alternate between periods of plenty and periods of actual starvation. ‘‘An opportunity arose to test these probabili ties, and others, in actual practice among the whole population of the Western Islands of the Mandated Territory. ‘‘Population was found to be declining in places where native institutions flourished with all their original vigour, as well as where they had been destroyed so long as foodstuff’s were scanty and disease rife, and people were found thriving in places where white men had entirely disrupted their social organisations (as, indeed, they must inevitably disrupt it everywhere in the course of time), but only where disease was controlled and food abundant. ‘‘ln Matupi, for instance, near Rabaul, the natives have been under white domination for forty years they have lost all semblance of native institutions, they are now a community

of native pedlars and hawkers, boat-boys, laundry men, etc., and they are increasing. The secret of this advance is the virtual absence of malaria from that island.” (The latest census for the British Solo mon Islands shows that the only dis tricts in which the native birth rate ex ceeds the death rate are those close to the larger settlements. These are N’Gela and Savo, which are near Tulagi.) ‘‘Unia and Garowe are the eastern and western islands respectively of the Witu Group, off the north coast of New Britain. In Unia the popu lation is flourishing: in Garowe it is rapidly approaching extinction. The disease menaces are the same, but Unia has abundant food stocks, while Garowe is half starved for staples. If Garowe had as many children born as Unia, and they survived only to the extent they do at present, the population would be flourishing. If the children of Unia survived only to 50 per cent, of the number born, the population would show a heavy surplus, which would require and desire employment. ‘‘Though, by the courtesy of the League of

(Continued on page 38.)

Nations, my investigations have since been ex tended from Fiji throughout the whole of the Melanesian groups to the border of Dutch New Guinea, I have seen nothing to suggest any necessity for an alteration to the conclusion at

which I arrived, by examination of the declining stocks of New Guinea.

“The various permanent agencies found operat ing might be tabulated as follows;—(1) Intro duced or accelerated diseases, especially malaria and tuberculosis; (2) faulty conditions of sani tary environment; (3) privation and poverty of diet; and (4) consequential lessened fertility with frequent miscarriage, deliberate abortion and infanticide.

“These causes, again, are merely the two factors of disease and food deficiency, which constitute a vicious circle of decline.

“Malaria, tuberculosis, and such chronic diseases produce a mental lassitude and actual bodily weariness which prevent anything but the most essential tilling of the soil and casual foraging for food, while the very poverty of the resultant diet lowers the resistance to those diseases, and so provides a vicious circle of more frequent diseases and constantly lessened food supplies, until the point is reached at which the human organism can no longer cope with the situation.

“The psychological depression found among some native groups is as obviously a consequence of sickness and under-nutrition as are the lack of initiative, the lack of vigour, and the despair found among white races in similar circumstances of ill-health, poverty and privation.

“To suggest that this depression of outlook is a primary cause of depopulation, and to argue (as some have done) that it can only be met by the withdrawal of Europeans and the prohibition of any further intrusion of European influence, good or bad, is to render the situation hopeless indeed, and to provide a very ready excuse for

doing nothing—an excuse only too readily grasped by the indifferent or the inept.”

There is, of course, the theory that the extinction of native races is natural and inevitable and little can be done to stop it, except by local or partial measures. This is the attitude of hope lessness and those who hold it suggest, as a remedy, the introduction of Asiatic labour. Another section of popular opin ion advocate a mixture of race as a solution.

“New Blood” Theory.

Experiments with the latter theory have not met with the success that its holders believed. Buka Islanders who were brought to “introduce new blood” to the areas to which Dr. Cilento refers were given special attention by him.

Not one case gave justification for the statement that they were more fertile or of more value to the community than the average local native.

The attitude of the inhabitants of is lands to which the “new blood” is intro duced has also to be taken into consid eration. They bitterly resented the in trusion of what was to them a foreign race of Papuo-Melanesians. The natives easily agreed to the proposal that a number of Melanesians be brought among them but their true opinion is shown by the fact that not one foreigner had been given a virgin wife. Most were widows and the discarded women of white men and their children were re garded locally as half-castes.

The “new blood” theory falls down, too, from the other end. In 1923 some healthy Polynesians from Sikiana were recruited for labour in the Solomons, where, it was thought, they would thrive.

But these boys failed miserably to adapt themselves to the customs of Melanes ians and whites alike and the condition of most of them was so pitiable in a few weeks that the Government ordered their return and stopped recruiting from Sikiana.

Many examples have been quoted of the' dismal failure of the “new blood” theory and the following illustrates simi lar experiments: “Henry Marshall, writing in 1821 of the Africans who composed part of the troops in Ceylon, says that that island appears to have been extremely unfavourable to the health and propagation of the Caffres: not a trace of the many thousands brought to it by the Portuguese Colonial Government is to be perceived. The same may be said of a colony of Africans which was imported about the year 1782 by Governor Van de Graaf.

“It is interesting to note that these very Africans were imported because the local in habitants were anaemic, weak, and sickly—natural results of the malaria and hookworm diseases that were, and are, rife in Ceylon, and the Africans merely fell victims to those same dir orders. Had the Portuguese or the Dutch known how to treat these causes, they would not have needed to lament the lack of stamina of the local Sinhalese.”

From these conclusions it is apparent that there is no remedy except an attack on the causes of decline. As these differ so widely in various groups and even in districts of the same group, the problem of the preservation of native races be comes one for conscientious officers suf ficiently interested in their job to regard it as a life work. In the medical sense the two main factors to be considered are food and disease. The medical man’s job is to combat food deficiencies and the diseases to which they add a fatal virulence. Dr. Cilento says;

Importance Of Diet.

“Even at its best the diet of the Mel anesian in his own village is bulky, in nutritious, hard to digest, deficient in fat and in protein, and often poor in vita mins A and C. The deficiencies of the

diet are made up by the use from time immemorial of the growing shoots of plants, certain grasses, ferns and fruits, the raw liver of certain animals, and various kinds of fish. To provide a suf ficiency requires the unrestricted range of a considerable territory; and since the physical importance of vitamin ele ments in diet has been dimly recognised by the natives, and, as such, they have often come to figure largely in matters of tribal ritual and taboo, the protection of native institutions which have been built up round them, or the substitu tion for them of observances equally ef fective is important.

“. . . Restriction of families follows the reduction of food. In many localities in primitive Melanesia the usual outcome of a diminished food supply is the de struction of infants. In certain localities within recent times, as, for example, in the Markham Valley of Eastern New Guinea, infants are traded between neighbouring tribes as food.

“In more civilized communities, such as those of Fiji, the barbaric aspects of the subject are not seen and date back a hundred years. The population has reached a stage, in the neighbourhood of settlements, where it leases its land to Indian holders and lives on the rentals.

It grows very little native food, except the grosser staples, and supplements these bulky articles more and more, not with essential vitamins, but with tinned food from the stores.

“A curious fact presented to our Health Mission for the League of Na tions was the evidence at Vitogo, that the native women reach a stage of in fertility at an early age (perhaps after the birth of one child or two) and that this could be and often was corrected by introducing into the diet large quan tities of the growing shoots of plants and other items rich in vitamins, which no longer formed a part of their usual diet. This fact is in complete accord with recent investigations on the vita mins associated with fertility.

“In the second stage of adaption to European intrusion, therefore, and if the recent investigations into the import ance of foods are correct, it would be probable, considering the present routine diets of the native in his home, to find him poorly developed and short in sta ture, inclined to the prominent abdomen and the thin legs of malnutrition, lack ing in energy and initiative, though pos sessed of occasional endurance, particu larly prone to skin ulcerations and such indolent conditions, and liable to suc cumb very readily to respiratory dis eases, especially tuberculosis and pneu monia, and to diseases of the intestinal tract, such as bacillary dysentery. This precisely mirrors the condition that act ually is found.

“When free natives are brought from their village fastnesses to work under indenture upon plantations or as govern ment labourers, the whole problem of their diet and feeding is rendered much more complicated.

“To civilized people such a transfer seems a trivial matter, but to a native it is actually a period of most considerable danger. He has lived in his village from infancy, isolated from the outside world, and because he has been untouched by outside diseases he is surprisingly sus ceptible to them. Moreover, he has ac customed himself to feeding upon a diet which, though almost always below the optimum scale set by investigators, he has learned to assimilate to the satis faction at least of his minimal needs.

“Whether in his village or on a plan tation, then, once this isolation is in vaded and its specialized and unstable defences overset by new diseases,

anew environment, new conditions of work and new dietetic sub stitutes, the weaknesses of the native constitution are immediately manifest, and the problem of depopulation is seen in full operation.

“Finally, one of two things occurs.

Either the factors for decline predomin ate and the native race disappears—and this is rare, except in localized com munities —or adjustment become gradu ally complete and the native population begins to express this feature in a steady increase.

Three Stages.

“The end of the first stage may be seen in the New Hebrides; the second in all its phases in Melanesia; while the beginnings of a successful third stage are seen in Fiji, and are obvious in Samoa, and, of course, in New Zealand.

“Apart from the diseases introduced by white men, and deficiencies in protein and vitamin-rich stocks available to the natives, even the staple yams and taro . . . are threatened. With European plan tations come pests that attack these food staples. In several localities taro, which is the best of foodstuffs of the native Melanesian, can no longer be grown on account of the ravages of an introduced pest.”

Disease.

Of the diseases in the Pacific there are three which are almost prevalent. These are filariasis, fram boesia and hookworm. Leprosy is also prevalent in South Melanesia and is also present in North Melanesia. Tuberculosis and respiratory infections which are most common in the neighbourhood of white settlements with bacillary dysen tery and gonorrhoea. The last mentioned is widely spread and dysentery is mildly epidemic. This is the disease problem that must be tackled.

That the immigration of Asiatics has helped the spread of these diseases is shown by the fact that the distribution of amoebic dysentery coincides almost exactly with the distribution of Asiatic population and the same is true of hookworm.

Native administration, therefore, de pends for its success largely on public health and must go far beyond the range of ordinary medical work, as it em braces, medicine, anthropology and na tive agriculture.

Dr. Cilento stresses the vital need of co-operation through a centre for the adequate exchange of medical informa tion, opportunities for a wider field of interest and better prospects in medical and personal status for officers con cerned. His praise for the Sydney School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine is high.—W.B.

Millions Of Beans!

p. 38

Norfolk Island News.

From Our Own Correspondent.

N. I., Feb. 9.

IF an aviator, swooping low over the island, were to brush off the roofs of all our houses and packing sheds and peer within, he would discover two thirds of the population—men, women and children —bending earnestly over tables, telling over endless heaps of gold. Island Gold—Beans —Canadian Wonder Beans! —our golden harvest of the year.

In living rooms, kitchens, leantos and verandahs, stand bulging sacks of beans, either awaiting sorting and grading—a painful, weary process conducted solely by hand —or containing rich bushels done and set aside for transport to Kingston, where, in stout, stone con vict cells, under expert supervision, they will be fumigated before being shipped away to Sydney.

We have fewer pests than elsewhere, and such evils as beset us are in much smaller proportion, but —with the excep tion of a very few sacks that slipped away by last steamer before it was known that fumigation was necessary

or desirable —not a bean leaves the island without submitting to the pro cess. And for almost the first time in our little history—correct me if I am wrong—it is the Administration itself that is taking these precautions and officially guarding individual interests; a big and much appreciated advance in wise and sympathetic government. For several years past we have been ruled from lofty, impersonal heights, and, when our daily bread was in jeopardy, have been virtually recommended to eat cake.

This year’s beans, though perfect in shape, quality and colour, are a little smaller than usual, owing to rain having been withheld when the seed in the pods should have been swelling.

But the sum total of the crop repre sents thousands of pounds, and we are truly thankful to contemplate the amount of hard cash that will arrive by mail and gradually seep throughout the island.

All the same, we shall heave a sigh of heartfelt relief when the last fat bag steps aboard. It is a backbreaking, tedious, maddening business, sorting billions of beans by hand against time —sitting down at dawn and rising stiffly after dark —and a sorter who has spent anything beyond three consecutive days at it may be readily identified by a wild look in the eye and a permanent

stoop in the back. And his conversation —and her conversation —is peevish and impolite.

Timber Conservation.

By last steamer from Sydney, Mr.

Lane-Poole — Commonwealth forestry expert, or however he should correctly be classified —arrived to give our timber re sources the once-over, in company with our Administrator, Captain Pinney, who is, himself, an authority on woods and forests.

The island is surprisingly wooded for the length of time it has been occupied, with the timber being cut down ruth lessly for every possible purpose; but it has been scandalously exploited and neglected, and it is well for us that we have now an administrator who is par ticularly interested in its development and conservation. Were this problem indefinitely shelved, Norfolk Island would become uninhabitable, for not only are trees, scrub and undergrowth necessary to keep the soil from washing away in heavy winter rains down our steep valleys and so into the sea, but shelter against the sweeping winds for our plantations and gardens is vitally essential.

Personal.

Our Anglican clergyman, Mr. Robin son, together with Mrs. Robinson, leaves us by this outgoing steamer, bound for England, where, with luck and a little influence, he will find a parish somewhere in Devon. His place is taken by Mr. E. Lawton, who comes to us—via New Zealand—from some where far north in the boundless out back of Australia. His wife and little boy are with him, and will undoubtedly appreciate our wonderful climate and easy living conditions after what they have endured in the Never-Never and Wellington slums. Little parties to welcome the coming and to speed the departing guests have taken place all over the island, and Mr. and Mrs.

Robinson carry away with them a won derful album of beautifully taken pic tures of scenes that have grown familiar to them during more than three years residence here.

A New Industry.

A new settler is among us with a new enterprise—goats. With a small herd of snowy white goats and some poultry, it is hopefully anticipated that the owner will make a fortune within a specified time.

But, as a community, we don’t know anything about goats; and we wouldn’t drink their milk, and we shouldn’t like their cheese, and under no circum stances would we eat goat and call it mutton, as one does in the real tropics.

And as for poultry—well, we all keep fowls and need no reinforcements from the continent.

But we wish the new citizen luck; and isn’t it a commentary upon the size of Norfolk that, from end to end of it, we are aware of the arrival of a single new resident, and our eyes are fixed upon the new industry! Perhaps she is keeping them for their Angora wool!

Death.

p. 38

HERON—On the 26th January, 1933, at Vimy House, Queen’s Road, Mel bourne, Madge Lawrence, dearly be loved wife of Wilfrid L. Heron, To vakundum Estate, Rabaul, and mother of Pauline, Rosemarie.

Future Of Norfolk Island.

p. 39

Visiting Horticulturist Gives Expert Advice.

Mr. Herbert J. Rumsey, F.R. Hort.

Soc., returned by the “Morinda,” after several weeks’ stay at Norfolk Island as the guest of the N.I. Planters’

Association, who desired him to make a report on the horticultural possibilities of the Island.

Owing to the very severe illness of Mr.

Webb, the resident of the Association, the duty of showing Mr. Rumsey over the farm and gardens fell on Mr. T.

Healy, the vice-president. After a couple of weeks spent in investigation, Mr.

Rumsey gave an address at the Rawson Hall, embodying his conclusions and ad vice.

Some years ago there was quite an in flux of farmers from New Zealand to the island, and prices of land for banana growing went to a very high level. As in common with most other industries, the demand for bananas was reduced and prices fell to such an extent that the industry no longer showed any mar gin of profit. Just as matters in this way began to look serious, an opening was given in a new industry by the failure of Victorian bean seed crops, and all available land was put under Can adian Wonder beans for seed. For a couple of years, this industry filled the gap and enabled the growers to carry on, but a report that Norfolk Island seed had shown traces of infection caused a doubt as to whether the industry could be kept going under those conditions, especially in view of a return to normal supplies of clean seed from the old main land sources.

The choice of money-making crops is qualified, to a great extent, by the long periods between the arrival of the steamers and the occasional complete or partial hold-up of loading by rough seas in the open roadsteads of the island.

As regards the bananas, Mr. Rumsey did not support the popular idea of root ing them all out at once; but suggested that they might be gradually superseded by suitable nuts, such as macadamia or pecan, which were showing a good growth on the island, with a probability of early fruiting and within a few years the production of a crop that could be marketed at any time without a chance of deterioration.

These nuts are doing well in the north of New South Wales and in Queensland —in fact, in all the coastal parts of Aus tralia not subject to heavy frost. The macadamia being a native nut, also known as the Australian nut, while the pecan is a native of some of the warmer parts of the United States, but being deciduous will stand a greater degree of cold.

As regards the banana, it seems ad visable that a certain amount of experi mentation be undertaken with a view of raising from seed a variety more suited to the climatic condition of the island, which is barely tropical enough for the established varieties to do their best.

So far as the seed beans themselves are concerned, the greatest drawback is that the small areas available for culti vation make it difficult to grow them in proper rotation to prevent the spread of such diseases as the crops are subject to. The speaker mentioned that there were many crops on the island that ap peared to be quite free from the dreaded bacterial disease, but that it was so easily conveyed from plant to plant that

the greatest precautions should be taken to prevent its spread, and to prevent in fected crops from being exported as Norfolk Island produce. Without a hor ticultural inspector of some sort it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to control the spread of disease.

There are quite a number of beans, other than Canadian Wonder, that may be profitably grown in small quantities and if there were someone to allot the seed to growers, they might turn over to these varieties, especially as so far very little disease has been observed in these other varieties.

The lecturer expressed his opinion that the future prosperity of the island lay in the fostering of the tourist trade and the growth of food products for a large float ing population of visitors. This outlet for the energies of the islanders has been noticeable, to a small extent, for some time, but was emphasised by the arrival of the “Strathaird” at Christmas time with over 1,000 tourists who, in the one day, spent quite a large sum of money on island produce, photographs and sou venirs, as well as keeping every avail able car and lorry busy. There are al ready quite a number of houses catering for visitors in a more or less systematic way, and a few more of these, and an increasing number of furnished homes, would help to advertise the island.

Mr. Rumsey was very emphatic on the possibilities of improving the landscape at Kingston by making this gateway to the island into a beautiful botanic gar den, instead of a desert waste, and cloth ing the bare ruins of the old convict

establishment with shrubs and beautiful sub-tropical climbing plants.

At the close of the formal address the chairman, Mr. Healy, appealed for ques tions in reference to the matters under discussion; and, for over an hour, the lecturer was plied with a question on every conceivable aspect of the subject, to which he gave impromptu replies.

Mr. C. C. R. Mobbs, in proposing a vote of thanks to the lecturer, expressed his opinion that it had been the best lecture they had ever had the pleasure of listening to on the Island; and he was very strongly supported by Hon. W. H.

Holman, M.P., who was a visitor to the Island at the time.

Heavy Rain.

p. 41

Welcome Falls in Papua.

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 8.

NORTH-WEST squalls (Gubas) have been fiercer this year and there has been more rain than usual.

The Laloki and the small streams flowing- down from the Astrolabe are all in flood, and for a day or two traffic to the plantations in the hills was held up.

The road up to the Grass Plot by Rona Falls on the steep slopes of Warirata is difficult to manage after many inches of rain, and the other further on is im passable.

Still, the rain was very welcome; the tanks are all full and the vexed ques tion of water shortage will be shelved for some time. The N.W. season always catches Port Moreby by surprise, and there is much growling at the incon venience it causes, except by ambitious gardeners who are few in Port Moresby, where straggling zinnias and drab shrubs are often pointed out as a splen did achievement after long toil and much sweat.

Shall The Native Cure His Own Copra?

pp. 42-43

From a Special Correspondent.

KAVIENG, January 7.

A MATTER that is giving rise to much discussion, for and against, is the recent development (encouraged, it is thought, in local administrative circles) of the natives in their villages drying and preparing for market the copra produced from their own coconut groves.

The development is a natural out come of the policy pursued by the ad ministration for some years, of eu couraging the extension of native owned plantations. Practically every village from Kavieng to Karu, along the east coast road, has its village plantation, communally worked and

cleaned (when cleaned at all!), the rows of palms generally being owned by the individuals who planted them.

With the coming into full bearing in the next year or two, of these small “plantations,” in addition to the copra from old native-owned clumps of palms, the amount of the production of copra by natives will be greatly increased.

Now the native, who, in spite of con tact with European influences over a long time, does not understand the causes or consequences to him and the coconut industry of world economic crises, fluctuating prices, and uncertain markets, practically ceased a year or two ago to sell his coconuts to the trader at the then ruling price—a price which, as we Europeans appreciate, is ent on the market conditions, etc., overseas, over which the producer has no control whatever. So that “trade” in copra has languished, stores have been closed, plantations have allowed their licences to lapse. Even the thrifty Chinese trade-store lessee has found it almost impossible, and certainly unprofitable, to carry on.

One result of this state of affairs was that the flow of money into the villages through “trade” was stopped, and it appeared that the natives in many cases would this year find difficulty in “meet ing” the annual head-tax, a fact that caused some concern in native circles, and, it is believed, in official quarters also.

The facts, then, in summary, as fairly

as the writer is able to put them, were something like this: The price offered for native coconuts in the trade-store dropped (as did the world-price of copra); the natives, accustomed to the high price formerly ruling and not un derstanding the change, ceased to sell coconuts to the trader (who, in many cases, maintained a trade-store in con junction with his plantation, more as a small and unimportant side-line than as an important business, and did not, therefore, worry much at the falling off in his trade-copra returns); money ceased to flow into the villages; the possibility of collecting the head-tax was remote under the circumstances; coconuts lay sprouting on the ground; officially-encouraged village plantations (“peasant proprietorship” it is euphe mistically called) became neglected; pests began to increase, to the detri ment of local plantations: the local planter, in most cases, put a little more than his customary bitterness or venom into his oft-reiterated and only partlytrue assertion that “the kanaka is lazy” (not always quite so free of adjectival embellishment as that innocent looking sentence).

And so “something must be done.”

Something was done. Soon, in nearly every village, there appeared a sun drier, constructed on a common design (and a very satisfactory design, too); the luluais (head men) and their assist ant tul-tuls whipped the native men up into a new and unaccustomed activity.

Coconuts in all stages of development began to mount into large heaps in front of the driers. One or two (more or less itinerant) “traders” sought the favour of the natives’ custom in dis

posing of their copra, and things appeared satisfactory (to some people).

The local branch of the Planters and Traders’ Association lodged its cus tomary objection. I say “customary” with all due deliberation. It was con fidently believed—even rumoured wildly —that the Administrator (who has al ways courteously listened to, but not always granted the requests of the abovementioned organisation) would immediately intervene to stop the new idea.

But the natives still dry copra—and, from what I have seen of it, it has been good quality copra, though it would be foolish to expect all native-dried copra to be of high quality. The “itinerant traders” still press their suit, offering varying prices; the banking account of the villages grows—in one case it is above £20 in a few months, the average of copra dried being 5 bags a week.

Within a month or two the “Kiap” (government representative) will be along to collect the tax.

The one noticeable result of the move ment is the new air of prosperity about the villages. This writer believes that it is through such new interests (with tangibly profitable results) that the sal vation of this people and their rehabili tation (which is ultimately in the in terests of the white man permanently settled here) will be found.

Say what we will, and forgetting per sonal animus against the native, the important facts remain—(a) that the interests of European and native in this country are inter-dependent, and must be reconciled (remember the story of the goose and the golden eggs!); and (b) that, in the terms of the Mandate, we are officially adjured “to promote to the utmost the . . . material well being of the native.” The government dare not—that is, openly—legislate to prevent or frustrate any effort at de velopment of the native by himself.

Now, what is against the proposal? is it so bitterly attacked in cer tain quarters? First (and in this one feels a very great sympathy for the man struggling along with a young plantation not yet in bearing or only partially bearing, for to him trade copra meant a good deal), there is the loss in “trade” receipts of the regular "trade-store.” In most cases of older

plantations this amounts to very little, for, as before said, such trade is only a small side-line. The argument, how ever, is regularly advanced, But the trump-card of the opponents is this: That Rabaul sun-dried copra is held in high regard on the Lon don markets for its consistently good quality, and brings always a better price than other copra; in consequence, the shipping from Rabaul of native cured copra—always, it is assumed, of poor quality—will interfere seriously with the market and diminish the market esteem for the old product, This, it is admitted, is a powerful argument, but not an unanswerable one.

The solution is this: If it is true that the copra dried by natives is of poor quality, its export as a high-grade pro duct will be prevented by the fact that all copra is subjected to examination for grading purposes by a Government copra inspector.

And, secondly, surely it is the busi ness of the Administration, it having encouraged the extension of native coconut plantations and (allegedly) this native drying scheme, to provide means of an educational nature (“education” not implying book-learning, but of a much wider connotation) to overcome this defect; to teach the native, that is, to dry copra properly, “But you can’t teach him anything!” comes the persistent single-melody re frain. Some day it will be recorded on a gramophone!

Meanwhile, the fight is on; though at present there is only an exhibition of light sparring. An onlooker can only hope that neither party is knocked out on a foul. The Administration must be the referee.

Samoan Cocoa.

p. 43

Record Crop Expected.

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, January 20.

THE cocoa market in America as well as in England continues depressed, though sales are reported from London of Samoan cocoa at a rate of up to £60 per ton for selected parcels of first grade.

Stocks are still high, and the demand is very small. A large parcel, sold some time ago to an American factory, re sulted in a claim by the buyers, who alleged that the cocoa had a taste or smell of ham fat and therefore was un acceptable. This allegation must be considered wholly unfounded, as the cocoa came from various sources and had been cured in different ways, never coming in touch with any ham fat or similar stuff.

The Administration’s estimate of the 1932 crop was correct, as 825 tons were grown. As considerable new acreage will come into bearing soon, future crops, if given favourable weather con ditions, should pass the 1,000 ton mark and eventually break previous records.

The damage done by the recent blow to the cocoa crops is considerable, but the ill effects will be bearable, if we get through March without further blows and too heavy a rainfall.

The future, in any case, looks much brighter to cocoa planters, owing to the considerable saving effected by the wage reduction of Chinese plantation labour from 3/- to 2/- per day, which will be put into force on April 1.

Bulolo Gold.

p. 44

Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd. Re

port that the yield for January for dredges No. 1 and No. 2 was 9,082 ounces of bullion, valued at 124,877 gold dollars, from 423,800 cubic yards.

From the commencement of dredging to January 1, the average calendar monthly surplus from each dredge was slightly over 52,000 gold dollars after de ducting royalty and all working costs.

Cook Islands Notes.

p. 44

Cyclone Hampers Loading.

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, Jan. 26.

IT was touch and go whether 6,000 cases of bananas which were awaiting the “Maunganui” on the wharf on Janu ary 2 for shipment to New Zealand would not have to be left behind owing to bad weather.

The vessel cruised off the island all day in a howling gale, which seemed de termined to continue; but modified suddenly. Daybreak saw the “Maunga nui” at anchor off Avarua with reason ably good reef conditions. Loading op erations commenced but during the afternoon repeated blasts from the ves sel’s siren indicated the anxiety which was being felt regarding the weather.

The ship hung on until the loading was through and lifted anchor at about 5 o’clock. Barely was she out of sight when the hurricane came in from the north. The “Maunganui” reported by radio that she had been caught in a cyclone which lasted several hours.

Rarotonga bananas arrived in New Zealand in better condition than was an ticipated, so that, all things considered, shippers regard themselves fortunate that things turned out so well.

Farewell Cricket Match.

Despite the handicap of advancing years the London Missioner, the Rev.

Bond-James accepted an invitation from the European Cricket Club to lead a team against an eleven captained by Dr.

Ellison.

The match took place on January 21 at the Mission Park.

One or two overs proved disastrous for Dr. Ellison’s team and it made 48 runs.

Six players on the Missionary’s side failed to score, whereupon the Rev.

Bond-James seized a bat, strode to the crease, adjusted his glasses and com menced to hit balls all over the field.

The last wicket fell with victory to Mr.

Bond-James’ team by a good margin of runs. The score sheet disclosed a total of 17 not out to the missionary who returned to the shade of the big tree amidst applause.

Weather Spoils Sport.

The three main sporting events on the Island which are held during Christmas and New Year, sports at Titikaveka, the regatta at Muri, and the races at Nikao, were, this year, marred by rain. Thrills this year were provided by the capsizing of European competitors in a canoe race at Muri and the dislodging of riders into

the lagoon in some of the racing events at Nikao. The latter events are run on the beach with a turning point about half a mile along the sand.

Mysterious things are known to hap pen at this point, such as mounts mak ing the turn too soon, but this year, for some inexplicable reason, horses per sisted in turning into the water, tossing their riders into the lagoon, and gallop ing through the shallows towards the small island on the reef.

MAJOR C. W. C. MARK, Federal Minis ter in Charge of Islands Affairs, who will open the Legislative Council in Ra baul on May 9.

Vice-Regal Visit.

p. 44

THE Administrator of Western Samoa, Brigadier-General H. E. Hart, D.S.O., has been advised that the Governor- General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe will visit the Territory in April.

Lord Bledisloe will be accompanied by Lady Bledisloe, and they will travel on H.M.N.Z.S. “Diomede,” arriving at Apia on April 19. The “Diomede” will call at Nukualofa and Vavau en route.

His Honour, Chief Justice Luxford, left Apia on February 9 by the “Maui Pomare” on furlough.

Keravat Plantation.

Report for December.

THE report of the Keravat Demonstra tion Plantation, New Guinea, for De cember, shows that much interest is being taken by local planters and others in the experimental and general agricul tural work. Eleven visitors came to the plantation during the month in search of information and advice.

Besides the general routine work of cultivation, many acres have been planted with new crops, including rice, native foods, maize, shade and cover crops. The cacao section, in which seed lings are making rapid growth, was cleaned and cover crops sown. Coffee sections also received attention, being suckered and cleared.

Pepper vines were transplanted in their permanent positions in the field and various leguminous trees are used as supports. Rice, broom millet, maize, native foods, shade and cover crops were harvested, 3,472 lbs. of sweet potatoes being distributed to the labour as rations.

Of the trial plots ot maize, planted last September and October, “Fitzroy,”

“Small Learning,” and “Silver Mine” were the most successful varieties.

Strong north-west winds were experi enced during the month, but little damage was done. A few coffee plants were injured by falling trees on the western boundary.

The following plantings were made during the month:—

The Public Works carpenter, having completed the work in hand, left for Rabaul on 16th inst.

The reconditioning of drains through out the plantation was completed.

Two labourers were paid off on ex piration of contract during the month and three signed on. Two were admitted to hospital, of whom one died. One was returned from hospital as well as the native who has undergone three months’ tuition at Rapindik.

Working units at the close of Decem ber totalled 9-7.

Three Surprise Creek natives were re turned from hospital, making a total of eight now at Keravat.

Meteorology.

Total rainfall for the month was 978 points. Rain fell on 24 davs, the heaviest fall being on the 22nd, when 244 points were recorded.

At a dinner at Kokopo, tendered to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor on the eve of their departure to Salamaua, every resident of Kokopo was present except one, who was unavoidably absent.

Acres.

Rice 10 Maize 5 Cassava 3 Sweet potatoes 2 Taro .. .. 1 Shade and cover crops, interplanted with growing staples.

The following produce was distributed: — Rice 677 lbs.

Ground nuts . . 733 lbs.

Cowpeas .. 34 lbs.

Sesamum 10 oz.

Crotalaria 20 lbs.

Maize 33 lbs.

Coffee, hulled 40 lbs.

Papua.

American Expedition to Papua.

AMONG the passengers on the Matson line “Lurline,” which arrived in Syd ney on a tour of the Pacific on Feb ruary 20, was Mr. R. Archbold, who is on his way to Papua.

Mr. Archbold was sent out by the Am erican Museum of National History, to make a general survey of the birds, mammals, and plants of the Territory.

He is accompanied by Mr. A. L. Rand, and they will be joined in Brisbane by Mr. L. G. Brass, who has been doing scientific work in the Solomon Islands.

Papuan Customs.

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 8.

The Papuan Customs revenue for De cember, 1932, is as follows: Pt.

Moresby. Samarai. Daru.

Import duties .. £1,183/9/9 £842/15/8 £25/13/7 Primage £236/12/8 £181/10/11 £13/9/1 Export duties .. £1/3/11 £23/11/3 18- Shipping and other fees £6/7/8 £3/3/8 Totals £1,427/14/- £105/1/6 £4/0/8

Wau-Pt. Moresby Service.

From a Special Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 8.

THE Guinea Airways passenger ’plane with Pilot Gurney and seven pas sengers arrived in Pt. Moresby on January 18 from the New Guinea gold fields. The ’plane left again after the arrival of the “Montoro,” with 18 pas sengers, for the field.

Pilot Denny took charge on the return trip. Pilot Gurney leaving by the “Mac dhui” on January 20. Three trips were made to the fields.

The price of mixed parcels of trochus shell in Rabaul on January 27 was £60 per ton.

Norfolk

Island Trade

Imports.

From Australia.

From N.Z.

Month. £2,070 £1,016 December 1982 . £2,178 £673

Exports.

To Australia.

To N.Z.

Month.

December . £1,108 December, 1932 £1.123 £404

N.G. Sulphur.

MR. A. C. MACKAY, who arrived in Rabaul, has been commissioned to make a thorough inspection of the deposits of sulphur in the Tawurwur Crater, Matupi Bay, by boring and other tests, so as to be able to compile the full est information on these deposits gener ally.

Papuan Produce.

From Our Own Correspondent.

PT. MORESBY, February 8.

TUB “Macdhui” sailed from Port Moresby on January 20. taking the following cargo for Sydney:—2,159 packages of rubber, 883 boxes of desiccated coconut, 21 bags of beche-de-mer, 16 bags of coffee, 209 bags of copra, and 12 bags of sundries.

The “Antigone,” from Sydney, bound to Europe via Samarai, loaded 398 tons of copra on January 17.

The Native Mind.

How Misunderstandings Arise.

INABILITY to understand native psy chology leads to queer situations in connection with administration in Is land territories.

Some time ago, a building to be used by the natives as a market, was erected in Rabaul alongside Chinatown. From the commencement, even while the build ing was in course of construction, mis sionaries who saw it said: “The natives will not appreciate that place. There are only two exits and native women like to be able to gather up their goods and run at the first sign of a disturbance." And so it proved.

The natives had to be forced to use the building, and, as anyone in Rabaul may see to-day, the natives still prefer to hold their market under the spread ing trees near the building. Yet the of ficials ascribe the cause to the natives’ fear of evil spirits. Those who can talk with the natives in their own language (not in pidgin) say that the natives laugh at the official explanation.

The European inability to understand the native mind limits the usefulness of the Land Court. No one associated with that institution has any real acquaint ance with native customs and laws re garding the acquisition and transfer of land and property. It is ridiculous to try and determine ownership and transfer of native land unless one has a working knowledge of the native language and the native customs under which these transactions have taken place since time immemorial.

New Guinea And Papuan Gold

Sharemarket

The following gives details of shares of New Guinea and Papuan goldmining companies, listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange, with latest available market price:

Weekly Fluctuations.

The following shows weekly fluctuations for two of the main New Guinea concerns:

Authorised Capital £ Shares Issued Market Price Company.

Number.

Amount.

Paid-up.

Buyer.

Seller.

February 18. £ £ s. d £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d Akmana New Guinea, N.L pd. 30,000 140,000 0 1 0 0 1 0 — — Akmana New Guinea, N.L ctg. 360,000 0 1 0 0 0 7 — — Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. . . . $6,000,000 765,000 $5.00 0 $5.00 0 2 16 3 2 16 6 50,000 50,000 1 0 1 0 — 3 16 0 Mount Kaindi, N.L pd. 50,000 90,000 0 4 0 0 4 0 — — Mount Kaindi, N.L ctg. 160,000 0 4 0 0 1 3 — Mount Lawson Blocks. N.L. pd. 48,000 80,000 0 4 0 0 4 0 — — Mount Lawson Blocks, N.L. ctg. 140,000 0 4 0 0 1 0 Mount Lawson Extended. N.L. . pd. 48,000 80,000 0 4 0 0 4 0 — — Mount Lawson Extended, N.L. . ctg. 140,000 0 4 0 0 1 0 — Mount Sisa, N.L. pd.

Mount Sisa, N.L. ctg. 120,000 0 4 0 0 4 0 — — 70,000 190,000 0 4 0 0 1 10½ — — N. Guinea Developments, N.L. 40,000 643,800 0 1 0 0 1 0 N. Guinea Gold Deposits, N.L. p.d. 20,000 0 2 6 0 2 6 N. Guinea Gold Deposits. N.L. ctg. 20,000 100,000 0 2 6 0 1 9 0 0 6 0 0 1 9 N. Guinea Gold & Osmiridium, N.L. 10,000 80,000 0 2 6 0 0 2 o N. Guinea Goldfields, Ltd pd. 4,055,186 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 6 6 N. Guinea Goldfields, Ltd. ctg. 5,250,000 375,000 1 0 0 0 I 0 N. Guinea Options, Ltd., N.L. . . pd.

N. Guinea Options, Ltd., N.L. . . ctg. 50,000 50,000 272,200 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 — — North East N. Guinea, N.L. pd. 50,000 90,000 0 4 0 0 4 0 — — North East N. Guinea, N.L. .. ctg. 140,000 0 4 0 0 1 0 — 10 0 Placer Development, Ltd $500,000 80,000 0 $5.00 $5.00 9 7 6 Sloane's New Guinea, N.L pd. 25,000 2 Sloane’s New Guinea. N.L ctg. 25,000 200,000 0 2 0 0 0 8 *Quotation not granted these shares.

Placer D’ment. Ltd. — January 28.

February 4.

February 11. b £9 s £9/2/6 b £8/15/- s £9 s £9/15/- N.G. Goldfields— b 4/8 s 4/9 b 5/- s 5/1 b 6/11 s 7/-

New Misima Gold

Mines.

Production for December.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 28.

THE report of New Misima Gold Mines Ltd., for December shows that 1,320 tons of ore were put through the mill and yielded gold bullion valued at £1.437/4/3 (assay value).

The Christmas holidays gave the op portunity for a general overhaul and re pairs which could not be made while the battery was working, were carried out.

During the month the main levels were extended 140 ft., rises 55ft. and crosscuts 52ft. A dividend —the fourteenth —of 1/6 per share has been declared.

Heavy rain damaged the motor road, a special gang under the supervision of a white overseer was put on to the re pairs and it is now in order.

To Help Hospital.