Pacific Islands Monthly - 15 December 1939

Pacific

Monthly

Vol. X. No. 5.

December 15, 1939

[Registered at the G.P.0., for transmission by post as a newspaper .]

8 d

The story that European girls cannot grow to beauty and health in the tropics is a myth, and here is proof of it. Photograph of a group of assistants who were in charge of the Refreshment Stall at the Red Cross Fair at the residence of Mr. S. H. Ellis, Tamavua, Suva, on November 4.

November 16; The dispute between Russia and Finland regarding territorial adjustments continues. Finland still in sists that she will not surrender to the Soviet demands. The Soviet appears to hesitate to put too great pressure on Finland, owing to the danger of an in ternational explosion.

November 20: A flood of reports, most ly of an unreliable character, but im pressive in their volume, indicate rest lessness and discontent in Germany.

Ever since the Munich bomb incident, the secret police have been arresting, all over the Reich, persons suspected of Monarchist sympathies, and there is evid ence that Hitler fears a Monarchist plot.

There is also evidence that a revolu tionary spirit is growing among the Czechs —there have been serious out breaks all over Czecho-Slovakia.

November 20: The sudden destruction of the Dutch passenger steamer “Simon Bolivar”, and of many other ships, most ly neutral, in the English Channel, not far from the mouth of the Thames, by magnetic mines, introduced a new and startling development of the war on the sea. It was discovered that the English Channel had been very extensively mined in a manner which broke all the inter national laws governing maritime opera tions. Germany announced that she had deliberately undertaken this new phase of the war as part of her determination to destroy Britain’s seaborne commerce and to starve Britain.

November 22: Within three days about twenty ships, nearly all neutrals, had been destroyed by mines off the Eng lish coasts, with great loss of life (about 100 of the 230 passengers on the Dutch ship were drowned) but the only German comment upon this crime against neu tral shipping was “it is very sad for the neutrals”. It was soon established that countless, small, magnetic mines, of tre mendous explosive power, had been sown all around the English coasts, by mine carrying sea-planes. This was Hitler’s new “secret weapon”, of which he boast ed a few weeks ago. The new weapon has caused great destruction; but the British Admiralty announces that it is confident it can deal with the new menace.

November 20: The Rome radio an nounced that Italy would resist immedi ately any attempt to introduce Commun ism into the Balkans. This is the most forthright warning to Germany’s new partner (Russia) that has yet been is sued by Italy.

November 21: Innumerable reports re ceived through neutral countries indicate that the Germans are using the great est savagery and ruthlessness in stamp ing out the revolutionary movement in Czecho-Slovakia. The movement is most marked among the Czech students. Many hundreds of students have been arrested and deported and a selected number of their leaders—some say 70 — have been deliberately shot.

November 21: The United States has warned Japan that she views seriously the continued interference by the Japan ese army with United States nationals and trade in China.

November 22: An unofficial announce ment that Russia and Japan have agreed to negotiate a trade treaty has led to much speculation as to whether it may be a prelude to a political agreement— in which event, of course, the relation

ship of Japan with other Powers inter ested in the Pacific will be vitally af fected.

November 22: One of the war’s most important developments is contained in the announcement that Britain has de cided to seize German exports on the high seas as a reprisal for German viola tion of the international rules of sea warfare, by the * indiscriminate sowing of mines.

November 24.—Germany announces that she will meet with unrestricted mine war fare the British decision to seize German exports as a reprisal for indiscriminate mine sowing.

Although the combined effect of mag netic mines and increased U-boat activ ity is seen in a serious revival of shipping lasses, there is no dismay in Allied circles.

The shipping losses are admitted as something that has to be expected and faced. There is complete confidence that the Admiralty will deal with the new magnetic mine menace.

November 24. —The resignation of the Government of Roumania and its re placement by a new Government is an indication of the strained conditions in the Balkans, created by the mysterious position of Germany in relation to the Balkan countries, and the growing threat of a Russian thrust down through the Balkan countries towards Turkey.

Roumania faces a grave crisis. Hun gary is getting ready to put in a claim for Transylvania, which was taken from Hungary and given to Roumania after the Great War; and, similarly, it is expected that Russia, within a short time, will seize Bessarabia which, after the Great War, was taken from Russia—al though predominantly Russian in popula tion —and given to Roumania. Bulgaria is taking advantage of the situation to claim the restoration of the Dobrudja, a small area near the mouth of the Danube, which was given to Roumania in 1919.

November 26. The German liner, “Adolph Woermann,” 8,500 tons, slipped out of a port in Portuguese West Africa on November 18, and tried to make ren dezvous with the German pocket-battle ship “Admiral von Scheer.” It was chased by a British warship, whereupon the Ger man crew scuttled their vessel and took to the boats. Crew and passengers were picked up by the British.

Epic Sea Battle

November 27. The armed merchant cruiser “Rawalpindi,” 16,700 tons, a form er well-known P. & O. mail steamer, was sunk by the German pocket-battleship “Deutschland.” It was one of the most heroic episodes in British naval history.

The “Rawalpindi,” completely over whelmed and out-gunned by the enemy battleship, refused to surrender, and fought to the last, and finally was sunk by gun-fire with all her flags flying. As far as is known, only 17 out of the crew of 300 were saved.

The “Deutschland” is being ceaselessly pursued by Allied naval forces, but she is working in the far north, amid fogs and mist, where there are only a few hours of daylight, and she thus has been able to elude her pursuers.

November 28. Negotiations between Russia and Finland are still going on.

The Finns have offered to withdraw all their troops from the frontier provided

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

November 16—December 14, 1939

that Russia does the same, in the same proportion, and for the same distance.

November 28.—France, also, as reprisal for the indiscriminate sowing of mines, is seizing German exports in neutral ships on the high seas.

This joint action by Britain and France naturally has brought strong protests from neutrals—ranging from academic arguments, in the case of Holland, to sheer belligerence on the part of Japan.

Germany is doing everything possible to encourage neutrals to resist the Allies’ new economic move.

Russo-German Move Awaited

November 29. —Turkish leaders are con vinced that, within a short time, Russian and German forces will launch a big of fensive in the Balkans and the Near East.

Russia is believed to be seeking control of Central Asia and a foothold on the thres hold of India; while Germany will seek an outlet to the Mediterranean and access to oil, minerals, and foodstuffs.

Intense diplomatic activity is going on in such borderline countries as Hungary, Jugoslavia, and Bulgaria. Italy watches developments very keenly. These nations and this applies particularly to Italy— have no love for either side. They will throw in their lot with whichever coun try they believe will win. Italy hates Rus sia; but she will not, necessarily, fight Russia if Russia is really the partner of Germany, and Germany looks like being eventually able to give to Italy some of the Mediterranean territories she covets — namely, Tunisia, and perhaps a bit of Southern France.

November 30. —The hunt for the Ger man pocket-battleship “Deutschland” in the far North Atlantic is continuing.

Meanwhile, there are indications that the other German pocket-battleship, “Ad miral von Scheer,” is in the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean, and may seriously interfere with Allied shipping. It is be lieved that the German cruiser “Emden” is with the “Deutschland.”

Attack On Finland

November 30. —Russia, to-day, without warning, launched simultaneously land, air and sea attacks on Finland. Soviet troops crossed the Finnish frontier early in the morning. The Finns had had ample warning—tension had been grow ing for weeks. The Finns are excellent soldiers, and have created a first-class de fence organisation, and may hold back the Russians for some time. They, how ever, are vastly outnumbered by the Russians, and must eventually be over whelmed —unless they get substantial aid.

The Soviet declares that it has become necessary “to release the Finnish peoples from the oppression of a reactionary Government.” The Soviet has set up in Moscow a puppet Finnish Government, led by a notorious Communist, and has formally recognised this as the Govern ment of Finland, and is releasing propa ganda urging the Finnish people to rally to the puppet Government. The Finns, however, appear to be completely united behind their own Government in their determination to defend their freedom to the death.

The Scandinavian nations (Sweden, Norway and Denmark) are being urged by their peoples towards active interven tion on the side of the Finns. Intensely

strong public feeling in Italy has been shown in several anti-Russian demonstra tions. Meanwhile, the attitude of Ger many, one of complete passivity—no word, either for or against Russia, has been heard —is variously interpreted. But it is surely clear that if Germany permits Russia to invade Finland formerly a country in which German influence was paramount—it means that there is an understanding in relation to the future between Germany and Russia.

December I.—There has been a great outbreak of popular anger in the United States against Russia, and public leaders are appealing for the severence of all relations.

December 2,—The reaction in Japan has been marked. Japanese newspapers say that Russia’s attack upon Finland shows that no reliance whatever can be placed upon non-aggression pacts with Russia.

December 3. —World-wide sympathy for Finland and indignation and horror against Russia became increasingly evi dent during the week-end; 3,000 uni formed Fascists demonstrated against Russia in Rome. The only country which does not condemn Russia is Bulgaria, where the entire Press supports the Rus sian invasion. Large numbers of Scan dinavians are hurrying to Finland to enlist.

December 4.—Up to date the Finns have succeeded in holding back the Rus sian forces. There are indications that Russia is concentrating troops for a de termined advance, to get possession of Finland at the “waistline”—so that the northern and southern parts of the country will be separated.

December 5. —Finland has appealed to the League of Nations for help. The council of the League will meet in Geneva to consider the appeal on Monday, December 11.

December 4. A strong formation of British bombers carried out a raid on the German sea-base, Heligoland, and at tacked German warships there. They obtained directs hits with heavy bombs and shot down a German fighter. All the British machines returned.

December 5. —Apart from the Finnish situation there has been few outstanding events; but it is clear that the struggle on the sea for economic advantages is becoming more fierce and ruthless. In the week ended December 2, Britain lost six ships (23,000 tons) and neutrals lost six ships (31,000 tons). The shipping losses in November were one third those of September, but there are indications that at the moment, as a result of the combined German attack by magnetic mines, submarines and battleship raid ers, very severe losses of mercantile shipping are being sustained.

December 6.—The Finns are still hold ing the Russians—but it is doubtful whether this resistance can be much pro longed. Sweden, Denmark and Norway are conferring. Preparations are being made for the League of Nations meeting on the 11th. It is expected that Russia will leave the League—in which event it is thought possible that Italy and Spain may return.

December 6. —Japan has promised the United States Government that American interests will be compensated for damage done to them in China, and that every effort will be made in future to avoid damage to American interests.

December 6.—The large steamer, “Doric Star,” 10,000 tons, was sunk by a German raider (presumably the pocket-battleship “Admiral Scheer”) in the South Atlantic,

while carrying a large refrigerated cargo from Australia to Britain.

December 6.—The King is at present visiting the British Army in France.

December 6. —Much speculation aroused because a German twin-engined Heinkel, apparently out of control, crashed on the coast of Norfolk. All the crew were killed. No British fighters were in the vicinity at the time and no anti-aircraft fire was heard. It is persistently suggested that this bomber was brought down by Britain’s secret weapon, of which there have been hints. Tt has been stated, positively and officially, that Britain has some secret weapon, but the character of the thing has not been disclosed.

December 6. —A British warship cap tured a German liner of 8,000 tons in the South Atlantic, despite attempts made by the crew to scuttle her.

December 7.—Swift and heavily-armed British naval patrols, strung out from the Arctic seas right down through the Atlan tic to the fringe of the Southern Polar waters, and as far east as the Indian Ocean, are drawing a dragnet closer around the German commerce-raiders.

Snarl From Russia

December 7.—The Moscow radio has warned Italy and Sweden to keep out of the Russo-Finnish conflict. The Russians say that they will not tolerate, on the part of Italy, such interference in Fin land as occurred in Spain. “We also warn Sweden,” the radio said, “that she has no business to send detachments of so-called volunteers’ to Finland’s aid. This will gravely endanger the relations between Russia and Sweden.”

Deoember 7.—Mr.. Winston Churchill (First Lord of Admiralty) stated that the secret of the German magnetic mine was known to Britain, and counter measures against it were far advanced, long be fore the first magnetic mine appeared in British waters. The British were confi dent that they could overcome this menace. The British were equally confi dent that their method of detecting and destroying submarines would become in creasingly efficient, no matter how many submarines Germany might continue to build.

December B.—The Foreign Ministers for Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who had been in conference, stated jointly that they had agreed to do their utmost “to assist Finland, through the League of Nations, to inaugurate Russo-Finnish peace negotiations,” A radio broadcast, later, from Finland remarked, “It seems impossible for these Scandinavian coun tries to remain passive spectators of the murder of Finland.”

It is clear, however, that all the small neutral nations are afraid to take any steps to assist each other owing to the fear that they may be trampled out of existence by more powerful countries.

December 9.—After a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council in Rome, which was addressed by Mussolini, it was offici ally announced that Italy would maintain her neutrality in regard to all existing international affairs, and that the rela tions between Italy and Germany would remain as established by their pact, and by exchanges which had since occurred.

It is evident that, within the last two or three days, Germany has succeeded in stiffening the attitude of Italy against any kind of intervention in European affairs.

December 10— Reports, which were re peated through the Moscow radio, that Germany was sending anti-aircraft guns

and large quantities of munitions to Fin land, and that 50 Italian bombers had refuelled in Germany on their way to assist Finland, have been denied.

December 11.—Finland’s appeal to the League of Nations for assistance against Russia was considered at a public session of the League Assembly to-day and it was decided to make a final appeal to Russia to agree to an armistice and conference.

It is not expected that the answer, which must be received within 24 hours, will be favourable.

December 11. Very strong feeling against Russia is manifesting itself in Sweden. As part of pro-Finnish agitation it is urged that a coalition Government be formed.

December 12.—Official: Shipping losses during the week ended December 9 were:—British (seven ships, 33,500 tons), neutrals (eight ships, 36,600 tons). It is now clear that five British ships, ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 tons, which are over due, and which were last heard of in the South Atlantic, have fallen victims to the German raiding battleship, Admiral von Scheer,” and are regarded as losses.

December 12.—1 tis officially announced that a section of the British Army now in France has been moved eastwards, and is now occupying a part of the Maginot Line, beside the French, and facing the German forces.

December 12. —The Italian newspapers state that Britain and France are afraid to stand up to the Soviet Government.

They also state that Fascist pilots and crews accompanied the Italian ’planes which flew across Germany to the as sistance of Finland and that Mussolini is willing to give all possible assistance to the Finns against the Russians.

Peace Suggestions

December 12.—Although details are be ing kept out of the Allied news services, where it is insisted that no peace nego tiations can be considered until the Hit ler regime is destroyed, it is now clear that a very real attempt is being made at Geneva, while the League of Nations’ as sembly awaits the reply of Russia, to arrange an armistice between the Allies and Germany in order that there may be a conference between them.

It is stated that Germany now is will ing to consider a new peace plan, in which Poland and Czechoslovakia would be rehabilitated; that Germany is willing to rejoin the League of Nations —especially if Russia is expelled from it; and that Hitler would not be averse to a peace plan which would be based on the alliance of Britain, France and Germany against Russia.

It may be expected that these circum stances and conditions will be seized upon to form the basis of an appeal for a Christmas armistice. On the other hand, there are numerous world com mentators who insist that there is in existence a plan under which Germany and Russia will engage jointly in a drive to the south-east, through the Balkans and through Asia Minor, against the Allies and Turkey, as soon as the Fin land situation is liquidated.

December 14.—Russia has replied sar castically to the League of Nations, virtually telling other nations to mind their own business. Expulsion of Russia from the League is now expected.

December 14. —German pocket battle ship “Admiral Graf Spee” (not “Admiral Scheer’’) caught in South Atlantic by British light cruisers “Achilles”, “Ajax” and “Exeter”; severely battered; ran to neutral port, where now sheltering, with British cruisers waiting outside.

Per “Aorangi” From Fiji: Messrs. Chal

mers, Davis, Bennett, Browne, Field, Fenton, Garrick, Halstead, Ludolph, Mason, Morgan, Petersen (2), Thoms, Blake, George, Hunter.

Mesdames Burgess, Chalmers, Donnan, Kent, Lee, Field, Garrick, Halstead, Thoms, Bailey, Lewis, Schleger, Reedy. Misses Yonge, Mc- Cutcheon, Reynolds.

Per “Tasman” To Papua: Mr. Houston.

Mesdames Barrow, Chawner, Godson, Minns, Wilson. Misses Walby, White.

Per “Nellore” From Rabaul, N.G.:

Messrs. Harris, Madden, Scott, Gibbons, Munro, Nettleship, Roberts, Evan-Evans, Hipkin, Kerr, Brownlee, Simmett, Palmer, Slattery, Evans, Skinner, Robinson, Edwards. Rev, Fitzgerald.

Mesdames Harris, Higgs, Madden, Schmidt, Munro, Roberts, Evans-Evans, Taylor, Simmett, Palmer, Evans, Robinson, Edwards, Renton.

Per “Morinda” Prom Lord Howe Is.,

Norfolk Is.. N. Hebrides And 8.5.1.:

Messrs. Bairstow, Christian, Clarkson, Dudley, Hadley, Hays, Horne, McComish, Masterman, Mapletoft, Thurston, Adam, Allsop. Dalzlell, Hay, Murphy, Nicholls, Payten (3), Ritchie, Rox borough, Sewell. Weihen. Rev. Prater, Rev.

Deasey. Mesdames Altken, Baley, Deasey, Dud ley, Green, Prater, Lake. McComish, Metcalfe,

Martin, Mapletoft, Schrieber, Thurston (2), Abel, Anderson, Allsop, Brown, Day, MacLachlan, Payten. Willis. Misses Christian, Gabbutt, Green, Harris, Horton, Jepson, Nobbs, Charieton, Green, Willis.

Per “Malaita” Prom N.G., Papua &

8.5.1. PORTS: Messrs. Aitchison, Amos, Bal four, Bedford, Bent, Boehm, Brinkley, Buckland, Bullinarla, Chapman, English, Parlow, Fleming, Forbes, Gage, Greer, Haire, Hassler, Horton, Hughes, Inglis, Johnston, Kellett, Kitchen, Love, McParlane, Martin, Merrylees, Milne. Mont gomery, Mulvey, Oliver, Sandford, Scullard, Selmes, Smith, Stephen, Stibbard, Tame, Waite, Wills, Wright (2). Mesdames Abel, Aitchison, Aumuller, Bent, Parlow, Fleming, Grahamslaw, Haire, Johnston, McParlane, Marshall, Minogue, Morton, Mulvey, Mustard, Oliver, Stephen, Stib bard, Wright. Misses Burke, Deck, Devitt, Kekwick, Lett, Thorburn.

PER “MORINDA” FOR N. HEBRIDES & 8.5.1.; Messrs. Middleton, McLeod, Green, Rees, Davies, Johnson, Boxall, Roberts, Teaman. Mesdames Middleton, Fraser, Rees, Davies, Johnson, Hollo way, Christian. Misses Bland, Kemp, Regan, Fraser, Retmock, Payten, King, Pratt.

Per “Macdhui” From N.G. & Papua:

Messrs. Barker, Beer, Blackmore, Bodger,

Boileau, Brennan (2), Bridger, Brown, Calow, Cameron, Carr, Conwell, Cox, Cumningham, Davies, Dickson, Fell, Fitch, Forrester, Gregory, Heape, Henderson, Hewitt, Holland, Huxley, Irvine, Jolly, Bowen, Jones, Kershaw, Lee (2), Leggatt, Lewis, Lucas, McEwan, Mackenzie, Middleton. Miller, Montgomery, Murray, Oakes, Palmer, Pasley, Patmore. Patterson, Piper, Pratt (2), Reilly, Reynolds, Roberts, Rose, Schroder, Scott (2), Shaw, Simpson, Smith, Spence, Strathearn, Taylor, Thomas, Turner, Tynan, Verey, Walton, White, Wolfcarius, Wright, Parker. Mesdames Barker, Beer, Brennan, Burns, Cahill, Champion, Corbe, Con well, Dickson, Fuller, Giles, Gregory, Guest, Herbert, Hilder, Hogan, Lee, McEwan. Mackenzie.

Middleton, Montgomery, Murray, Pasley, Pat terson, Piper, Robinson, Rundle, Schroder, Scares, Simpson. Skinner, Smith, Terry, Turner, Wolfcarius, Williams, Wright. Misses Beer, Booth, Coulson, Glasson, Healy, Lashmar, Stevens.

PER “MACDHUI” FOR PAPUA & N.G.: Messrs.

Hayland, Nagy, Coldham, Beck, Purves, Flower, Eldred, Keenan, Harris (2), Dlckins, Harrison, Gore, Brown, Kissick, Nixon, Frost, O’Connor, Christian, Ross, Lang. Carpenter. Austin, Searle, Ashwell, Prendergast, Paul, Davies, Ritchie, Morris, Chant, Halliday, Reid, Coe, Low, Peakins, Downey, Hiscox, Hemming, Davidson, Crouch, Thorne, Newman, Hotz, Marshall,

(Continued On Page 76.)

On November 11, at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Farlow, A.D.0., Buka Passage, New Guinea, Miss Kathleen Howell was married to Mr. Rolf Cam bridge. Mr. Cambridge has been in the Islands for 20 years. He was a clerk for the Malaita company at Bara; then with Corry and Stirling; then he was man ager of Mr. Jack Clift’s place at Aruligo; later he joined the 5.1. D.; and from there he was transferred to C.P.L. as Group Manager, Soraken, where he has been for some years. The bride was given away

by Mr Farlow Mrs Farlnw wnc mntrnn of-honou?; and Mr H W P Newall wa^ best man Mr - and Mrs * James Leahy have left Wau, New Guinea, on an extensive holi tour - This was to have embraced world, but the present war situation will restrict the tour, somewhat. “Jim”

Leahy is one of the four brothers Leahy, whose names are so well known for in trepid pioneering explorations in the early days.

Semple, Winterford, Patterson, Carden, Jacobson, Lewis, Barry, Hui Ping Kwang. Mesdames Moffatt, Altria, Eldred, Schuler, Murray, O’Hara, Mcdearmaid, Ellis, Weidmann, Rundle, Balfour, Veitch, Ritchie, Craig, Cerini, Thompson, Ross, Drewe, Lang, Earl, Bewster, Halliday, O’Neil, Hiscox, Hemming. Misses Taylor, Schuxer, Ollerton, Fraser, Munster, Brearley, Protheroe, McKenna, Brabin, Healey, Brewster, Voysey (2), Laurie, Hansen, Hides.

PER ‘‘MALAITA” FOR 8.5.1., PAPUA & N.G.

PORTS: Messrs. Moore, Temple Watts, Good rich, Brennan, Batchelor, Murphy, Ashbrook, Murnin, James, Hetherington, Lucas, French, Mackenzie, Mapletoft, Whale, Dexter, Pascoe, Richardson, Crow r e, Hewlett, Hosie, Costa, Mal colm. Rev. Fathers Caffiaux, McMahon, Duhamel.

Brothers Joseph, Paul. Gratton. Mesdames de Rusett, Downing, Osborne, Driver, Stewart, Annan, Hetherington, Lucas, French, Mapletoft, Jarrett, Mackenzie, Whale, Wright. Monks, Scott, Dexter, Sturges, Dalrymple, Hay. Misses McConnell, Eldridge, Temple Watts, Scope, Brennan, Ward, Porteous, Corfe, Stewart, Lum ley, Guinan, Stewart, Lyons, Gorkin, Matthews, Chester, Hunter (2). Sister Ludovica. Masters Temple Watts, Ward, Osborne, Eginton, Evenett, Spiller, Wright, Hardy, Clay, Lock, Taylour, Munro, Schafer, Brown, Leigh, Switzer.

PER “AORANGI” FOR FIJI: Messrs. Cater.

Edwards, Holborow, Parker, Swanton, Singh.

Mesdames Probert, Singh. Miss Probert.

PER AIRLINER PROM N.G. & PAPUA: Messrs.

Flannigan, Gray, Thurston, Snook, Patterson.

Mrs. Willis. Miss March.

PER AIRLINER TO PAPUA & N.G.: Messrs.

Stirling, O’Mara, Heron, Barrow. Mesdames Sherringham, Husband.

PER AIRLINER FROM N.G. & PAPUA: Messrs, Granger. Wales, Kane, Warmald, Major Chal mers. Mesdames Proud. Hilder.

PER AIRLINER TO N.G. & PAPUA: Messrs.

Symes, Shields, Luff. Mesdames Luff, Townsend.

Misses Eastwood, Best.

PER AIRLINER FROM PAPUA & N.G.: Messrs.

Silberschmidt, Grabowsky, Keogh, Sterling, Mur cett. Mrs. Karius.

PER AIRLINER TO N.G. & PAPUA: Messrs.

Williams, Kaye. Mesdames Buchanan, Ingol, Burton.

PER AIRLINER FROM N.G. & PAPUA: Messrs.

Murray, Bignold, Hay Les. Tryer, Haggard. Sir Hubert Murray. Mrs. Bensley.

Amalgamated Wire less (A/sia) Ltd. . 30 Angus & Coote Ltd. 14 Arnott’s Biscuits . . 35 Atkins Ltd., W. . 42 “Ausoline” ... 72

B.A.L.M. Ltd. ... 52

Bank of N.S.W. . . 73 “Bernly” Guest House 76 “Bidomak” ... 21 Broomfields Ltd. . . 74 Brown & Co. Ltd., G 15 Brunton’s Flour . 39 Budge Ltd., Jas. . 52 Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd 4 B.P. Magazine . . 57

B.P. (S.S.I Co. . . 40

Burns Philp Trust Co. Ltd 53 Buzacott-Wolseley . 51 Carlton & United Breweries Ltd. . 27 Carpenter Ltd., W. R. . . . cov. 2 Chapman & Sherack 28 Chivers & Sons Ltd. 37 “Cinnamolia” Pre- parations ... 34 Clyde Engineering Co. Ltd 49 Coleman Lamp & Stove Co. . . 31. 71 Colonial Sugar Re fining Co. Ltd. . . 69 Coral Starch ... 35 Cosmopolitan Hotel 76 Crossle, Duff & Macintosh Ltd. . 68 “Cystex” 69 Danks & Son Ltd. . 48 Dewar’s Whisky 29 Doan’s Pills ... 65 Donaghy & Sons Ltd 74 Donald Ltd., A. B. 45 Eaton Ltd., J. W. 43 Electrolux Refrigerators . . 26 Eno’s Fruit Salt . 61 Fairbanks - Morse Ltd 47

Fletcher & Sons . 32 “Flit” 46 Ford Sherington Ltd. 55 Garden Vale Pro ducts Ltd. ... 33 Garrett & Davidson 68 Gillespie’s Flour . . 34 Gowing Bros. Ltd. . 55 Grace Bros, Ltd. . 54 Grand Pacific Hotel 44 Grove & Son, W. H. 14 Guinea Airways Ltd cov. 3 Halvorsen Ltd., Lars 75 Hemingway & Robertson Ltd. . 12 Holbrook’s Ltd. . . 39 Hollywood Photo.

Service 13 Horlicks Malted Milk 22 Horne, W. & Co. . 45 Hotel Moresby . . 76 Jones & Co. Ltd., H. 18 Joyce Biscuits Ltd. . 16 Kambala School for Girls 65 King’s School, The 20 Kolynos Dental Cream 23 Kopsen & Co. Ltd. 59 Kork-N-Seal Ltd. . 33 Lee & Perrins Sauce 67 Lloyd & Co. Ltd. . 13 Lustre Hosiery Ltd. 63 “Majora” Speed Enamel 48 Maxwell Porter Ltd. 43 Mcllrath’s Ltd. . . 67 Merrillees & Co. . 37 Methodist Ladies’

College ... 62 Miller & Co. Pty.

Ltd 46 National Box Co.

Pty. Ltd. . . .17 Nelson & Robertson, Ltd 24 Nestles Milk ... 38 Newington College . 62 Newlands Bros. Ltd. 60 Newmarket Saddlery 73 Nock & Kirby Ltd. 71 Noyes Bros. Ltd. . 40

Ormonoid Roofing & Asphalts Ltd. . 53 Pabst Canned Beer 60 Pacific Is. Club . Ift' Papua Hotel, The 76 Pike Bros. Ltd. . . 16 Prescott Ltd. ... 36 Prouds Ltd 11 Reed. William E. . 71 Riverstone Meat Co. 66 Rohu, Sil . . . .28 Royal Packet Co. . 3 Rutherford, G. . . 75

Scott, Ltd., J, . . 50 Shell Oil Co. . , 58 Slade School . . 70 Sparten Lacquers Pty. Ltd. ... 50 Springwood Ladles’

College , 63 Steamships Trading Co. Ltd 32 Sterling Varnish Co. 11 St. Catharine’s School . . . . . 70

St. Ignatius College 56 Sullivan Ltd., C. . 34 “Sunrlpe”

Cigarettes ... 57 Swallow & Ariell . 36 Taylor & Co., A. . 68 “Tenax” Soap . . 64 Tillock & Co. Ltd. 61 Toohey’s Ltd. . . 19 Tooth & Co. . cov. 4 Trinity Grammar School 72

Vacuum Oil Co. . . 41 Vincent’s A.P.C. . . 25 West, Harry ... 51 Weymark & Son . 37 Wills Ltd., W.D. & H.O 25 Woods Peppermint Cure 64 Wright & Co. . . 74 Wright & Co. Ltd., E 72 Wunderlich Ltd. . , 43

Pacific News Review 1 Islands Travellers .. 3, 76 The Growing Shadow of Russia 5 Must We Hate the Germans? ... 6 P.A.A. Almost Ready for Inauguration of Trans-Pacific Air Service .. 7 Salving of the “Makambo” 7, 43 History of Fiji-Australian Banana Trade 7 Sir Hubert Murray iii Australia .! 8 Papua’s Search for Oil 8 “Papuan Chief” Salved 8 Nazis Removed from Samoa .. 8 Future of N.G. Native Labour ... 9 German Propaganda in New Guinea 9 Native Land Problem in Fiji ... 9 American Achievement on Canton Is. 10 “Trust Fund” for N.G. Gold Tax .. 10 About Islands People 11 Tropicalities .. : . .. 13 Collapse of Gold Mines of Papua, Ltd. 14 Difficult Relationship Between Ameri cans & Japanese in Hawaii 16 Rising Costs in the Islands 20 Terrifying Eruption in New Hebrides 23 Polynesian Stone Bowl Found in Madrid 25 Ripley’s Story of Torres Strait Wrecks 28 Death of Capt. “Bill” Tait (8.5. T.) 29

Salamaua-Wau Road Plan Still Held UP 30 Dangerous Bugs Per Airmail .. .. 31 New Zealand’s Place in the Pacific 31 Jack Hides’s Greatest Adventure .. 34 Tahiti’s First Ships 37 The Luluai of Pir—A New Guinea Tale 39 Transition Period in Fiji * * ‘ 44 Old Habits Pass in Tahiti 46 Cheeky Natives in Eastern Papua .. 47 Why No Malaria in Fiji? 43 Trenchant Criticism of Tonga’s Condition 50 Book Reviews 51 Study of Polynesian Economics .. 53 Fate of Superior Persons in Tahiti 54 The Pioneering of Brother Jones in the Solpmons .. .. .. 55 Tuberculosis in Polynesia 56 British Law v. Koran Law .. .. .. 56 South Seas Copra Shipments 59 What To Do With Native Races .. 61 Fashion Hints for Islands Women .. 63 The Crash of Woolcott Forbes ... 65 Islands Mining Notes 68 Short Wave Radio Programmes .. 71 Copra and Rubber Prices 72 Produce & Exchange Rates 73 Shipping Services in the Pacific .. 74

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Vol. X. No. 5.

December 15, 1939.

Prirp 1 8d - Per c°Py rrice Prepaid: 8/- p.a.

IN this column, two months ago, while most newspapers were dis playing sensational stories about the “western front”, we said that Euro pean civilisation was threatened with a far worse thing than the Hitler War —namely, the westward march of Russia; that Finland was likely to be over-run; that Italy was desperately uneasy over the Russian threat to the Balkans; and that every resource of statesmanship should be used to line up Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, to resist the most sinister force that ever has tried to deprive white men of their liberty and their individual decencies.

Note what has happened since then.

Russia has invaded and is over running Finland; Russian armies are massing near the Balkans, and the threat to Roumania is clear; Italy and Turkey—old potential enemies— are both getting ready to resist the Russian advance by force, if neces sary; and, in Asia, Russia and Japan are discussing a non-aggression pact —the idea evidently being that Stalin should have no Far East complications, if he should decide to attack the British Empire (India, etc.) through Afghanistan, Persia and Asia Minor.

The foreign policy of Soviet Russia is dominated to-day—as for years past—by eagerness to destroy the British and French Empires, always

regarded by the Reds as the back bone of the capitalist system. The Soviet played with the British and French would-be treaty-makers in March-June, 1939, just as it played with Nazi Germany in July-September. when it made the Russo-German Pact and partitioned Poland. This Hitler War is Stalin’s great opportunity—he is hastening to extend his grip over northern and south-eastern Europe, while the Powers yet are too em barrassed to resist him. Where will it end?

The answer lies in Berlin. Germany must either make peace with the Allies and use her mighty armies to drive back the Reds (which she easily can do, and in which probably she would be aided by other countries); or else, sacrificing all her future to her present hates, she must enter a military alliance with Russia against Britain and France.

At the moment, Hitler is trying a middle course—leaving Russia to her own devices, in the hope that she will clash presently with the Allies, and thus give him a chance for a smash ing blow at Britain. But it will not work. Germany Ts fai; more deeply concerned with Russia’s present activities than are the other Powers.

Inevitably, sooner or later, Germany will fight Russia.

The real problem is Germany’s

gangster Government, created and directed by Hitler. While this coterie of crooks and adventurers controls Germany, Britain and France will not negotiate. Having so often been deceived, they dare not again take the word of men who. having sworn they would respect the independence of Austria, Czecho-Slovakia and Poland, seized and looted and dis membered those countries. Let the Nazi gang be removed from Berlin, and responsible government sub stituted, and the Hitler War will be over in a week. Let no one imagine that that would mean the end of war conditions, however. The Western nations certainly would stand to arms while (1) their various outstanding differences, including the “colonial problem”, were settled, and (2) the Russian situation was liquidated. That might be a matter of a year or two.

But the Nazi gang appears to be very firmly seated in Berlin, and the Allies are wise in preparing for a long war. While Hitler rules, there is no other answer.

PACIFIC residents, trying to find an explanation of the fragmentary news which comes to them daily through their radio sets, should study all items that relate to Russia. There lies the key to the immediate future.

The plan of the Allies is to force governmental reform upon Germany through economic pressure. The Nazi gangsters are dug in, and will not go;

and a comparatively bloodless struggle thus might continue for years. But the Russian situation is forcing rapid developments.

Hitler, very soon, must go with or against Russia. The general belief is that he will make a military alliance with Russia—he knows that the Allies will not deal with him, any way—and that Russia and Germany, jointly, will march upon the Balkans countries and Turkey. It will be his final, desperate throw. It will mean a general dog-fight in the Mediter ranean, with much cruel and horrible fighting, and it almost certainly will end disastrously for Germany. . . .

But Hitler is an incalculable vision ary, and none can say what he will do. If he can see the real meaning of the Russian situation, it always is possible that he may say that his work for the rehabilitation of Ger many is finished, and that he may efface himself, and so make way for the formation of a Government that, nominally at least, would be non- Nazi, and able to negotiate with the Allies.

Must We Hate

The Lessons of History

Letter to the Editor KEEP your news review going; it is a clear and concise summary and much appreciated.

I cannot say the same of your edi torial for September—l am afraid you are an idealist who does not know his Germans. To call Clemenceau. Lloyd George, Billy Hughes, etc., a lot of mad headed politicians who are responsible for the Hitler monstrosity, which is in turn responsible for this war, is, in my opin ion, far from correct.

If Clemenceau and Co. erred at Ver sailles in 1919, it was because they were too lenient with Germany. The politicians who followed them made a frightful mis take in not seeing that the Versailles Treaty was strictly adhered to.

The Germans of to-day are every bit as arrogant and bombastic as the Ger mans of 1914, and it does not matter one iota to them whether they have a Kaiser Wilhelm or an Adolf Hitler to head them, as long as they have some one at the head who will rattle a sabre.

I wonder what Allied politicians you hold responsible for the war of 19149 If Allied treaty-makers of Versailles are responsible for this war, and not the Germans, then the Germans could no more be held guilty for the 1914 war than the 1939.

I will not go as far as saying that the only good German is a dead Ger man, but I do sincerely hope that when we win this war the whole of our treaty makers will be men of Clemenceau’s type and those who take their places, when they pass on, of the same type, for there is only one way to get peace in Europe, and anywhere else on earth, and that is to strip Germany of army, navy and air force for ever.

It is the duty of all civilised coun tries to see that the German race, which is solely responsible for the horrors of

1914-18, and of this war also, is put and kept in such a position that these things will never happen again.

This is a country of free speech (with reservations) and you have had your say in the September editorial (and be fore). so I would be grateful if you would publish this letter in the ‘‘P.I.M ”, as I am sure that there are many regular "PI.M.” subscribers, who, like myself, hold these views—and disagree with yours.

I am, etc.,

V.

Misima, Papua,

25 10/’39.

EDITORIAL NOTE; We publish the letter, as requested; but we suggest that while British people feel this way about Germans, we shall have wars, and more wars. This writer, in his day, has met as many sabre-rattling, heel-clicking Prussians as his stomach can stand; but also, in many countries, he has met fine types of non-Prussian Germans, whom he learned to esteem and respect. Very many of the best British citizens in North America, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Territories are of Ger man pfoneer stock. The greatest tragedy of the twentieth century—and the most dismal reflection upon its statesmanship —is that British and Germans should be fighting each other.

Rev. L. and Mrs. Stibbard, of the Melanesian Mission, Maravovo, 8.5.1., are at present on furlough in Sydney.

CONSIDERABLE progress and develop

ment in the town and district of Wewak is reported in the “Rabaul Times”.

The newly-made road into the interior is described as a credit to District Of ficer Townsend and Surveyor Miller. A good deal of attention has been given to the laying-out of gardens and the beauti fication of the township generally.

It is reported that arrangements are now well under way for the erection of a new hotel in Wewak by Mr. J. C. William son. Mr. K. Atkinson has been installed as manager, and it is hoped that the building will be completed in January next.

Mr. Julius Kruttschnitt, a director of N. G. G. Ltd., returned to Sydney on December 1, after a visit to the Morobe goldfield.

Miss Olive Foreman, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Foreman, of Suva, Fiji,' was married on November 14, in Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, to Lieuten ant Henri de Tourettes, of Lower Hutt, Wellington. The bridegroom is a Second Lieutenant in the Fiji Defence Force.

Miss Bureta Foreman was bridesmaid.

A guard of honour, with crossed swords, was formed outside the church, by Major Brewster and officers of the Ist Battal ion. Another guard of honour was form ed by the men of A Company, who gave the happy pair three rousing cheers.

Ready

Start of Trans-Pacific Air-Mail

THE air-ports at Canton Island. Nou mea, and Auckland, are ready; an other successful test-flight by a 40-tons Boeing flying-boat has been carried out; an extensive meteorological service now is working smoothly: and Pan American Airways announced in New York on De cember 7 that they will inaugurate a regular Trans-Pacific airmail service (San Francisco-Los Angeles-Honolulu- Canton Is.-Noumea-Auckland) at an early date.

The Boeing “Honolulu Clipper”, on her test flight, arrived in Auckland on November 24, and left on her return flight to San Francisco on November 25.

P.A.A. now has six Boeing clippers in service (four on the Atlantic and two on the Pacific) and six more are being built.

Auckland-Sydney Link

Meanwhile, the plans of British Im perial Airways remain in abeyance, under war conditions. It has not yet been possible to inaugurate the Sydney- Auckland service, apart altogether from making plans for the Trans-Pacific ser vice.

The 20-ton flying-boat “Aotearoa”, which was to have started the service in October, is still making experimental flights between Sydney and New Zealand, and between Auckland and the Pacific Islands. The big flying-boat, in recent weeks, has visited ports in the Tongan Group.

Captain Burgess, of the Aotearoa, said in Auckland on December 11 that every thing now is ready for the inauguration of the Sydney-Auckland air service, as soon as it is sanctioned by the Govern ments concerned (Britain, Australia and New Zealand), Fiji Not Yet In P.A.A.

Schedule MUCH has appeared in American, Australian and New Zealand news papers about the trans-Pacific airmail and air passenger service, soon to be established by Pan American Airways, but not one word has been said about the probability of Pan American Airways making Fiji a station of call on their route, as was originally suggested.

There is no explanation of this curious silence.

Fiji is the most important British colony south of the equator, and P.A.A. must regard the Fiji business as worth having.

It is possible that the position is con nected with British Imperial Airways’ wish to get landing-rights in Hawaii. Are we to assume that the difficulties that existed between British and American authorities in regard to permitting British Imperial Airways landing rights in Hawaii have not yet been settled? Are the British withholding from the Ameri can company landing-rights in Fiji, until such time as the difficulty in relation to Hawaii has been settled?

Pan American Airways’ regular service between Auckland and San Francisco may be running before the end of the year, and it will be an extraordinary thing if the great seaplanes, making their

way between Noumea and Canton Island should fly practically within sight of Suva and not make a call there.

Top left: Captain Burgess, commander of the flying-boat.

Top right: The new flying-boat Aotearoa, just arrived from Suva, floating on the lagoon, before Nukualofa.

Lower; Mail (brought to Tonga for the first time by air) being handed over by First Officer Mac donald to Postmaster Dalton. Also in pic ture, Dr. Brown (in white) and the Queen’s A.D.C., on the right. (Photos by Hettig.)

Salving Of The

"Only Japanese Could Have Done It"

WELL, the Japanese stole a march on you, when they picked up the old ‘Makambo’ for a few shillings in Port Vila and took her to Japan,” said a Sydney friend to Mr. Nicholas Hagen, merchant and shipowner of Noumea, who arrived in Sydney the other day.

“They claim that she now is worth £50,000.”

Mr. Hagen laughed. “Only the Japanese could have done it”, he said.

“That surely is a compliment to the Japanese,” said the Sydney man.

“Not at all,” said Mr. Hagen. “You are only repeating some of the silly things that have been said in Sydney.

Do you not realise that neither French nor British people would have been al lowed to sail that boat out of Vila. Any French or British maritime authority would have declared her unseaworthy, and would not have allowed a crew to have taken her into deep water. But the Japanese were not under any such authority—if they chose to sail her out into the open sea, and risk the eminent danger of her sinking, that was their own concern.

“They took the risk, and they got her home to Japan—so good luck to them!

But it was a very real risk that they took. You could have stuck a cigarette through the bottom of the old steamer at almost any point below water level.” (See article, Page 43.)

"Spurlos Versenkt!"

History of Fiji-Austrolian Banana Trade

IN Australia, when you buy a banana, you usually are given a thing enclosed in a thick, green pod, pulpy and flavour less, and cruelly indigestible—the hor rible product of northern New South Wales. Australians would much prefer the luscious, well-flavoured Islands banana (they will pay 3d. each for them, in Sydney), but a combination of poli ticians and their banana-growing con stituents contrive to keep Islands bananas out of Australia.

It will be remembered that, a few years ago, Fiji told Australia that, if Australia would not take Fiji bananas, Fiji would shut out Australian flour, Aus tralia quickly capitulated, and agreed to buy up to 40,000 centals of Fiji bananas each year.

But that did not establish the trade.

The “underground engineers” were soon at work, and they murdered the Fiji banana trade.

The story is told in the following ques tions and answers in the Federal Par liament on November 17;— Mr. Francis: What has been the im portation of bananas from Fiji each year since the signing of the Ottawa Agree ment?

Minister for Trade; Imports into Aus tralia of bananas from Fiji-

(Continued on next page.)

Year.

Centals.

Year.

Centals. 1933 . . 16,073 1937 1938 1,978 4 1934 . 9,628 1939 (10 months Nil. 1935 . . 6,403 only) 1936 . . 2,365 Total .. .. 36,451

Mr. Francis; What would have been the total amount of duty paid if the full importation of 40,000 centals had been made each year?

The Minister: Approximately, £37,690.

Mr. Francis: What was the total amount of duty paid each year on bananas imported from Fiji under the Ottawa Agreement?

The Minister: Total amount of duty paid on bananas imported into Australia from Fiji—

Or, to use a German phrase notorious in 1914-18, “Spurlos Versenkt” (sunk without leaving a trace).

There is a profitable market in Aus tralia for 40,000 centals per annum of Fiji bananas, yet nothing is being done about it. Surely there are people in Fiji competent to deal with the selfish, mono polistic Australian interests which try to keep Islands fruit away from the people who want it.

Year. £ Year. £ 1933 .. 2.961 1937 247 1938 1 1934 .. 1,452 1939 (10 months; Nil. 1935 .. 799 — 1936 .. • 296 Total .. . . .. 5,756

Moresby

Sir Hubert Murray in Canberra

IT is understood that the urgent need of a water supply system for Port Moresby, made necessary by the addition of a military garrison and the staffs of oil search companies to the normal popu lation, is the reason for the unexpected visit to Australia of the Lieutenant- Governor of Papua, Sir Hubert Murray.

Sir Hubert Murray arrived in Sydney on December 6, accompanied by Mr. E.

Bignold, Crown Law officer. They sub sequently visited Canberra.

It is expected that Sir Hubert Murray will, owing to the establishment of a garrison at Port Moresby, ask the Federal Government for financial assist ance in providing the very necessary water supply—probably a gravitation supply from the Laloki River, 5 miles away in the mountains —while Mr. Bignold will look into the whole question of the legal machinery available for controlling the prices of commodities.

In Papua, as in other Pacific Terri tories, prices under war conditions show a disposition to jump to untimely heights.

Sir Hubert Murray expects to return to Papua before Christmas.

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Oil

Deep Boring To Commence Soon

THE search for oil in Papua continues very active, and optimism is main tained at a high level. Even the shrewdest judges are convinced that, sooner or later, oil in commercial quantities will be pro duced in this Territory.

There really appears no sound justi fication for this optimism—no boring worthy of the name has yet taken place.

Up to date, although hundreds of thou sands of pounds have been spent, it has been all a matter of scientific surveys.

Boring will be under way very shortly, however. No less than 1,500 tons of bor ing machinery have arrived in Port Moresby for the Australasian Petroleum Company, Ltd., and 900 labourers are about to be employed on the construction of a road somewhere in the vicinity of the Vailala River. The plant, valued at £200,000, will bore to a depth of 10,000 ft.

New boring plant is also arriving for the small Apinaipi Co. which, while it has neither the large capital nor territory controlled by the other concerns, is claimed to have most promising struc tures. The Apinaipi boring plant is cap able of going down at least 6,000 feet.

The search for oil in the Mandated Territory has been less active, although parties of geologists have been at work there for the last couple of years. It is noted that the chief geologist and the business manager of A.P.C. went over to Rabaul early in December to interview the Administrator of New Guinea.

Salved

rpHE well-known Papuan coastal steamer L “Papuan Chief”, which went up on the reef in Eastern Papua at the end of August, and which afterwards was aban doned by her owners (Steamships Trading Co., Ltd.) to the underwriters, as a total loss, Is now floating in Port Moresby harbour, awaiting repairs.

Messrs. Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., as the representative of the underwriters, Messrs.

Lloyds, Ltd., engaged Mr. G. Stewart, of Napa Napa, to effect whatever salvage was possible; and Mr. Stewart succeedeo in a remarkable way. The “Papuan Chief" was got off the rocks, where her position originally appeared to be hopeless, and was sufficiently patched to permit of her being brought to Port Moresby.

The underwriters then sold the “Papuan Chief” to the highest bidder, who was the vessel’s original owner, Steamships Trading Co., Ltd. The vessel is to be re paired on the latter’s new slip at Port Moresby, when an opportunity offers, and will re-enter the coastal service. In the meantime, the mail and other coastal services are being carried on by the “Nusa”, and by a couple of large pinnaces recently purchased by S.T.C., Ltd.

A CHARGE of unlawfully killing a native labourer was being heard in Rabaul, last week, against James Dennis Woods, manager of the Carpenter plan tation on Emira Island (north-west of Kavieng).

The Crown case is that the labourer (indentured) ran away, and was absent some time; and that when he returned Woods beat him so severely that his skin was bruised and broken, and blood poisoning set in, from which he died.

Mrs. F. Godson, whose husband is one of the best known planters in Papua, returned to Port Moresby, en route to Itikinumu, by the “Tasman” at the end of November after a holiday in Sydney.

Mr. E. Ashbrook, of Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., left for Pont Moresby by the December “Malaita” after three months’ fur lough in Sydney.

Mrs. H. de Rusett, and her three-years-old daughter, Dell, sailed from Sydney by the “Malaita” in December for Port Moresby, Papua. She later flew across to Warn, T.N.G., to join her husband at Edie Creek.

Nazis Removed from Samoa Fifteen Interned in New Zealand

“ A FTER consultation with the Acting- Administrator of Western Samoa”, said the New Zealand Minister of Ex ternal Affairs (Mr. Langstone) on No vember 28, “the Government decided that, from the point of view of the safety of the Territory it was better to remove 15 German internees to New Zealand. In cluded among the internees are the former secretary of the Samoan branch of the Nazi Party, a local organisation which was dissolved in the early part of 1939. There is also a German school teacher, who recently arrived in Western Samoa, where he opened a German school.

“Several other internees are of part Samoan blood, of whom some received their education in Germany, and some saw service in the German Army or Navy”, added the Minister. “The ut most consideration has been given to their comfort and to their social needs, and special arrangements have been made to mitigate the effect of the colder climate of New Zealand on their physical well-being. The period of their intern ment will be indefinite and at a later date consideration will be given to the question of releasing them on parole or returning them to their homes”.

Future of N. Guinea Native Labour New Commission at Work

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, Dec. 2.

rE Commission of Inquiry, appointed to inquire into New Guinea native labour conditions, has issued a compre hensive questionnaire for employers and Administration officials.

It will give the average man an idea of the lines of the inquiry so that, when called to give evidence, he will know what is wanted.

Apparently, the Commission means business, and it is hoped that its final recommendations will be acted upon, and the file not be put away and forgotten, as so often is the case.

The questionnaire includes such items as:— “How long, in your experience, does it take to raise a raw recruit to the standard of a skilled labourer?”

“What labour-saving devices have you installed or in use?”

“Is the indenture system the most suited to —(i) the native? (ii) the re quirements of the Territory?”

Views are also asked as to the hours worked by labourers, and the advantages or otherwise of overtime, the closing of areas to recruiting, and whether such action has been taken without justifica tion.

Opinions on professional recruiting are wanted, and whether a government controlled labour bureau is advisable.

Casual labour is also mentioned, and views requested on whether natives should give notice before leaving the em ployment of the employer; should a law be imposed for a minimum rate of wage; and whether verbal agreements should be enforced, either by penal sanction or forfeit?

In all, there are 71 questions. The an swers to them should form a very use ful record of the opinions of people who have had much to do with native la bour in New Guinea.

The Director of District Services (Hon.

R. Melrose) is the chairman, and Hon.

G. G. Hogan (Crown Law Officer) and Dr. H. C. Hosking are also members from the Administration, while Messrs. W.

H. Carpenter and Dyson Hore-Lacy (vice president of the Planters’ Association) are non-official members of the Com mission.

Years Old

WHILE New Zealand is preparing to celebrate its centennial, the Melane sian Mission has marked an existence only 10 years shorter with a booklet celebrating the 90th anniversary of its foundation.

The extent of the Diocese of Melanesia and the manifold activities of the staff of 59 European priests and workers under the seventh bishop, Rt. Rev. W. H. Bad deley, the 62 Melanesians in Holy Orders, the 650 teachers and the 140 members of the native brotherhood, are described.

In text and illustrations the booklet provides a graphic picture of the work of the diocese, its fleet of mission ships, its schools and training colleges, its hos pitals, leprosarium and churches.

The new building erected for the Bank of New South Wales in Suva, Fiji.

Vancouver

THE motor ship “Tulagi”, the first Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., vessel to enter the port of Vancouver in decades, is in the harbour (said the Vancouver “Daily Province” on October 23). After she is drydocked and her bottom painted, she will load full for the South Seas, under charter to Seaboard Shipping Co., Ltd., to maintain a regular trans-Pacific freight service.

The “Tulagi” was launched this year at Hong Kong, and she is registered at that port. She is a twin screwed craft, of 2,500 tons register, and has very fine passenger accommodation for a limited number.

N. Guinea

r[E subversive tactics of certain Ger man missionaries in New Guinea were described by Monsieur Oscar Meyer, French anthropologist, who has carried out research there during the past two years, when addressing mem bers of the Pacific Islands Club at the Carlton Hotel in Sydney in December.

M. Meyer emphasised the danger to Australian interests of subtle propaganda on the untutored native mind, and his remarks drew commendation from Mrs.

Doris Booth, of Wau, New Guinea, who was present at the meeting. “This is just the sort of thing that I have been talking about for the last two years”, said Mrs. Booth, “and I am very glad indeed that public attention has been drawn to the danger”.

On one occasion, when M. Meyer was visiting a German missionary settlement, he was present at a lecture. The mis sionary had drawn what he submitted was a map of Europe on a large black board. To an audience of over 2,000 na tives, he pointed out an enormously en larged Germany, and a very small France on the map. “England was so small”, said M. Meyer, “that no British person would have recognised it!” The space given to Germany was incorrect, and out of all proportion.

“This type of propaganda is danger ous, because the native has no possible method of examining the true facts”, he said. “Naturally, when he sees an enor mous Germany, he accepts the lecturer’s statement at its face value, and Britain and France are belittled in his eyes.

This subversive propaganda, naturally, is most disadvantageous to the work of the Australian Government, and belittles the spirit which its officers try to infuse”, said the speaker.

How Fiji Proposes To Solve An Intricate Problem

AS one of the most intricate problems in the administration of Pacific Territories is that of the proper control of the land, readers generally will be interested in new legislation which is now under consideration by the Govern ment of Fiji.

In 1936, the Council of Fijian Chiefs passed an important resolution, asking that the Government should control, in thet best interests of the Fijians, all native land which was not required for their immediate use.

This resolution has been very carefully considered in the subsequent years by all interests in the Colony. The large majority of opinions were definitely in favour of the plan.

The Government of Fiji has now framed a Bill which places the control of all native land in a Board, consisting of the Governor, a Fijian, the Adviser on Native Affairs, and the Director of Lands.

The Board will act as a sort of central control, and the native lands in the various districts will be under the im mediate supervision of local committees responsible to the Board.

Under the original deed of cession, practically all the agricultural land in Fiji belongs to the Fijians. The new Bill proposes that all land, not occupied or immediately required by Fijians, will be classified. Certain lands will go into native reserves; and no land in a native reserve will be alienated except that leases may, with the consent of the Board, be granted by the native owners to Fijian natives. All lands which are not included in a native reserve, but which are placed under the control of the Board, will be available for leasing by the Board to applicants of any race, whether Fijian, Indian or European, and all rents and premiums received there from, less a charge representing manage ment expenses, will be for the benefit of the native owners of the land.

It is hoped that by this system, one of the most acute problems in Fiji will be solved. The Fijian natives own the land: but the Indian peasant farmers, of whom there now are over 85,000, are by far the more active agriculturists. They cannot get sufficient land for their pur poses, and they are in a permanent con dition of land hunger.

It is hoped that the new Native Land Board, after properly providing for all the possible needs of the Fijians them selves, will be able to make adequate land available under a fair leasehold system for the landless and clamorous Indians.

TOP.—M r. and Mrs. A. C. Eldred, of Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd., returned to the Mandated Terrtory by the “Macdhui” in Nov ember, after four months’ furlough in Sydney.

CENTRE. —Mrs. F. W. O’Hara and Mrs. C.

Altria (right) sailed for Bulolo, N.G., by the last “Macdhui”. Both their husbands are em ployees of B.G.D., Ltd. Mrs. Altria had just completed an eight months’ tour of Europe; while Mrs. O’Hara had spent three months’ holiday in Sydney.

BOTTOM. —Mr. and Mrs. E. Mapletoft and their son John, of the Solomon Islands, paid a visit to Norfolk Island during their furlough in Aus tralia in November. They returned to Faisi, where Mr. Mapletoft is manager for B.P. & Co., Ltd., by the December “Malaita”.

AUSTRALIAN manufacturers of con fectionery, in their feverish search for cocoa beans in September, after the outbreak of war had cut off their usual supplies, appear to have overlooked tho product of the New Hebrides. They oought New Guinea beans—the producu of a comparatively new industry—and the high-quality beans which come from Samoa, but they did no business with the New Hebrides.

The New Hebrides produce a cocoa bean of high quality and, about 1925, the pro duction of the Condominium was 2,000 tons per annum. Since then, owing ■ various causes, production has declined to less than 1,000 tons per annum. The New Hebrides product is a bean of high quality and practically the whole of the crop always has been sold in France.

Oasis in Central Pacific American Achievement On Canton Is.

IMPORTANT changes have taken place during the past six months on Canton Island, in the Central Pacific.

Because it was midway on the direct line between Noumea and Hawaii, and because it was ideal for the purposes of either a seaplane or a land plane base, this barren, treeless strip of low-lying sand bank came into prominence about three years ago; and in 1938, after a good deal of gentlemanly squabbling, Great Britain and the United States agreed that they should jointly occupy the useful little island.

Since then, Britain has done nothing but maintain a small official party on the island —she has been much too busy with affairs in Europe—but the Ameri cans have achieved wonders. Men from Pan American Airways, working appar ently in harmony with the United States Navy Department, have placed upon Canton Island all the buildings and equipment necessary for a first-class sea plane base.

On May 17, the steamer “North Haven” arrived at Canton Island with 43 men and 5,000 tons of supplies, plant and construction materials. In June, the U.S.S. coastguard cutter “Taney” arrived with further supplies.

A radio station was erected, complete with permanent radio-direction finder towers: and numerous other buildings provided barracks for the men, housing for the heavy-duty power-plant units (which supplied the island with electric power and light), refrigerating plant, meteorological station, warehouses, shops, airport offices, etc.

To-day, on the island, there are a score of permanent buildings, forming the air port, all erected by the bustling Ameri cans within four months.

A New Hotel

In the middle of September, the freighter “Thor I” arrived at Canton Island with all the parts of a partially pre-frabricated 24-roomed hotel, com plete with everything necessary for the comfort and convenience of overseas travellers. Since then a hotel of modern and attractive appearance has been erected on the island. The equipment includes a blower-ventilation and air conditioning system; a radio receiver with 14 valves, capable of picking up anything on the air; a sound motion picture projector; and all sorts of other things for the comfort, convenience and entertainment of travellers,

Clearing The Lagoon

Among the work which has been done on Canton Island in recent months is the destruction, by high explosives, of 500 dangerous coral heads. They studded the lagoon and had to be cleared away before adequate runways could be pro vided in safe water for the big Boeing seaplanes.

Miss Ela Gofton, daughter of Mrs. F.

Stewart, of the Hotel Bulolo, Wau, who has been on a visit to Britain in recent months, is now on her way back to New Guinea, and is expected to arrive in Wau about Christmas Eve.

A "Trust Fund" For New Guinea

IN the last hours of the session, in De cember, the Australian Parliament rushed into law the Gold Tax Bill and the Gold Tax Collection Bill by which it validated the tax (recently im posed) of 50 per cent, of the value of gold over £9 per ounce.

As the collection of this Australian tax in New Guinea was clearly uncon stitutional, under the Mandate, it was provided that the amount of this tax collected on New Guinea gold will be paid to a trust fund to be used for and in relation to the defence of New Guinea and for other Territory purposes.

It was announced that the 50 per cent, tax would not be applied to the first 25 ounces of gold won in the financial year by a prospector. A bona-fide prospector means “a person other than a company who has personally carried on the whole or major part of prospecting for and obtaining the gold delivered by him”.

It was expected that, in the circum stances, New Guinea prospectors would be at least released from the obligation to pay gold royalty: but nothing was done.

Double Taxation

BEFORE the Bills were passed, various people with interests in New Guinea attempted to point out to Federal mem bers the injustices planned: but the members did not seem interested and Ministers refused to consider the matter at all.

The following is a copy of part of a letter sent to certain members by the editor of the ‘‘Pacific Islands Monthly”:— “Because Mandated Territory interests are being subjected directly to taxation by the Federal Parliament, and because New Guinea has no voice whatever in that Parliament, and the New Guinea people are without any means of making direct representation to the Parliament, I am taking the liberty of pointing out to you the injustices contained within the present plan for the taxation of the

gold industry.

“In the first place, the gold producers of New Guinea are being subjected to double taxation. The New Guinea Ad ministration imposes a royalty of 5 per cent, of the value of gold exported, while the gold producers of Australia and of Australian territories (Northern Terri tory, Papua, etc.) do not pay any gold royalty. Now comes the new tax —50 per cent of the excess of the value of gold over £9 per ounce. This is imposed upon production in Australia and Australian territories, including the Mandated Terri tory. But there is no suggestion that the 5 per cent, gold royalty, already im posed in New Guinea, should be re moved.

“Why should the gold producers of New Guinea be singled out for this special treatment? Why are they being penalised?

Method Of Assessing

“Then there is the manner of assess ing the tax in relation to New Guinea production. I attach hereto a cutting from the November ‘Pacific Islands Monthly’, from which you will see that, because the Australian authorities insist upon first deducting the 50 per cent tax,

(Continued On Page 66)

and then deducting the 5 per cent, royalty from the balance, instead of following the reverse process, the gold producer is penalised to the extent of 4/6 per ounce.

Again, is the Government seeking some means of placing a special penalty upon New Guinea gold producers, or is this merely another example of bureaucratic mule-headedness?

“I understand that the Government intends to make a special concession to prospectors—that is to say, men who come within the definition of a prospector will pay no tax at all on their first 25 ounces of gold. Anyone who knows con ditions in New Guinea will describe this as a miserable concession. It represents a matter of possibly £2O per annum. I would respectfully urge that a gift of £2O per year is of little use to the men who have to battle with the terriblv hard and terribly expensive conditions of New Guinea, in order that they may make a profit out of the gold industry.

“It is a fact that in September the small gold-producers in New Guinea were given a concession, insofar that producers of gold worth up to £6OO per annum were absolved from payment of gold royalty altogether, and producers of gold, from £6OO to £1,200 p.a., pay on a sliding scale.

After £1,200 p.a., rebate ceases and the concession is wiped out. But this con cession, actually, is worth little. A New Guinea prospector has to produce a good deal more than £6OO p.a. of gold to be able to live at all, owing to the high cost of everything. Under the new law, these producers will be absolved from the new tax only on their first £250 or £3OO worth of production (25 ounces).

Claim For Consideration

“In any case. why. in the special cir cumstances outlined above, should the Government give a concession to the small men and not to the big companies?

The small men deserve everything they can get; but so also do the big com panies. We have to thank the courage and the enterprise, and the large amount of working capital introduced by the big companies, for the fact that there is to dav in New Guinea a great and profitable sold industry, worth nearly £IOO,OOO to the New Guinea Administration on the cold rovaltv alone. Concerns like Bulolo Gold Dredging certainly are reaping enormous profits from their enterprise in New Guinea: but anvone who knows their history will admit that they de serve every penny of it.

“If the gold interests in New Guinea receive some small concession in the name of justice—perhaps the abolition of the gold royaltv, or even a reversal of the method of calculating the taxes— they will not have had the same reason for complaint. After all, evervone in these days must face the responsibility of a great war. But if the new Bill goes through in its present form, without any concession to the New Guinea gold in terests, then the New Guinea gold miners will be justified in saying now. as thev have said many times before, that the only interest the Australian Parliament has in them is the interest of the master in the helpless milch-cow.

“If you can use your influence and your voice to get some reasonable con cession for the New Guinea miners be fore this Bill becomes law, I can assure you that you will be doing a very just and fair thing.”

Mr. J. T. Johnson, a well-known resi dent of Suva, Fiji, who has given much public service for the benefit of the com munity, was waited upon by a party of leading citizens on November 14, and given a presentation in commemoration of the fact that he had that day reached his 70th birthday. Flattering things about the life and service of Mr. Johnson were said by Sir Maynard Hedstrom and Mr.

A. A. Ragg.

Mr. W. C. H. Simpson died in Wau, New Guinea, last month, at the age of 36. He was a miner, and his relations reside at Bulolo, New Guinea.

Captain A. Middenway, formerly of the Solomon Islands Service, enlisted in the Australian 11th Garrison Battalion in November, and assumed duty as Chief Clerk in the Headquarters Office of a special camp near Sydney. Although he had held a commission, he enlisted as a private, but was quickly promoted to sergeant.

Miss Jean Loudon, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Loudon, of Eilogo Plantation, Papua, has announced her engagement to Mr. Randolph Brewster, of Los Angeles, California. Mr. Brewster is attached to the K.N.I.L.M. Fairchild Aerial Survey, operating in conjunction with the Australasian Petroleum Co. in Papua. The marriage will take place early next year, before Mr. Brewster leaves for America.

Rev. R. Godfrey, who served for a number of years as a Melanesian Mis sionary in the New Hebrides and who

now is vicar of Aramoho, N. Zealand, has been appointed representative of Melan esia on the N.Z. Board of Missions, in place of Rev. H. E. K. Fry.

Mr. Ronald P, Robertson (“Robbie”), late of Burns. Philo staff at Rabaul and Kavieng, was married on December 2. at Mosman, Sydney, to Miss Jane B. Free man, of Queensland, daughter of Mr.

Arthur Freeman, late of Fiji.

Mr. E. W. Sandys, of Nomuka, Tonga, died a few months ago at the age of 83, He arrived in the Tongan Islands in 1875, and he carried in his wonderful memory details of practically all that had hap pened in Tonga for sixty years. Unfor tunately, he could never be induced to write his reminiscences, and so much valuable history has been lost. The old man had a remarkable genealogical tree, which he had had sent out to him from Ireland, and which traced his family back to Richard Sandys, Archbishop of York, 1577-1589. The family of the late Lord Roberts was connected with a branch of this family. Mr. Sandys is survived by his widow, two sons, one daughter and several grand-children.

Mrs. Telesia Williams, wife of Mr. A.

Williams, plumber, of Apia, Western Sa moa, died in the Government Hospital, Motootua, on November 10. She was the daughter of the late High Chief Tuala, of Leauvaa, who established the Leauvaa village in Upolu after his own village of Lealatele at Savaii had been destroyed by the volcanic eruption in Samoa nearly 35 years ago.

Mr. R. Hendriksen, formerly attached to the Samoan Administration, has been appointed a surveyor in the N.Z. Lands Department.

Mr. and Mrs. Gor don Harris, of Djaul, have left New Guinea for England, where they will make their perm anent home.

They disposed of their plantation at Djaul to Mr. E.

Miller. This photo graph of Mr. Harris was taken in Sydney a year ago.

Mr. H. T. Cold ham, well known planter of Witu, T.N.G., returned to the Mandated Territory by the “Macdhui” at the end of November after three months’ holiday in Melbourne.

Miss Joyce Hides was a passenger on the “Macd hui” in November bound for Port Moresby, Papua, to take up a posi tion as nursing sister at the Euro pean Hospital.

Mr. R. Chant, well known man ager of Mandated Alluvials, N.L., at Port Moresby, re turned to Papua by the last “Macd hui” after a two months’ business and health trip to Australia.

IN Fiji, as in other places, “party-line” telephones must be endured. You know that the district “stickybeak” prob ably is listening-in, so you arrange your conversations carefully.

One day, two women in a Fiji district were talking on the party line when, quite suddenly, they heard the chimes of a cuckoo clock. Comparing notes after wards, they found that neither of them had a cuckoo clock.

“Aha!” they said, and waited.

A week later, they were at a district tea-party; and, in a quiet moment, their hostess’s cuckoo clock shrilled out the hour.

The other guests still are wondering why the two women laughed so much. —L.A. * * * DURING my recent leave in Australia, I had left a fairly reliable boy in charge of the house and grounds, and the odd jobs such as feeding the fowls, watering the few cattle, weeding the lawns, mending the fences and so forth.

His father, lately lamented, was one of the finest native Christian teachers of my experience, clever, gifted with a sense of real humour, sincere, and generally an all-round good man; and his son has inherited at least some of his father’s brightness, writes a good hand, and has a good grip of things.

I left a couple of stamped and ad dressed envelopes for him to let me know how things were going; and, towards the end of my holiday I was delighted to re ceive his epistle. The star effort was the following: “Every chop (job) is going on well; but only one trouble, the bull duck is eating all the chickens. I don’t know what to do with the bull duck”. —P. * • • rE emphatic absence of Dr. C. M.

Dawson, M.L.C., and Mr. O. P. Nel son, M.L.C., from the official dinner and ball at Government House, Apia, Western Samoa, when the Governor-General of New Zealand was making a formal visit, was reported in this journal. We now are informed that Dr. Dawson somewhat resents the way in which the fact was stated. He attended all other functions in honour of Viscount Galway; but he had already advised the Administrator that, owing to unfair treatment which he considered he had received at the hands of the Administration, he would attend no more Government House functions.

Mr. Nelson, it is understood, takes the same position. • * • A SERIES of minor illnesses —none, of itself serious, but sufficient in the mass to impose a handicap on movement —has kept C. V. T. Wells at home in Ade laide for many months, and he has not made his accustomed periodical visit to New Guinea as chairman of Guinea Air ways Ltd. Mr. Wells reports a much better condition of health now, however, so the Lae-Wau-Salamaua circuit should see him again soon.

New Guinea owes more probably than it realises to this quiet and unobtrusive man. The biggest thing in the Territory to-day Is Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd.: it keeps hundreds of Europeans employed there, and the N.G. administration would be a poor, anaemic thing if it were not for the gold royalties, customs taxes, licence fees, etc., paid by B.G.D. and its associates. There would have been no B. G. D. if it had not been for the vision

of the late C. J. Levien; and probably Levien could not have launched his great gold-dredging-aerial-transport plan had it not been for the courage and steady faith of Mr. Wells and his friends. That Morobe goldfield, with its eight dredges, its innumerable mines, its half-dozen busy little towns, its dairy farms and plantations, is still one of the wonders of the southern world—there still is ab solutely no connection, except aeroplanes, between that high, rugged valley in Cen tral New Guinea, and the sea-coast.

Nearly 15 years have passed since Levien, Wells and Lapthorne planned this thing, and I have seen it many times in recent years; yet, seeing it once more a few weeks ago, I still marvelled at the vision and the faith which created Morobe in this upended, inhospitable land. Faith, here, did not move the moun tains, perhaps; but it linked the moun tains to the sea in a manner in credible. —R. « • • WHEN Monsieur Oscar Meyer, the French anthropologist, was in New Guinea, he was told an extraordinary story by a native, now more than eighty years old, of how he came in contact with the German scientist, Herr Schneider, at Tami Island, in the Huon Gulf. The visitor was, at first, inclined to disregard the tale, but when engaged on research in the Mitchell Library, in Sydney, he saw the story confirmed by a report, in French, written by Prince Roland Bonaparte. The latter, a wealthy descendant of a brother of Napoleon 1., was a member of the Schneider expedi tion. It appears that the natives, hav ing learned of Schneider’s presence on the island, planned to kill him. That duty was deputed to Monsieur Meyer’s informant, then a young man of about 25. He crept into the camp at night.

In a large cage he found two strange, hairy, man-like creatures, who jumped about and made weird noises. They were ourang-outangs. The native, never hav ing seen monkeys, thought they were some strange type of bushmen, and he

became so interested in them that he stayed by the cage with them until morn ing. Schneider, on discovering him there, kept him a prisoner with the monkeys for a week. The native, later, became his personal servant, and remained with Schneider for three years. * * » AN air pilot known in New Guinea, Captain J. N. Wilson, has been warmly praised for his coolness and courage in handling an Imperial Airways airliner when it was attacked by the Japanese on its regular run between Hong Kong and French Indo-China in November.

Captain Wilson was carrying passengers and mail, and was several miles from Weichow Island, in the Gulf of Tong king, when he was suddenly set upon by three Japanese planes, which attacked him viciously and certainly attempted to shoot him down. Although the airliner was riddled with bullets, and the pas sengers escaped injury only by lying on the floor, Wilson carried on quite coolly and succeeded eventually in bringing his airship down uninjured on an island near Hong Kong. He was then informed by the Japanese that his plane had been flying directly over Weichow Island, which they control and which is a prohibited zone, but this was denied by both Wilson and his passengers. However, the Jap

anese seized the plane, the mails and the passengers and took the lot of them to Canton. All subsequently were re leased. * * * SHOULD soldiers read? Hot controversy rages in Port Moresby over the ques tion of whether reading matter should be provided by the residents for troops quartered in the town. One school of thought hold that residents should sub scribe to provide a suitable library for the use of soldiers, and they recently organised an entertainment to raise funds for the purpose. The opposition boycotted the entertainment and pointed out that a public library already exists and, if soldiers really want to read, they may en joy the privilege on payment of a small subscription, such as is demanded of or dinary residents.

Feeling both for and against has been expressed with a good deal of freedom.

In some quarters, the fear is entertained that, unless some agreement is quickly reached, the much discussed troops will have to come into action and clean up the mess.

THE death occurred on December 9 of Mr. Alfred M. Cooper, who for many years was a popular and highly-esteemed resident of Rabaul.

Mr. Cooper went to New Guinea about 20 years ago and. in partnership with Mr. Adams, established an engineering business in Rabaul. Subseouently, in partnership with Mr. Tex Thomas, he took over the well-known Asalingi Plan tation at the Bainings, in New Britain, where they successfully produced copra and cocoa. About two years ago, Mr.

Cooper began to suffer from ill-health, and he came to Sydney and settled down in the suburb of Pymble, where he died.

He was about 57 years old.

Mr. R. A. Malone, Treasurer in the Sa moan Administration, returned to New Zealand at the end of November after completing his three years’ term of office at Apia. He has been succeeded by Mr.

E. J. McFarland, of the N.Z. Lands and Income Tax Department.

End Believed In Sight

From Our Own Correspondent

Sam Arm, Nov. 23.

I AM afraid that the end is in sight at Mount Sisa (Gold Mines of Papua).

Their prospecting operations have been disappointing, and the expectation here is that there is nothing to do now but dispose of the valuable machinery.

There is thought to be a likelihood that Cuthbert’s Company will buy the plant and lease, and work the mill on the spot on ore taken from the Umuna Lode.

Another report is that Quartz Moun tain, a New Zealand company which has been under reconstruction, and which holds valuable leases in the same district in Misima, is likely to buy up the G.M.O.P. plant at a bargain price.

Directors’ Report

Pessimism is the dominating note of the annual report issued by the directors of Gold Mines of Papua Ltd., for the year ended June 30 last.

As is generally known, this Co.’s mine on Misima, Eastern Papua, after being fully equipped with a large and expensive plant ceased operations in August last owing to the unexpected low value of the ore being obtained; and, since then, only prospecting operations have been carried on, in the hope of being able to pick up a new and more valuable lode —possibly a continuation of the well known Umuna lode, on which the Cuth bert mine is so profitably operating.

The directors say that a large ore body has been located with generally similar physical characteristics to those of the Umuna lode, and this body is being in vestigated, but the cross-cut values to date are most disappointing.

Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Thorpe, with their two sons, Kitson and Elton, recently re turned to Thursday Island, after four months’ motor tour in Australia.

From Our Own Correspondent

WAU, Dec. 4.

UNCONTROLLED “sing-sings” still con tinue on the goldfields.

Legislation in respect of these orgies by native labourers was promised in July; but, up to the present, nothing has been done. The local police are doing what they can; but their power does not go beyond apprehending natives in the town who are out after hours without a pass.

Nothing more can be done until special legislation gives power to act outside the township area.

If these things happened anywhere near the seat of government, this legis lation would have been in operation ere this.

Employers of large lines of indentured labourers are complaining about their hospital bills, much of which cost they attribute to illnesses caused by exhaust ion and exposure during the week-end orgies. Employers must pay no less than 3 - per day for their natives under hos pital treatment.

Police Act At Last

WAU, Dec. 8.

An amendment of the Native Adminis tration Regulations has been made; and, acting under their new authority, police last Sunday, at 5 a.m.. broke up a “sing-sing” at Narmie.

It is believed that the natives now understand that “sing-sings” are tabu.

The usual tribal gatherings, such as at Christmas and Easter, will be permitted.

Mr. J. D. McComish, South Seas tra veller and botanist, who has been living on Norfolk Island for several years, re turned to Australia by the “Morinda” in November.

and Japanese in Hawaii "Incidents" During October Visit of Warships Disclose Unpleasant Temper

By John Williams. Of Honolulu

(Being No. 7 of Series of Articles Describing Japan’s Plans and Politico-Economic Network in Pacific)

(There have been such astonishing developments, not wholly unexpected, in the stubborn digging-in of alien and U.S. born Japanese in Hawaii, that this instalment of the series, dealing with Japanese “peaceful penetration” of Ihe c'haracter’) “ Va ' Uable inSiBb ‘ n character.)

Honolulu, Nov. 1.

PREVIOUS instalments of this series have told in detail how the Japanese machine of 150,000 Japanese works in the Hawaiian Islands for the glorification of the Imperial Japanese dream. The last instalment ended by describing how the Japanese had been officially warned by the US. customs service to desist from usmg Japanese warships for lifting donation cargoes of scrap metals, comfort

bags, etc., for Japanese soldiers in the field, rice, flour, clothing and other con tributions from the Japanese in Hawaii to the Japanese war machine in Asia.

For more than two years Japanese warships (see previous instalments) have been making regular calls at Hawaii and doing this. The U.S. customs service in August held an undercover round-up of what was going on and, as a result, the Japanese were warned about using war ships, which receive the courtesies of U.S. ports, as common carriers.

On October 18, the Japanese navy warships, “Iwate” and “Yakumo”, and the naval auxiliary “Shiretoko”, arrived m Honolulu with 350 cadets, for a six days’ stay. Before they arrived, Tajaichi Sakai, an executive secretary of the Jap anese consulate in Hawaii, was told in plain language what America considers as courtesy-of-the-port behaviour, and that such courtesy would be withdrawn if the warships persisted in lifting dona tion cargoes.

It was pointed out to Sakai that such cargoes should be exported on regular commercial ships and duly manifested, according to U.S. laws.

Sakai explained the American attitude to a gathering of potent “inner” Japan ese in Honolulu, but, instead of respect ing the U.S. laws and wishes, this is what happened: First of all, the Japanese consulate objected to the piers on the Honolulu waterfront which had been assigned to the three navy ships, due October 18.

Honolulu harbour officials, under pres sure from organised Japanese business interests, gave in and changed the piers.

As soon as the warships docked, four heavy trucks rolled on to the pier, load ed with groceries and other supplies “shaken” from local Japanese markets, as contributions for use by the war ships. This saves the Japanese navy spending money in this U.S. port, which throws open its gates.

Of course, as usual, there were organ ised inspections of the warships by con ducted classes from the Japanese language schools. (With very few excep tions. all U.S.-born Japanese children attend Japanese language schools daily when the American schools are out. The teachers are alien-born Japanese, and, if not, all have spent some years in Japan, embracing the correct Japanese spirit.) U.S. agents noted that when these child ren boarded the warships, each child was given a Japanese flag which each proudly carried ashore, up through the American streets, back to school. The flags were heaped for distribution upon each warship’s deck—and alongside each heap was a contribution bowl. As each child took a flag, each child dropped in a coin.

Mr. Sakai, the Japanese consulate go between, was once more summoned and, in his presence, the warship officers were informed that if the contributions for the flags continued, the U.S. Government

would assess customs duty against each warship for the value of all the flags. rriHE Japanese made their next studied X move when an American water board officer attempted to board the “Yakumo” to present a bill. A Japanese sentry refused to allow the American aboard until he first saluted the Japan ese flag on the warship. The American, of course, refused and thus stirred up an “incident”. The Japanese command er refused to apologise. Editorially, the American press gave the ships the bene

fit of the doubt: maybe the sentry had been impulsive.

Other incidents did not see the light of the press. Example:—U.S. agents ob served how Honolulu Japanese were allowed the freedom of the warships and were permitted to photograph all angles of it; but, when a white person attempt ed to make snaps, even from the wharf (U.S. soil) Japanese sailors stood in front of the cameras.

The Japanese warships sailed for Hilo, second port of Hawaii, where there is a

super-watertight Japanese community, a model little Tokyo (see previous instal ments).

IN Hilo, the warships really “went to town”. A U.S. Customs officer, in uniform and wearing his insignias of of fice, attempted to board the “Yakumo” to present to its captain a letter from the Customs Department giving the war ships the freedom of the port. Once more a stone-faced sentry stepped forward — this time from on the wharf (U.S. soil) at the foot of the gangway—and told the officer to salute the Japanese flag!

This was no “local incident”. The Ame rican officer’s affidavit, and explanations of the complete background of it, were radioed promptly to Washington.

In a preliminary “explanation”, acting Consul-General Binjiro Kudo, in Hawaii,

claimed that the Americans had “misun derstood” the meaning of the word “salute”, etc. Why the Japanese used words that could be misunderstood (ac tually their meanings are plain), Kudo did not explain. Further, he did not ex plain why such restrictions—actually, there was a sign in English and Jap anese at the foot of the gangway, request ing visitors to salute the Japanese flag —had not been used during previous vis its of the same warships to Hawaii, and why U.S. officials had never before been halted.

WASHINGTON, to-day, is pondering the whole position, and this Is what well-informed U.S. executives be lieve will happen: Future Japanese warships, including the tankers which haul oil cargoes from California to Japan and always call in at Hawaii en route, will be given restrict ed uses of the Hawaii ports.

That is, they will be allowed only to provision and take on water, and, per haps, not allowed to idle in port for sev eral days, according to their custom, for the dissemination of propaganda in the Japanese community.

They will be barred from lifting car goes of contributions to Hirohito's war machine. These, in future, will have to go out aboard regular Japanese com mercial liners, duly manifested. (Note: The warships which were involved in the current row were given such vast quan tities of gifts that the captains protest ed, and left behind in Honolulu much of if for the Japanese navy tanker “Iro” to pick up. The “Iro” visited Honolulu from October 26 to 30. This enabled the warships to pick up more gifts at Hilo).

Moreover, it is felt that Washington will restrict visiting Japanese warships and tankers to Honolulu only, and refuse

The Japanese Navy ship “Yakumo”, which carried the sentries, etc., who offended American officials in Hawaii.

them the use of other Hawaii ports. This will keep the antagonistic Nipponese un der the proper observation by army, navy, coast-guard and Customs intelligence ex perts. rE Japanese in Hawaii have been handled with kid gloves by those American commercial interests —the sugar and pineapple companies and their sub sidiary retail monopolies—which intro duced the Japanese coolie labour to the Islands more than 50 years ago. To-day. the 150,000 Japanese in Hawaii are a fine market for exploitation by these in terests.

However, the freedom which the poli tical pawns of these interests give the Japanese in Hawaii offends the U.S.

Federal officers who, for a change, want proper respect for the laws of the land.

They anticipate that Washington now will give the okay for a crackdown and,

generally tighten enforcement of the laws.

This will be another dent in Hirohito’s ambitions.

WHAT has happened and will happen in Hawaii with the Japanese prob lem must someday be faced by Austra lian and New Zealand Governments re sponsible for the welfare of outlying Paci fic Territories. Hawaii is a fine example of what actually happens when the Jap anese are given access to a gullible country.

Kodo —or the Imperial way of Japan is a passionate, religion with Hirohito’s subjects, even with alien born. With almost fanatical stubbornness they are pressing ahead with their devotion.

It starts from minor items in Hawaii such as Japanese housemaids and wait resses collecting the tin foil from discard ed cigarette packages—to the presenta-

tion of warplanes and trucks from the Japanese community as a whole. The loy alist Japanese in Hawaii, too, contribute so much each month in cash (starting at one shilling each) to the Japanese war plan. They are pledged to it for the duration. (NEXT MONTH: The remarkable story of a Japanese sailor who dared to desert from a Japanese warship in American waters. Why he deserted, and other dra matic details according to his sworn state ments to U.S. officials. His statement gives an insight into the brutality of the Japanese navy machine —behind the scenes.) The Maharajah of Tripura, Sir Vir Vikram Kishore Deo, K.C.5.1., passed through Suva recently, and met several representative Indians. His Highness, who was born in 1908, and succeeded to his title in 1923, was accompanied by his sister, the Yuvarani Saheb, of Baria. They both expressed great interest in the In dians settled in Fiji, and the educational facilities provided for them.

A Japanese sampan off the port of Honolulu, flying the U.S. flag and 8 Japanese flags. This is how Hawaii Japanese welcome their visiting warships.

The Japanese Navy tanker “Iro”, loaded “to the gills’’ with American oil, going astern from wharf in Honolulu. In the background Is a U.S. battle cruiser.

Plight of Pacific Islands Planters

A SOLOMONS ISLANDS planter writes bitterly on the “profiteering" of the merchandising firms, but says that, as he is “small and unprotected", his complaints are not for publication. The following, however, may be published to show how the small men in the lesser groups are treated: — When the war started, we in the Solomons, heard with pleasure of how the Government was going to stop pro fiteering, and we poor “coconut-cockies" thought we would be able to enjoy the small rise in copra returns.

But this mail brings the invoices from

Sydney. Meat is up; rice, tobacco (which is understandable if the rise was only on new supplies from U.S.A.) and bags are up and going up to blazes.

Calicos are up; soap and milk are in creased. Benzine, from Sydney, is still the same price, but local prices are up 2/6 a case. Most of these stocks are pre-war.

Can anyone give us any reason for all these rises, and any comfort for the future? Why should soap go up 1/9 a case, and Nestle’s milk from 17/4 to £1 a case?.

Even our Administration has “put the boot into us”. We have an export duty on copra, adjusted on a sliding scale.

We pay at present a tax on the London price of copra, less £5 for freight, etc.; £5 for freight and charges is now a thing of the past, but still that is all the allowance the Government will make.

From Our Own Correspondent

Nukualofa. Nov. 10.

AS was feared, when war broke out, the prices of commodities in the kingdom soon soared.

A survey of prices ruling immediately before and after the outbreak of the war reveals that rises ranged from 25 per cent, to 100 per cent., if not more in certain cases. It was evident that some merchants were out to make hay while the sun shone, irrespective of in ternational decencies.

An example of profiteering which, fortunately, was soon nipped in the bud by the Authority for the Control of Food and Supplies, which had the prices fixed at a more reasonable basis was kerosene, which rose from 10/- per tin to 17/6, and from 6d. per bottle to 9d.

Under the new basis, this was reduced to 11/- per tin and 7d. per bottle.

But, despite price control, profiteering is still going on secretly especially among the Indian tailors running small shops. The latter created an unfavour able impression by refusing to make uniforms for the Tonga Defence Force at the prices which the Government offered them for the work.

It is regrettable that reputable mer chants should be involved in profiteer ing, especially after the definite warning issued by the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, Sir Harry Luke, in his speech broadcast from Suva on the first night of the war.

From Our Own Correspondent

Tulagi, Nov. 11.

ON October 20, at the Gizo Court, Solomon Islands, James Kidney, manager of Messrs. Burns Philp (South Seas) Ltd., was charged, on information laid by Ah Kun and Co., with having increased the price of benzine and kero sene by 1/- a case, in contravention of a Government decree prohibiting the raising of prices of any goods imported before September 25.

Mr. Kidney admitted that prices had been increased prior to the receipt of the Government notification on October 13, but subsequent to that date he had reverted to the former rates, except in the case of a sale to Ah Kun and Co.

In that instance, the storeman had in advertently charged the increased price.

Mr. Kidney stated that the error was discovered the same day and rectified be fore the receipt of the summons.

The storeman corroborated the man ager’s evidence, and he was acquitted.

The planters and traders speak with appreciation of the issue of the proclam ation by the Government, prohibiting any increase in the price of goods im ported before September 25, and fixing the profit on goods imported subsequent to that date at a figure not greater than the ratio of profit that was customary on September 1. Although the prosecu tion failed, it is expected to have a good effect.

Mr. J. B. Westerman, of the A.P.C. staff, Port Moresby, attracted some at tention on the evening of November 13, when he won his wager at the Port Moresby baths, that he could swim 150 laps (equal to three miles) in less than two hours. He chose breast-stroke, re lieved with an odd lap of other styles, and, beginning at 8.30, finished with 4| minutes to spare.

Snapshots at the Red Cross Fair held In Suva on November 4. Above: Hon. W. Wise, Director of Public Works, and Mr. C. H. G. Honson, a well-known Chinese merchant, patronise the “aeroplane”. Below: Mrs. H. Snell, in charge of the Flower Stall, and two of her attractive assistants.

AT a committee meeting of the Red Cross Society branch, held at Tulagi, on November 14. Mrs. W. S. Marchant, wife of the new Resident Commissioner, was welcomed by the president (Mrs A E. Osborne). Mrs. Marchant has con sented to be patron of the Tulagi branch. Further donations received in clude:— C. R. Gorringe, £5/5/6: T. A. MacPherson £2; M. Harper, £l/1/-; K. McKenzie, 10/6- W Hulbert, £2; J. Sellars, £1; v. D. Bent, £l/l/- : Mrs. W. Rixon, 15/-; J. K. Brownlees £2/2/- : F. Stackpoole, £l/1/-; E. Palmer. £l/1/-- p' Colley, 10/-; H. Markham. £3; A. Campbell, £5/5/-; Dr. R. Turner, £l/1/-; Ah Suey, £l/1/-- Mrs. Osborne, £l.

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, Nov. 14.

Captain William Sallston, Of

Finnish birth, but a naturalised US citizen, has set sail from New York on a three years’ cruise of the world in a 28 ft. catamaran.

He will visit many Pacific Islands after passing through the Panama Canal and making his way up the Western Ameri can coast. Longest leg of his journey will be from California to Hawaii.

From Hawaii he intends in turn to visit Christmas Island, the Samoas, the Pijis, New Zealand and the east coast of Aus tralia. Thence he goes to the East Indies.

The catamaran is 28 ft. long, 26 ft. beam (formed partly by two outrigger canoes fastened by strong beams to the main or central hull), and it carries a mainsail, jib and balloon jib.

Members of the Suva Yacht Club met recently to say farewell to the retiring Commodore, Mr. W. G. Halstead, and Mrs. Halstead, who are leaving Fiji. Mr.

J. S. M. Park, on behalf of members, made presentations of tortoiseshell-ware to Mr. and Mrs. Halstead. They expect to settle in Sydney.

Two Days of Terror in New Hebrides

Port Vila, Nov. 11.

RAIDS over the British Isles and war’s alarms in Europe have been eclipsed for the time being in the New Hebrides by volcanic eruptions nearer home.

At 5.15 on the evening of November 1, as European residents were tuning in for the Empire war bulletins from Dav entry, there occurred a convulsive earth tremor which made the island houses plunge and rock like a ship at sea.

On Paama, where it was especially ter rifying, the ’quake was followed by a deafening roar, which made the natives imagine that a mountain dam had burst and a flood of water was rushing down upon the village. Quick as lightning, the houses emptied and the natives came trooping in an excited state to the Mis sion station. Even the cattle were alarmed and careered around in the same excited state.

After a painful suspense, there ap peared over the mountain ridge a dense cloud of volcanic ash, ascending in spiral columns to a wondrous height, and pre senting a unique spectacle, with the rays of the setting sun illuminating the curi ous cerebreform mass.

With a sense almost of relief a multi tude of voices exclaimed, “It’s Lopevi.

The volcano has burst out again”.

After a comparative rest of 42 years, the volcano had come to life again and alarmed the neighbourhood.

VIOLENT tremors continued every few minutes all night long, producing a very disturbing effect. Nobody slept. The natives spent the night in the open air.

At midnight, the excitement was in tensified by the arrival of fugitives from the villages on the east coast of Paama, which face Lopevi and are separated from it only by a narrow channel. They re ported that a volcano had burst out on Lopevi. not in the old crater, 5,000 ft. high, but on a low hill near the village of Tamatu. and that a river of molten lava had over-run the houses and com pletely destroyed "the village compound.

As volumes of ash swept across the channel to Paama, and descended in heavy showers upon the villages, the natives became alarmed and fled across the dividing ridge to seek the shelter of the mission station. But it was impos sible to dodge the ashes and ’quakes any where on Paama. All night long the ashes fell, and the solid earth trembled.

When morning dawned, Paama was completely covered by a dismal and for bidding mantle of black volcanic ash.

So charged was the atmosphere with sulphuric acid that the residents had difficulty in breathing, and could they have obtained gas masks they would have been tempted to copy the practice of the war zones.

The air was heavily loaded with elec tricity, and it transformed the wireless sets into quick-firing machine guns, discharging a never-ending series of ex plosions.

LIVING in constant dread of a renew ed outburst, the Lopevi natives kept two whale boats ready for emergencies, and it was expected that, at the first sign of danger, the boats would be brought into instant service.

But the Paama trader, Mr. Walter Me-

Coy, a kindhearted and daring Norfolk Islander, felt that he had better go and ascertain if the Lopevi people needed assistance. The entire population of 160 is divided up into three villages; and he proceeded direct to Tamatu. where the eruption was reported to have taken place.

Six hours later he returned with a boat load of women and children, many of whom were badly bruised and burn ed.

So sudden and unexpected had the outbreak been that at a moment’s no tice the natives had had to rise and run, leaving everything behind. A river of molten lava, flowing from the newly formed crater, wiped out all the houses

and, on its way to the sea, destroyed one of the whale-boats and boathouse.

Mr. McCoy found the river red hot lava discharging its contents into the sea, producing a seething cauldron and rendering it impossible to approach the beach of Tamatu. He found the village buried in ashes and lava, the only indication that it was once the site of a village being the roof of the weatherboard church appearing above the ruins.

In the flight from the volcano, five natives (two adults and three infants) had been trapped by the fire and kill ed. The others escaped to a sheltered part of the beach, at the north end of the island, and there awaited the

chance of a rescuing boat from Paama.

The babies appear to have been struck and killed by flying stones, as they were borne upon the shoulders of their flee ing mothers.

The native men displayed bravery and consideration: none of them attempted to rush the boats, but gave the women and children the first chance of res cue.

WITH the promise that he would re turn for the men as quickly as he could, Mr. McCoy set off for the Paama mission station with his first load of refugees. As if the volcano were not sufficient to strike terror into the hearts of the people, the launch had to battle through an angry sea, which made the fugitives wonder whether they had es caped the fire only to be enguifed in the waves. They arrived at the mission sta tion as miserable and dejected as they could possibly be. It was very noticeable that none of the refugees carried any baggage. They escaped in what they stood up in.

Twenty-four hours after the first out break a succession of severe earth-tremors was a prelude to further volcanic out bursts and, on returning next day, the rescuers found the whole island enveloped in fire. Six more vents had formed — five near the beach, in the neighbour hood of villages, and one near the sum mit. The natives had succeeded in launching the other whale-boat, in the face of great danger, and joined the rescue parties in conveying the refugees to Paama.

There were still 30 people at the vil lage of Halehos, whom it was impossible to reach on account of high seas and lava flows.

But Mr. Wale, of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission, chanced to arrive on the scene, and readily responded to a

suggestion that he should make another attempt at rescue.

In spite of falling cinders, and big breakers on the shore, Mr. Wale suc ceeded in rescuing the last 33 people of Lopevi and conveying them to the Paama Mission Station.

THE whole population has now been transferred to Paama, and has been billeted out among the villages in the neighbourhood of the mission station. But the refugees have lost everything—gar dens, houses and personal belongings.

The people of Paama have risen to the occasion, and are showing unbounded hospitality to their stricken brethren.

Suffering from wounds and burns, crowds of refugees are attending the mission dis pensary for medical treatment.

Mr. P. A. Harvey, of the Epi Wireless Station, informed the Condominium Government by wireless of the erup tion of the volcano and the hapless plight of the natives; and the Government quickly responded by sending from Vila a liberal and much-appreciated supply of foodstuffs.—M.F.

Explosion Forecast In 1938

IN 1938. Lopevi was described as “a vol canic cone rising sheer out of the sea to a height of 5,000 ft. Though 12 miles in circumference, the island has no harbour or anchorage”.

In the “P.1.M.”, July, 1938, this was published: “There is consternation among the natives of Lopevi because the vol cano, after bursting out intermittently for nearly half a century, has suddenly closed down. The natives, primitive though they are, have sufficient know ledge of mechanics to understand that the closing of a safety valve is as dan gerous in a volcano as in a steam engine.

“Accompanied by a large number of natives, Mr. W. H. Grube climbed to the

summit and found neither crater nor volcano.

“When they descended with the news that the volcano had closed in, the re port struck terror into the hearts of the natives, who inhabit the villages nest ling in sheltered positions at the base of the mountain. The old natives have a grim recollection that the volcano closed down before the last big eruption in 1898. when it exploded with a convul sive outburst, obliterating one of the villages”.

Those fears were completely justified.

Practically the whole population of Samarai assembled on the evening of No vember 3, at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. E. Gribben, to say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. E. J. O’Donnell. Mr. O’Donnell is leaving Samarai after several years there as officer-in-charge of the radio station. Warm tributes were paid by vari ous speakers to the good qualities of Mr. and Mrs. O’Donnell. Rev. Father Dwyer especially thanked Mr. O’Donnell for his co-operation, on numerous occasions, in arranging radio schedules with doctors, so that sick people in isolated places were able to get immediate expert ad vice. Mr. Woodward, R.M., spoke on be half of the Public Service, and Mr. C.

Skelly for the “old-timers”. A welcome was given to Mr. O’Donnell’s successor at the radio station, Mr. Ploughman.

Major C. R. Field has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed to the command of the New Guinea Voluntary Rifles; and Major C.

F. A. Duchatel, M.C.; Captain P. J.

Woodhill, and Lieutenants H. Taylor, J.

H. Edwards, M.C.. D.C.M., M.M., J. C. Mul“ laly, 0.8. E.: A. J. Clark and C. G. Kil ner, who also hold commissions on the Reserve of Officers, Australian Military Forces, have been appointed to the unit.

Madrid

History of Ancient Artifact of Polynesia

By A. C. Rowland

OF the examples of Polynesian art and craftsmanship which have come under European obversation. the most interesting, perhaps, is the stone bowl of the Marae Taputapuatea. presented by Pomare 1., of Tahiti, to the interpreter.

Maximo Rodriguez, in the year 1775. and by him transported to Lima, Peru; whence it was taken to Spain and even tually lodged in the Museo Arqueologico Nacional, at Madrid.

The third volume of that scholarly work. “The Quest and Occupation of Ta-

hiti by Emissaries of Spain in 1772-76”, by Doctor Bolton Glanvill Corney, and published by the Hakluyt Society, con tains in its introduction, from the pen of Doctor Corney, the known history of this remarkable piece of native work manship.

“The stone bowl, or charger, that Maximo Rodriguez acquired from Tu and delivered to the Viceroy Amat at Lima is a very remarkable object.

“It is beautifully sculptured from a block of hard, fine grained, black doler ite, derived, as the diarist (Rodriguez) tells us, from the island called Maurua.

“This stone is j;he kind employed by the people of the Society Islands for their penu (food mashers, or pestles); and in past times they fashioned their axe-heads and adze-blades out of the same material, from the same source, where, as I am assured, a dyke or sill of it exists and has been quarried by successive generations of natives from time immemorial.

“When‘we consider that, so far as is recorded or known, the sculptors of Mau rua were without metal tools of any kind and probably used only chisels of obsidian and rasps of other igneous rock, the labour and skill displayed in carving this material cannot fail to ex cite our wonder and admiration, as it did that of the Tahitians.

“Any object carved in Maurua was first carried to Pora Pora, whose prin cipal aril were sovereign lords of the lesser island, and naturally had the right of disposal over all such valuables.

“The particular aril who flourished there in Maximo’s time was the notorious Puni.

“It was doubtless by the courtesy of this personage that the stone bowl . . . was sent over as a handsome present, on account of its singular workmanship, to

the aril Tu, who was Puni’s principal co-ruler and social rival, or superior.

“The colour of the stone of which this bowl is carved is a dark slatey grey, al most black. Its dimensions are: Length, 3ft. 10in.: greatest breadth, Ift. KHin : height, feet included, llin.; greatest depth of the cavity, 4in.; greatest thickness of floor, Sin.

“It is oval in form, somewhat elon gated, broadly rounded at one end and tapering gracefully from the widest part towards the opposite extremity, which terminates in a shallow lip.

“The secret of the design is found in the fact that (leaving the feet or legs out of question) it is a copy of the cala bash. or bottle-gourd. The pericarp of these gourds, dried and bisected length wise. is in general domestic use among the natives as food bowls, etc.; and mod els of them carved in wood, mostly of larger size than the gourds themselves.

are also employed. They are known as umete, and this term (which is of wide distribution among Maori races) is equal ly applicable to the stone bowl of Marae Taputapuatea.

“The uses to which Maximo’s bowl was applied in ancient times have not been clearly revealed; nor is it known whether, in the making, it was designed for any single or definite purpose, domestic or sacred, or no. But it was undoubtedly considered by the Raiateans to be a very remarkable and choice object and, like the seat carved of the same material that Maximo saw at Vaiari, had been

The Stone Bowl of the Marae Taputapualea.

sent across by the chiefs of the island to their royal cousins at Tahiti as a graceful compliment to their rank.

“The late F. Debell Bennett, F.R.C.S., a capable observer who saw a good deal of native life in Tahiti and Ra’iatea in the course of his whaling cruises, chiefly during 1834, noticed that hot stones were put in medicine bowls for heating the water when warm infusions were desir ed. This idea has a bearing upon the opinions of the principal living elders of these islands and Pora Pora, who, on hearing of Maximo’s bowl described, de clared that it was an ‘umete raau mo’a’ —a sacred medicine bowl, in which her bal potions used to be mixed and consecrated in the Marae; a procedure which was deemed to impart special curative efficacy to them.

“It is further possible that it may have served as an ava bowl for strictly cere monial use in the Marae on great occa sions.

“My friend, Mr. J. Lyle Young, whose long experience in the islands and study of their archaeology and folk-lore en title his opinion to particular weight, does not find this view acceptable: and quotes a legend he heard related many years ago, representing that —‘at a Marae in Huahine a large bowl was used to re ceive the viscera of victims who were laid on the altar stone of the Marae’.

“It is well known that the tahu’a in those islands were accustomed to look for augury by inspection of the freshly removed entrails of sacrificed victims, generally pigs. But whether this practice ever extended to the viscera of human victims does not seem to be on record.

“Many other points relating to this singular object are open to discussion, sculptured as it was by a primitive peo ple who, insofar as Europeans have ever been able to discover, possessed no metal tools of their own, and certainly had no knowledge of tempering any iron or bronze instruments that may conceivably have come in their way from some an cient wreck.

“But it must suffice, in this place, to add that the bowl of Marae Taputapuatea remains safely housed in Salon 111. of the ethnological section of the Museo Arqueological Nacional, at Madrid, where, in 1912. I had the good fortune to find and identify it as exhibit No. 2664, though all knowledge of its history and its coun try of origin had been lost for a hundred years or longer”.

From Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu. Nov. 10.

That there is something more than hot air connected with Japan’s Imperial mission in Asia is revealed in the latest report, which shows that Japan’s national debt now totals more than £1,000,000,000 sterling.

Included in this enormous debt are domestic bonds for financing Japan’s “incident” in China, to the tune of £250,000,000 sterling, plus foreign obliga tions of £75,000,000 sterling.

U.S. holdings total £20,000,000 sterling.

Mr. G. Robinson, a New Zealander, took over the managership of the Metropole Hotel in Suva, Fiji, in No vember.

Mr. A. A. Harvey, of Lassul Planta tion, Bainings District, New Guinea, re cently left Rabaul to spend a holiday in the East.

From Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, Nov. 14.

rS construction of the American navy’s immense 2,000,000 dollar base at Midway Island, new western outpost of the far-flung defence scheme which centres upon the Hawaiian Islands, is half-completed.

Biggest job is the dredging of a deep enough harbour in the lagoon to per mit the entrance of submarines, mine craft, and destroyers and for anchor ages for squadrons of long-range navy bombers. (Within a year there will be two squadrons permanently stationed there for patrol work in the western skies.) The back of the job was broken this month when one of the navy dredges completed a channel into the lagoon which will permit it and another dredge

to continue work right through the on coming rough winter weather. This channel is 120 ft. wide.

Work started at Midway in May, 1938.

The first dredge started in October, 1938.

There are 300 men on the job, under supervision of the U.S. army engineer’s office, which built the Panama Canal.

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, Nov. 20.

THE Mother Superior of the Roman Catholic Convent of St. Joseph died on October 17, after a short illness at the Rarotonga Hospital. The deceased lady was held in very high esteem, and her gentleness, kindness and courtesy will be always remembered by those who had had the pleasure of her acquaint ance.

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Nov. 20.

ANEW hotel, attractively built on modern lines, and very well equip ped for the comfort of overseas travel lers, has been built at Tavua, on the northern coast of Viti Levu, and was formally opened at a public dinner on November 4. Sir Maynard Hedstrom pre sided and gave an interesting history of the district and of the establishment and expansion of the cane-sugar and gold mining industries.

Visitors to Fiji, making a leisurely pro gress around the main island, and wish

ing to see the new goldmines, will find the new Tavua hotel a very comfort able stopping-place. It is under the man agement of Miss Griffiths, lately of the Ba hotel.

Dr. J. Nimmo, who has been Govern ment medical officer at Thursday Is land for seven years, was in Sydney on holidays in November.

Colonel David Barnett, who has had considerable experience in hotel manage ment in New Zealand, arrived in Fiji recently to take up the position of man ager of McDonald’s Hotel at Suva.

Ripley's Story of Torres Strait Wrecks

By J. J. Stewart

THAT story of the remarkable series of Torres Strait shipwrecks in the years 1829 and 1830, told by Ripley of “Believe It Or Not” fame in an American nation-wide broadcast and re-told in the October issue of “Pacific Islands Month ly”, would be an extraordinary chain of coincidences, if it were true.

Unfortunately for those of us who love the bizarre and unusual —and most of us do—the story won’t bear close examina tion.

According to Ripley, the brig “Mer maid” was wrecked in Torres Strait in October, 1829. and, three days later, all her crew were picked up by the “Swift sure”, which in turn went ashore. Both crews were rescued by the “Governor Ready”, but the “Governor Ready” went down and everybody took to the boats.

The “Comet” was the next vessel to be drawn into the web of coincidence. She rescued the crews of the “Mermaid”, “Swiftsure” and “Governor Ready”, and was wrecked in turn. The “Jupiter” was close by and came to the rescue. The “Jupiter” had just reached the entrance to the North Australian settlement of Raffles Bay when she ran ashore and the host of seamen aboard her . were taken off by the steampship, “City of Leeds”.

The Ripley version then concludes with a tearful little story of the doctor of the “City of Leeds” going among the ship wrecked mariners asking for a volunteer to come and comfort an elderly woman passenger, who was delirious and calling for her son. A seaman off the “Mer maid” offered his services, to find the woman was his own mother.

Strangely enough, J. H. Heaton’s Dic tionary of Australian Dates, published in 1879, vouches for the main part of Rip ley’s story, from the wreck of the “Mer maid” to that of the “Jupiter”. The “City of Leeds” incident can be treated as a myth from the start. The first steam ship in Australian waters was the “Sophie Jane”, which arrived at Sydney, via the Cape route, in May, 1831, about a year after the “City of Leeds” was supposed to be roaming around Torres Strait.

Now let us take the first part of the story. In 1835, T. B. Wilson, M.D., Sur geon R.N., published “A Narrative of a Voyage Around the World”. Doctor Wil son was- aboard the “Governor Ready” when that ship was wrecked in Torres Strait. As surgeon-superintendent he had joined her in 1828 for a voyage out to Australia with 200 convicts. The “Gover nor Ready” arrived at Sydney in Janu ary, 1829, and proceeded to Hobart. From Hobart she sailed for Batavia. It had been intended to go via Cape Leeuwin, but the vessel could not beat to the west ward against the prevailing winds and, after twenty days of wasted effort, it was decided to sail up the eastern coast of Australia.

On May 18, 1829, the “Governor Ready” went on a reef in Torres Strait, and the crew took to the boats. The near est outpost of civilisation, or so they thought, was at Melville Island. A gale blew them past Melville Island—luckily for them because by then the settlement at that place had been abandoned —and they set a course for Timor. When the shipwrecked sailors picked up the Timor coast, they had completed an epic boat

voyage of 1,300 miles, filled with hard ship and fortitude.

Shortly afterwards the brig “Amity” was sighted. Dr. Wilson boarded her, to travel back to Raffles Bay, while his com panions went on to Coupang, then only a short distance away. It was the end of June when Dr. Wilson arrived at Raffles Bay and he stayed there until the settlement was abandoned on August 28, 1829.

In his book he narrates that, on July 22 while walking along the foreshore, he sighted a sail, which at first he thought to be that of the “Mermaid”, then overdue. However, it proved to be the brig “Resource”, going from Sydney to the Isle of France. Her purpose in calling at Raffles Bay was to land the shipwrecked crews of the “Mermaid” and “Swiftsure”.

According to Ripley, the “Mermaid” was wrecked in October, 1829; but Dr.

Wilson puts the date at June 13. He says her crew took to the whale-boat and, after three days, were picked up by the schooner “Admiral Giffard”, which later put them aboard the “Swiftsure”.

The “Swiftsure” was wrecked on July 5, off Cape Sidmouth, and both crews were rescued by the “Resource”.

Of course, at the time when he wrote his book, Dr. Wilson did not know that 110 years later this series of shipwrecks was to be re-touched and polished by a purveyor of the extraordinary, so he did not bother to any great extent about circumstantial detail. However, he does relate that he met the captain of the “Mermaid” when he came ashore and that, as he escorted him up to the com mandant’s office, the captain told him he was carrying a despatch ordering that the settlement be abandoned forthwith.

For the rest, it has been recorded that the “Jupiter” did go ashore at the en trance to Raffles Bay, but there is no thing to link her up with the other ship wrecks. In Captain Rhodes’s ‘ Pageant of the Pacific” there is mention of the “Comet” arriving at Sydney in May. 1831. after transferring the people of Pitcairn Island to Tahiti.

A pity to punch the holes of historical data into Ripley’s story; it was such a nice one.

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Suva. Nov. 4.

r[E trade of the Colony for the nine months ended September 30, 1939, shows: —

Miss Catherine Little recently was appointed to be Sister in the Fiji Nurs ing Service.

iiiiuvva. — 1938. 1939.

Exports .. .

Imports ..

... £1,896,676 1,307,898 £1,957,836 1,247.127 Details of exports are as 1938. follow: — Sugar Copra .. 94,956 tons ( 26.008 „ < 11,945 bunches £995,1161 £221,317) Bananas . . .. ( £50,822) Bananas . . .. 102,004 cases Molasses .. .. — ( £17,2381 Gold Bullion 66,534 ozs. i £515.5271 Trocas Shell . 102 tons 1939. ( £ 5,916) Sugar .. .. 90,839 tons (£1.064.805) Copra .. . . 17,157 tons (£121,460) Bananas .. 2,756 bunches (£17,352) Bananas 36,299 cases Molasses .. .. ( £14,255) Gold Bullion 77.904 ozs. ( £632.755) Trocas Shell 151 tons (£7,010)

"Bill" Tait

Extraordinary Accident in Solomons

NEWS of the death of Captain W. (“Bill”) Tait, one of the best known men in the Solomon Islands, was brought to Sydney by the “Morinda” in mid-November.

Tait, who was skipper of the 36-ton W. R. Carpenter inter-island vessel, “Balus”, was on a freighting trip along the east coast of Guadalcanal. On Octo ber 30, the vessel ran onto a shingle beach, near Aola, and Tait clambered over the side to inspect the position. He was standing on a bank of sand, near the after-end of the boat, when the pro peller commenced to race full astern.

This caused the sand at Tait’s feet to

shift in the swirling water. He endeav oured to get back onto firm sand, but was drawn into the water under the “Balus’s” stern. The suction of the rac ing propeller drew him against the blades, and he suffered shocking injur ies, and died soon afterwards.

The native crew brought his body back to Tulagi, where he was buried.

Mr. E. Mapletoft, manager for Burns Philp (S.S.) Co. Ltd., at Faisi, 8.5.1., and who is at present in Sydney on furlough, said that Captain Tait had been in the Islands for about 10 years. “He was about 36—big and boisterous; a bom humour ist, and well liked by everyone he met.

The news of his death was received with genuine regret by his many friends in the Solomons”, added Mr. Mapletoft.

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs.

F. W. Stcrck, of Suva, Fiji, on Novem ber 17.

SCIENTIFIC circles in Australia have been stirred by the announcement of the discovery in New Guinea of a new genus and species of Bird of Para dise. Details are given in the latest issue of the “Australian Zoologist”.

Three specimens of this new bird were collected by Messrs. J. L. Taylor and J.

R. Black, leaders of the Hagen-Sepik patrol, and they were sent to the Aus tralian Museum, Sydney, by the Admin istrator of New Guinea, Sir Walter Mc- Nicoll. It has been given a formidable scientific name, “Taeniaparadisea Mac nicolli”; which means, literally, “Mc- NicoU’s Ribbon-Tailed Bird of Para dise”.

Mr. J. L. Taylor reports that the birds were obtained in the highlands of Cen tral New Guinea, in the Hagen-Sepik district, between 8,000 and 10,000 ft. above sea level. He says there are not

many of them, but one meets them here and there in the high forests. They make a clicking or hammering sound, something like a pneumatic rivetter at work and they appear to have some dif ficulty in flying—their long tails being an encumbrance.

There are many different kinds of Birds of Paradise recorded, but this par ticular bird in certain respects is quite new.

Mr. A. Coomber, of the Australasian Petroleum Company at Wewak, North ern New Guinea, returned to the Terri tory at the end of November, after a visit to Australia.

Mr. E. T. Pleasants, head of the legal firm of Klinkmuller and Pleasants, Apia, arrived in New Zealand from Western Samoa late in November to join the N.Z. Volunteer Force. He was accom panied by Mrs. Pleasants.

The tropics had no terrors for this young lady.

En route to Borneo, by the “Merkur”, she found a pastime on the boat-deck, and the “Merkur’s” captain kept the tubs full, for her benefit. She was born at Wau, New Guinea, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Crawford, and grand-daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Brierly, formerly of Fiji.

Road Plan Awaiting Final Reports

JTIHE Australian Minister for Pacific X Territories (Mr. Perkins) stated on November 20 that the construction of the road between Wau and Salamaua must depend upon the final reports of the engineers and surveyors—and these had not yet been received.

“There has been no unnecessary delay”, said Mr. Perkins, commenting upon com plaints that had been received from New Guinea. “The survey of the route has been a difficult job. One section was surveyed four times before a through route could be found. The survey is now practically complete”.

The “Pacific Islands Monthly”, up to the end of November, had seen no reason to alter its frequently-expressed opinion —namely, that the construction of this road probably will not be undertaken un til the financial problem is solved, and that it will be very difficult to provide the necessary finance under war condi tions. It is not certain that funds, which were to be made available as subscrip tions to the loan, a year ago, are still available.

It is possible, however, that the “Trust Fund”, now to be created by the new tax on gold, will provide money for the road, and allow the work to proceed. The tax should provide at least £250,000 per annum.

It will be remembered that the “tax” is provided by the decision of the Aus tralian Government to seize one half of the war-time rise in the price of gold; but, as this is likely to infringe the terms of the Mandate, it was decided to leave the money in the Territory, in a “Trust Fund”,

Airmail How New Services May Spread Disease

IN view of the extension of the airmail service, across the Pacific Ocean, the following review of a letter in “Nature” will be of great interest (says the Fiji “Agricultural Journal”).

Dealing with the proposed alternative air route via Africa to India and Aus tralia, Dr. F. G. S. Whitfield draws at tention to the danger of the arrival in aeroplanes of insects capable of causing malaria and yellow fever. The areas where yellow fever is endemic are much greater, both in Africa and South America, than was realised even a year ago and not only can certain mosquitoes transmit the virus (disease-producing substance or body) by biting, but monkeys can be oral ly infected with this disease by simple feeding. The virus also can live over a fortnight inside the body-cavity of at least one species of cockroach.

The result of over four years’ collection of insects found inside aircraft at Khar toum (more than 2,000 machines exam ined in three years) resulted in 146 spec ies, comprising 3,000 individuals being as sembled, including house-flies and the malarial yellow fever mosquitoes.

The writer’s conclusion is that until the problem of insect control in aircraft has been solved it would seem unwise to start a regular service between Australia and Africa, across the Indian Ocean, on the route surveyed by the flying boat Guba.

Mr. H. G. Rollinson paid a holiday visit to New Zealand in November. He is well-known on the Morobe goldfield. New Guinea, as a mining engineer.

Could She Be "Britain of the South Seas"?

By Angus Ross

DESPITE the outbreak of war, the New Zealand Government and other au thorities proceeded with the Centennial Celebrations, the preparations for which were so far advanced that it would have been difficult to cancel them.

The Centennial Exhibition opened on November 8, ancl the major celebrations are to take place in January and Feb ruary, 1940.

At such a time, it may be of interest to recall that one of the reasons given for the colonisation of New Zealand, 100 years ago, was the country’s geographical situation in the South Pacific, which would enable her to serve as a base for British political and commercial opera tions in the Pacific. Reference to con temporary literature on the subject gives ample proof of this.

Thus, a memorial presented to the Under-Secretary of the Colonial Office, as early as 1828, stressed the value of New Zealand to any European power with ambitions in the South Pacific. The writer stated: * “I confess I feel considerable anxiety into whose hands New Zealand will be placed, as I am satisfied that the pos session of the islands of New Zealand by Great Britain. France, or America, will give that Power the command of the South Pacific, and if in the hands of either of the latter Powers, will soon disturb the peace of our Colonies in New Holland (Australia).”

Various firms interested in whaling and in trading in the South Seas claimed that New Zealand was favourably situ

ated for the establishment of a complete ascendancy by whatever Power cared to intervene there. Several of the witnesses called before the Committee of the House of Lords, in 1838, referred to this fact.

Thus, a certain Mr. Coutts Crawford told the Committee that he considered New Zealand the most valuable Colony in that part of the world, “equal to all the Aus tralian Colonies put together”. He said; “It is full of harbours, and it will have a great commerce and a large maritime population; in fact, in such a way, that it will be the Great Britain of that part of the world, including the vast archi pelago of islands to the north, and will command the trade of that part of the world in future times”.

WRITING in 1839 in his “Four Letters to the Right Hon. Earl Durham", Rev. John Dunmore Lang, the senior minister of the Church of Scotland in N.S.W., declared that colonists sent to New Zealand “would secure for Great Britain and her Colonies, what they are otherwise so likely to be deprived of, the riches and the Empire of the Southern Seas”.

Various writers and politicians of the thirties and ’forties of last century de scribed New Zealand as “the Great Brit ian of the Southern Hemisphere”. For example, Lord Ashburton declared that the islands of New Zealand were likely to become a great seat of wealth and naval powers, “in short, to be in the Southern Ocean what the British Isles were to the northern”.

Variations of this theme sometimes led

to strange extravagances of description. .‘if wnte f ? f JP* I? 1 ' the ln soutLeastern h Hemisptoe“ QUeen ° f the south eastern Hemisphere .

The outstandmg of the boasting claims made for New Zealand’s future in Pacific politics and commerce was that made by Charies Duller a prominent supporter of the New Zealand Company and a man well acquainted with Colonial prospects.

Addressing the House of Commons in 1845, he claimed:—

“Considerations of the greatest mo ment do “deed give great political im

lPaondanour 0 P °wttf thf PaTlflfTs

daily increasln S 111 extent. Our relations with other Powers in that ocean are get ting to be very delicate. France has pos session of the Friendly Islands and the Marquesas. The United States have vir tual possession of the Sandwich Islands, ... A British Colony in New Zealand would be the natural master of this ocean, the irresistible arbiter of all its complicated relations and important in

terests. Its position would command the Pacific; its numerous harbours would supply shelter, its vast forests ma terials, for the greatest navy in the world. You might make it, in truth, the Britain of the Southern Hemisphere: there you might concentrate the trade of the Pacific, and from that new seat of your Dominion you might give laws and manners to a new world, upholding subject races, and imposing your will on the strong”.

Needless to say, these dreams of New Zealand becoming the imperial mistress of the Pacific, in a manner similar to Britain or, in past ages, Rome, have not been realised in the first hundred years of New Zealand’s existence as a British possession. For obvious reasons, this is not surprising. At the same time, it must be remembered that the boundaries of New Zealand to-day differ considerably from those of the Colony which was founded in 1840. If the New Zealand Im perialists, of whom Sir George Grey, Sir Julius Vogel, Sir Robert Stout and Rich ard Seddon were the leaders at different periods, had had their way, New Zealand would have controlled almost all the is lands of the South Pacific. Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga should all have been placed under New Zealand administration, ac cording to these men.

To-day, apart from the small outlying islands near New Zealand—such as the Chathams, the Auckland, Antipodes,, Bounty, Snares and Campbell Islands— New Zealand is responsible for the Ker madecs, annexed in 1887; the Cook Is lands, including such islands to the north as Niue, Penrhyn, and Suwarrow, which came under New Zealand in 1901: the Mandate over Western Samoa; es tablished in 1920; and the administration of the Tokelau or Union Group, which was transferred from Great Britain in 1925.

Weakness Of Australia And N.Z.

EDITORIAL NOTE: New Zealand will have to grow very much, in population and commercial importance, before she can expect to become a power in the Pacific. The only Pacific Territories worth mentioning, which New Zealand governs, are the Cook Islands and West ern Samoa; and her record in Samoa is not inspiring. That is because she is too small to be able to supply efficient Ad ministrators, except by chance. Even Aus tralia is too small, as is shown by the character of Australian appointments to Territory administratorships in the last ten years.

Great Britain, on the other hand, main tains a large Colonial Service, in which some of the finest types of young men are encouraged to seek their life’s career.

Britain, occasionally, has been guilty of sending rejected politicians and super annuated generals to govern her tropical dependencies; but, generally, the jobs are given only to those trained and proved men who have spent their lives in tropi cal administration.

New Zealand cannot do that: she has not got a tropical service at all. Aus tralia has got a fairly large tropical ser vice, now; but, whenever the Canberra nabobs have to appoint an Administrator, they turn their blind eyes to their train ed service, and make a surprising selec tion of their own. For example (and lest we forget!):— 1934: Brigadier-General McNicoll, ex politician and ex-soldier, appointed Ad ministrator of New Guinea. No previous experience of tropical or any other Ter ritorial administration. 1937: Mr. Abbott, ex-politician, ap pointed Administrator of Northern Ter

ritory. No previous experience of tropi cal or any other Territorial administra tion. 1937: Major-General Rosenthal, ex politician and ex-soldier, appointed Ad ministrator of Norfolk Island. No pre vious experience of tropical or any other Territorial administration. 1938: Lieut.-Colonel Chalmers, ex-sol dier, appointed Administrator of Nauru.

No previous experience of tropical or any other Territorial administration.

Neither Australia nor New Zealand can become “Great Britain of the South Sea” while the administration of Pacific Is lands Territories are regarded merely as the plaything of professional politicians.

rE following is about Errol Flynn, now famous film star, and formerly a tobacco planter in Papua and a recruiter and miner in New Guinea:— As star romantic hero at Warners, Flynn is one of the most hardworking of Hollywood’s masculine actors. His boundless energy is not confined to act ing. He is now producing and writing for a film production company of his own.

With Howard Hill, champion archer, he has formed Flynn-Hill Productions Inc., to make a series of outdoor color shorts, with Hill producing and starring.

Warners’ favourite action hero will share in the production and do all the writing.

By choice, no acting for him.

Flynn himself is by way of being a sportsman. Not only is he Hollywood’s most famous sailor outside Popeye—he sails the seas in his own magnificent yacht, the “Sirocco”—but he’s a first-class tennis player as well.

In the doubles at Hollywood’s motion picture tennis tournament recently, he reached the finals with Stanley Briggs, Virginia Bruce’s brother. Sponsors of the tournament considered Flynn’s pulling power so great even in Hollywood that they made a special admission charge of 50 cents for this match.

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Nov. 1.

GANGS of men, working by day and night, have levelled off a sand hilly area near Lautoka and converted it into a large aerodrome. The work will be completed about the middle of November. Couch grass has been plant ed all over the surface, and special means are being taken to encourage its growth, so that it will bind the sand into a suit able surface.

At present, there are no commercial aeroplanes in Fiji.

It is expected that Fiji will be in cluded, as a call, in the new trans-Paci fic airmail service, being established between Auckland and San Francisco, and that either the port of Lautoka or the port of Suva will be used by the seaplanes, according to whether the pre vailing weather is south-east or south west.

Rev. Father A. Bryson, of the Sacred Heart Mission, Samarai, Eastern Papua, was in Victoria in November spending furlough.

Captain N. E. Goodwin arrived in New Guinea from Australia recently to join the staff of W. R. Carpenter and Co.

Ltd.

To be Another American Naval Base Prom Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, Nov. 10.

AN advance party of 60 men has left here for Johnston Island, 720 miles south-west of Honolulu, to begin work upon the 1,150,000 dollars warplane, mine craft and submarine base which is to be built under the * current expansion pro gramme of the U.S. navy in the Pacific.

The island, which was placed under sec ret navy jurisdiction in 1934. is two bits of land within a coral reef, 8 miles long.

The lagoon is to be dredged extensively to permit the entrance of navy craft and long-range patrol bombers.

The navy bombers have used the pre sent restricted facilities at Johnston for some years.

When completed, within a year, it will become an important “listening outpost” in America’s far-flung Central Pacific defence scheme.

Canton Island, 1,000 miles further on in the same direction, is to be developed next.

Miss M. Bruce, probationer at the Col onial War Memorial Hospital, Suva, Fiji, resigned in November. Two other mem bers of the hospital staff who also re signed recently were Miss O. M. Flemons and Miss K. V. Douglas.

Mr. Leslie Thomas Hurrell, who since his graduation last year from Hawkes bury Agricultural College, N.S.W., had been gaining experience on one of Burns, Philp and Co.’s plantations in New Guinea, recently joined the N.G. De partment of Agriculture as assistant at the Keravat Demonstration Plantation.

Sir Henry Milne Scott, of Suva, has been appointed a director of the Queens land Insurance Co. Ltd. in Fiji.

Mr. A. St. C. Compton, Superintendent of Works in the Gilbert and Ellice Is lands Colony, died recently at Ocean Island.

Adventure

Story of How His Expedition Escaped from the Kubea

TWO men well known in New Guinea, Jack Hides and David. Lyall, left Port Moresby in February, 1937, to lead a gold-seeking expedition up the Strick land River, and on into the unknown country beyond.

In March and April, 1937, they report ed a vast dredging area on the Upper Strickland: and. coming into Port Mores by by aeroplane, they secured mining rights over the area. (It subse quently was found to be quite value less). In late May, 1937, they went on up the Strickland by canoe; marched north over the limestone barrier during the “North-west” (rainy season); and in mid-August, when the rain and mist mo mentarily cleared, they found themselves on the edge of a vast precipice, 4,000 ft. high (obviously, the northern wall of the limestone barrier), and looking out over a vast system of upland valleys, well populated. They were now across the “backbone” of New Guinea, and in the Mandated Territory.

But Lyall had become seriously ill, up there on the terrible limestone, and they were carrying him. Hides, somehow, got his forty natives and his helpless com panion down that precipice, into the nearest valley, and then, using his tele

radio set, he urgently asked that an aero plane be sent to their assistance. The teleradio set had received a bad bumping on the limestone and their last valve collapsed before final arrangements were made.

They waited a week: but as there was no sign of an aeroplane, the now desper ate Hides decided to abandon all stores, except barest necessities, and made a dash southwards with Lyall, in an effort to reach Daru, on the Gulf of Papua, 600 miles away.

They could not face the limestone bar rier (the “Kubea”) again—their desper ate plight is shown in the fact that they decided to attempt a passage through the Juha Gorge, an awful, mile-deep chasm cut through the limestone by the Strick land (or Juha) River on its way from the Mandated Territory southwards into Papua. They crawled painfully along the precipitous sides of the gorge, cutting every foot of their way through dense jungle growth. It was slow, but they were getting there—when the whole party sud denly was stricken with a bad form of beri-beri. For some weeks, while cross ing the Kubea northwards, they had been living on polished rice and canned meat, and they paid the penalty. They had ad vanced for five days into the gorge, aver aging two miles per day; but now four men were dead and 22 were very sick — there were only 12 natives, and the two outstanding Papuans, Pakai and Bije, well enough to be of any use.

THERE they were, clinging to the side of the gorge, cut off from even na tive help by scores of miles of impassible country, being rapidly overwhelmed by disease, reduced to the barest minimum of food. Lyall by now paralysed and al most blind, Hides himself sick and weak ening—can anyone imagine a more des perate situation!

It seemed that they were hopelessly trapped—there was no way out. Yet Hides, always at his superb best in a tight cor ner like this, solved the problem and. literally within a few hours, got his party, without any further loss of life, down onto the Strickland, and thence onto the Lower Fly.

They left that fatal spot in the Juha Gorge on September 1; on September 15, after escaping by a miracle from a dis aster on the Lower Fly; Hides carried his companion, who by now was blind and paralysed and quite helpless, into the surgery of Dr. Vernon, at Daru. But it was too late. Lyall died next day. rriHE story of this incredible adventure X —all the more dramatic because of the quiet simplicity of the author’s lan

guage—is told in detail in “Beyond the Kubea”, by Jack Hides, just published by Angus and Robertson Ltd., at 6/-.

I knew the men, and all the circum stances of this expedition—l went spec ially to Port Moresby to meet Hides and Lyall, when they came in from the Strickland by aeroplane in April, 1937 and I still marvel at this last and great est exploit of Jack Hides. As I re-read this account of their escape from the Juha Gorge, and from the tidal bore on the Fly (I heard it first from Hides himself) I am inclined to describe it as the greatest adventure story that ever came out of New Guinea. To the best of my belief and knowledge (and I know

a great deal about this expedition that has not been published) there is no ex aggeration in this book. The.story is in credible —yet it is true.

I know Hides’s books well —I helped him to write his first, and found a publisher for him. This, the fourth, and his last, is incomparably his best. It grips the reader, from cover to cover, and should rank as an Australian best-seller. It is an inspiration for all young Australians.

Jack, between 1934 and 1938, learned how to write, and to write well. This success only serves to emphasise the tragedy of his untimely death, in June, 1938. Readers of ‘‘Beyond the Kubea” should remember, when the author makes occasional references to his own suffer ings and starvation, he really is describ ing his own death-warrant. He was suf fering from beriberi when he made his supreme physical effort to save Lyall; and those who knew him in his last months knew that he had never recover ed from that body-rending and heart breaking experience.

Why A Plane Was Not Sent

IN fairness to the Sydney company which financed his expedition, I must refer to one section of the book, and supply an explanation.

In August, 1937, Hides had emerged from the limestone, with a helpless and

very sick Lyall on his hands, and he radio’d urgently for assistance by aero plane. For several days, he says, he and Lyall waited, and listened for an aero plane engine.

His friends, in Sydney, got the mess age, and acted quickly. But they did not know how best to proceed they had no idea of Hides’s position, or whether an aeroplane could land. They consulted me. I got together the available maps showing that unexplored region, and we tried to guess the approximate position of the expedition. We assumed that it was somewhere across the border in the unexplored centre of New Guinea. The nearest landing-ground was at Mount Hagen, anything from 200 to 300 miles north-east of Hides’s probable position.

Only the best aeroplane—which would have had to have been sent to Mount Hagen from Lae, hundreds of miles away, with adequate fuel supplies—could have been used. It might have to search over a very wide area of unknown country.

Such a charter was not easily arrang ed.

So we radio’d to Hides to send his approximate position: and the possibil ity of landing: and we indicated the difficulty of quickly getting a suitable plane. We waited for the answer—and

The late Mr. Jack Hides, with his wife and daughter. This photograph was taken shortly before his death in 1938.

it never came. There was not another word from the expedition, until Hides and Lyall turned up, in extremis, on the Lower Fly.

We guessed—and, we now know, we were right—that the teleradio had failed.

It was most unfortunate. If that last valve had remained in action only an other 24 hours, we would have had in formation on which we could have acted.

As it was, we were not clear about Lyall’s

condition; and in anv case wp bnd onlv the vaguest idea of their potion* We understood, for instance, that they were short of food; actually, at that time, they had abundant supplies. They lacked onlv fresh food.

Hides sent urgent messages to medical men in New Guinea, “nd to Guinea Air ways, which gave an idea nf hi* but that inflrmatlon was notavailable to his company in Sydney

Hides writes of their last days on the Ply, when all hope seemed gone: “I wondered with bitterness why that plane had not come, why a vessel had not been sent to meet us (on the Fly). I remem bered every word of those last radio mes sages, and I re-read them again and again. Surely someone must know we were in trouble”.

Hides learned, when he returned to Sydney, that his friends knew that he was in trouble, and were very anxious about him, but they could do nothing, because they did not know where to look for him. For that reason, I think that this last section of his book must have been written, from his notes, after he died.—R. W. ROBSON.

Animals

Clue to Origin of the Race

IN a book entitled “Ancient Hawaiian Life”, by E. H. Bryan, of Guam, it is stated that the pig, the dog, and the fowl of the Polynesians originated in the Indo-Malay region.

There has been much argument about this; and a writer in the “Guam Re corder” quoted from an ancient Spanish book to suggest that pigs, fowls and other animals were introduced to the Polynesian islands, north of the equa tor, by the Spaniards, nearly 300 years ago.

Mr. Bryan, however, says that all students of Polynesian culture agree that the pigs, dogs, and fowls of the Poly nesians generally must have come from the Indo-Malay region, and that fact supports the theory, now fairly well es tablished, that the Polynesians themselves came in migratory waves from that part of the world, Mr. Bryan refers those who are inter ested in the matter to Bulletin No. 108, published by the Bishop Museum, Hono lulu, Hawaii.

War Forces Co. To Suspend

rpHE company formed recently by Mr.

X H. Bealsby Evans, called “Tropical Products and Fruits Pty. Ltd.”, the pur pose of which was to develop a fruit and vegetable export business between New Guinea and Sydney, encountered all the difficulties and disabilities created by the war—especially in relation to shipping ar rangements—and consequently it decided to suspend operations as from November 1. Mr. Evans put a great deal of very hard work and tireless organisation into this project, and it is to be hoped that he will be able to continue with it after the war-clouds have passed.

Mr. Tom Flower, well-known Rabaul timber exporter, returned to the Man dated Territory by the November “Macdhui” to arrange for the shipment of a large quantity of New Guinea walnut to America. He intends to send samples of New Guinea softwoods to Australia to be tested for possible use in the paper pulp industry.

Mrs. G. H. Murray, wife of the N.G.

Director of Agriculture, sailed from Syd ney for Rabaul, by the last “Macdhui” after several months’ holiday in Austra lia.

Mr. R. Mac Kay, who recently completed his three years’ service as Commonwealth auditor in Papua, arrived in Sydney at the end of November by the “Tasman”.

Valuable Historical Compilation

By W. W. Bolton, M.A.

(NOTE. —Here is an invaluable addition to the history of Eastern Polynesia. Mr. W. W. Bolton, M.A., an Englishman, resident at Papeete, Tahiti, has devoted several years to exact historical research; and, from an examination of endless data, he has compiled the following list of the first ships to visit Tahiti. This list, and especially the notes attached thereto, should serve to correct many errors.) THE arrivals of the earliest ships at Tahiti, up to 180 L were as follow: 1767.—H.M.5. “Dolphin": Captain Wal lis. Made a stay of 36 days. Left a pennant flying ashore. (See note.) 1768. —Frigate “Boudense”: de Bougain ville. Stay of nine days. 1769.—H.M.5. “Endeavour”: Cook. Stay of 90 days. 1772 —Frigate “Aguila”: Boenechea. Stay of 30 days. (Tracking the English in Spain’s preserve.) 1773.—H.M.5. “Resolution”: Cook. Stay of 15 days. 1774.—H.M.5. “Resolution”: Cook. Stay of 22 days. 1774—Frigate “Aguila”: Boenechea. Stay of 60 days. (Brought two priests who stayed 350 days.) 1775. —Frigate "Aguila”: Langara. Stay of nine days. (Took the priests back to Peru.) 1777.—H.M.5. “Resolution”: Cook. Stay of 49 days. 1788. —“Lady Penrhyn”, a convict ship on its way home from N.S.W. 1788.—“ Bounty”: Bligh. 1789. —Swedish vessel: Cox, the master.

Left a Union Jack as a gift to Pomare. (See note.) 1791. —“Pandora”: Edwards. Carried off the “Bounty” mutineers who had remain ed on Tahiti. 1791. —H.M..S. “Discovery”: Vancouver. 1792. —“Matilda”: A whaling ship.

Wrecked in the Tuamotus. No loss of life. 1792. —“Providence”: Bligh. 1793. —“Prince William Henry”. Bore off the “Matilda’s” crew. 1793. —“Doedulus”: A store ship. Two Swedes deserted and “went native”; be came useful as interpreters. 1797. —“Duff”: Captain James Wilson, with L.M.S. party. 1798 (March).—“Nautilus”: A whaling ship. Bore off 11 of the L.M.S. band. 1798 (August).—“Sally”: A whaling ship. Explosion of powder secured by na tives killed the High Chief Temarii. 1798 (August).—“Cornwall”: A whaling ship. 1801—“ Royal Admiral”: Captain Wil liam Wilson. A convict ship.

Notes On The Above

All these ships dropped anchor at Ma tavai (now known as Point Venus), ex cept de Bougainville, at Hitiaa, and the Spaniards, at Tautira.

The pennant that Wallis set up ashore, at Mata via, was coolly borne off by Amo and Purea, to be used by their young son Teriirere at his marae in the district of Papara as a symbol of political power over the Teva clan. It had further travels, being borne off in triumph, later on, by their enemy Tutaha, to his marae at Paea. There Cook saw it ornamented with yellow, black and red feathers. Later still, when Pomare mastered Paea, he carried it off to his marae at Pare-Arue, the district where Wallis had planted it.

The Union Jack of Captain Cox gave added lustre to Pomare’s claim to suprem acy and added bitter offence to his re lentless opponents.

Boenechea laying claim to Tahiti for his sovereign raised a wooden cross ashore inscribed: “Christus vincit—Carolus 111., Imperator,T774”. Cook, on his last visit, inscribed on the reverse side of the cross: “Georgius tertius Rex —Anni, 1767—1769. 1773-1774 et 1777”. Carolus, on hearing of this, gave orders for its removal. But that mission never arrived—Spain had her hands full elsewhere.

The “Duff” did not arrive a second time at Tahiti. It started, but was cap tured by a Buonaparte privateer, off Cape

Frio, on February 19, 1799, and was sold at Montevideo. Its end is unknown Those aboard made their way back to England, after considerable difficulty and privation. This historic craft was a ves sel of 267 tons, its length 96i feet, its beam 25 ft. 8 inches. It had two decks, three masts, a square stern and a man head. It cost the L.M.S. £5,000. Leaving Tahiti in 1797, the “Duff” was headed for Canton, where tea was shipped, for which the East India company paid £4,800 on the “Duff’s” return to London, on July

11. 1798. Its flag was “purple, with three doves argent, bearing olive branches in their bills”.

There were 25 souls landed at Matavai from the “Duff”, viz., 17 men, 5 women and 3 children. Of the men, whose ages ran from 20 to 37, there were 4 minis ters, 4 carpenters, a bricklayer, a wheel wright, a gardener, a grazier, a harness maker, a weaver, a tailor, a shoemaker and a linen-draper. The graves of three of these are on Tahiti, and one on Moo rea, beyond Tahiti. Two lie at Parra matta, N.S.W., one at Ryde, N.S.W., one at Port Jackson, N.S.W., and one was lost with his ship at sea. The remaining eight returned to England.

The “Royal Admiral” provided accom modation for only nine—all men. The graves of two of these lie on Tahiti, and one on Moorea.

All the above graves, on the two is lands, are known and marked.

System

THE education of the children of Nor folk Island is well taken care of by Mr. V. Lisle, headmaster, and a compet ent staff. There are two schools on the island the main school, a well-equipped building with accommodation for 150 pupils; and a small district school.

The children of Norfolk Island are bright, intelligent and well-behaved, and according to inspectors’ reports, compare very favourably with the children of the mainland. Subjects ranging from matri culation standard to kindergarten work are taught.

Credit must be given to the good work of previous headmasters—in recent years, Messrs. Culey, Richardson. Nicholls and Heath—in embarking upon a far-sighted education policy.

Instruction in domestic arts is given to the girls by Mrs. Lisle.

The schools are in ideal scenic sur roundings, with a peaceful atmosphere engineered by the happy relationships ex isting between the teachers and pupils. —Contributed.

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Nov. 10.

NEW regulations, framed for the con trol of imports, are set out in the Fiji Gazette of November 3.

Persons desiring to import goods from the United States, Canada, Newfound land, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Ar gentine, Hong Kong, Java, Japan and the Sudan are required to apply for a license: and if the application is granted, the importer must then arrange for the foreign exchange required.

Mrs. Alice Brierly, wife of Mr. W. C.

Brierly, died at Ryde, Sydney, on Novem ber 17. Mr. Brierly Was for 23 years in the service of the C.S.R. Company in Fiji, at Labasa, Nausori and Nadi. They had two daughters—Mrs. H. W. Watt, of Miles, Queensland, and Mrs. F. M.

Crawford, of Miri, Sarawak, Borneo.

Dr. D. W. Hoodless, principal of the Central Medical School, Suva, arrived at Auckland, New Zealand, by the “Tas man” in November on his way back to Fiji after spending furlough in Australia and the East.

My New Guinea

By Burton W. Collins

I NEVER found out what his name was.

Perhaps I should have. But among the natives he was always known merely as “luluai” (chief). Between ourselves, however, we called each other “friend”.

At least I called him “friend”, and he got as near to it as he could with some thing like “pren”, when addressing me.

But that was only after I had known him for some time. At first, of course, he was naturally very superior and aloof.

Wasn’t he the luluai of Pir? —chief of a village of more than 200 souls? And what was I? An upstart intruder and outsider.

He’d never had much to do with the “Goverman”, anyway. And from all the stories he had heard they were a silly futile race. What could they possibly do with all those hundreds of coconuts they grew and collected? They didn’t even eat them! And then their clothes! Stupid things! During the heat of the day they covered up their bodies as if to keep warm, and, then at night, when it became cool, he’d been told, they took off the covers again. Any native knew a man needed more clothing at night than dur ing the day. Why, sometimes, he himself wore nothing at all, when it was very warm and he was working hard.

Thank goodness, he lived well out of their way, three good days’ journey from the coast, where they went about their senseless ways. He was troubled only once a year, when the “kiap” came to count his people and collect the head tax. That was quite enough.

AND then I arrived on the scene. Late one sultry afternoon I led my line of 20 carriers up the steep rocky trail into his hill-top village. I slept that night in the “house-kiap”—the shelter he had had made for the use of the Govern ment Patrol Officer on his annual visit— and left the next morning.

I didn’t meet him. I don't remember even seeing him. But how intently he must have watched me! How interested he was in all the reports his people brought him—what I was doing, what I was wearing, what I ate, what I said, how I walked along the narrow root-

strewn jungle paths, how I treated my “boys”, how many pipes I smoked, how many coconuts I drank. For I was only the third white man he had ever seen.

Was I as stupid as the others? Did I trip over that pandanas root by the third corner in the track on the way to the river, as the kiap had done, or was I more careful to watch where I was go ing? Did I smoke properly, like a man, or like a piccaninny, as the other ‘‘white master” he had seen had done?

Before I left, though, I had given him presents “Belong luluai’’, I had told the native to whom I gave the knife. It must have reached him. Perhaps the shining steel was the deciding factor that made him my friend.

But I went on again that morning without having met him, I knew he ex isted, of course, because each village has its luluai, and I wanted to leave a good impression, as I knew I should be coming back again later; and it’s just as well to have the chief on one’s side when food has to be bought, or guides or extra carriers obtained. Hence the sixpenny knife.

IT was two months before I was back in Pir. Late in the afternoon I was hav ing a quiet read and rest, after the long day’s walk. My boys, too, were sleep ing in the “house boy”, some distance

The Luluai of Pir, with part of his family, ready for a Sing-Sing.

away. The village was almost deserted, as the natives had not yet returned from their gardens.

Then, gradually, I became aware of a dark, silent figure squatting on the edge of the verandah, at the top of the wooden ladder leading up from the ground. He was watching me, interestedly; following every movement with piercing black eyes, as I turned the pages, sipped the mug of water at my side, filled my pipe.

About 40 years old, I should say—well past the prime of a native’s life —but still robust and healthy, apparently: skin of chest and limbs sleek and shining, well oiled; wearing besides his many orna ments, only the short work-day “mal” of beaten bark-cloth hung from the waist; he might have been any native from any village within a dozen miles.

And yet, no. There was that nhnnt his bearing, his straight back Ld square shoulders, his grim mouth and shrewd tearless eyes, deep-set for a native— something that proclaimed him a person ln authority.

I had realised this even before I noticed the definite proof at his side There, bright red band somewhat frayed' and blue crown fading lav the official chief’s cap, presented to Y him by tl^ Government in recognition of his status.

Above the peak was a brass number—re corded * n Government archives in Rabaul, hundreds of miles away, with his name an( * the name of his village, He was a “number-man”—the first number-man in his village. Recently on his last trip, the Patrol Officer had given two more “hats”—two more “numbers” -but they weren’t as important as his

His subordinate, the Government-ap pointed interpreter and second-in-com mand, had two narrow red bands in stead of his single broad one. And the “doctor-boy”, who had just come back from six months in the town, learning the white man’s magic with “kinine” and “idine”, -had a bright red cross on a white band. But he knew theirs were quite inferior numbers compared with his. And despite his confirmed contempt for the “Goverman”, and white ways in general, he had a sneaking pride in his position, and the honour accorded him by the white man. 11THEN he saw me looking at him, he TT reached for the cap and slowly and solemnly put it on his head, back to front at first, then, noticing something amiss, the right way round. Folding his arms, he waited. Evidently my turn next, I thought.

“Me savvy finish long you”, I said. “You luluai.”

He nodded gravely, the cap nearly fall ing off. “Luluai”, he repeated.

“You like-im what-name something?”

I asked.

No reply. As I had suspected, he had never learned Pidgin. That was all right for the youngsters who wanted to go and work for the white man, and bring back shining silver “marks” for the “takis”.

But why should he bother his head over the language of the white skin? Besides, his “tul-tul”, with the two red bands on his cap—hadn’t he just been appointed partly on account of his command of Pidgin? Let him make all the necessary dealings with the white skins. After all, he (the luluai) always gave the orders— and that was the main thing.

As I waited for his reply he pointed to his upper left arm. Thrust in an armlet of plaited fibre, near the shoulder, was the knife I had given him two months ago. I smiled; and he, too, unbending a little showed two rows of red, betel-nut stained teeth.

Life was stirring again in the village below. He rose, picked up his cap and fire-stick (inseparable companion of all adult natives), and descended the ladder.

I took out a cigarette and tossed it to him as he turned at the foot.

“Belong luluai”, I said.

“Luluai”, he repeated proudly, stopping to light it on the smouldering stick in his hand, took a few appreciative puffs, and walked slowly away.

That was all I saw of him on that visit. But T left another present before I departed next morning—this time a nine penny trade pipe and a twist of dark tobacco.

MY third and last visit was nearly six months later. I stayed three days, working in the neighbourhood.

The chief and I saw a good deal of each other. I taught him the word “friend”, which, on being explained to him by an interpreter, became very popular with him. He used to follow me round most of the day, counting it, I be lieve, a great privilege to be allowed to carry my geological hammer and bag of specimens.

My work, though, must have been a great mystery to him; indeed, to all his people—although it was explained that I was looking for the white water-like fluid that burnt with a yellow flame in my kerosene lamp. Petroleum, of course, would mean nothing to him.

The last night he arranged a dance and feast—a “sing sing”—in my honour, and

out of politeness I had to stay up until the small hours of the morning, watching their monotonous movements round and round the village totem pole.

Then, last of all, as I was leaving the next morning, the chief, with his two subordinate number-men, and the elders of the village, way-laid me. The tul-tul explained that the luluai wished to make me one of his official friends, and initiate me into his inner circle —a very select group, I was given to understand. I was about to receive a high honour, unique among white men, he said.

How was it done, I inquired.

The doctor-boy then produced two of the long leaves of a reed-like plant known in Pidgin as “tangget”.

“Two feller fasim tangget long ’and”, he explained. “Behind two feller talk talk alia same: You friend belong me be long all time Me no can cross long you.

Me no can gammon more long you”.

Which, I discovered before long, meant that we each tied the tangget leaf round the other’s wrist, forming a special knot and, clasping hands, repeated (I in Pidgin, he in his own tongue): “You are my friend for ever. I will never quarrel with you. I will never again tell you a lie or treat you unfairly,”

Then, in deference to English custom, we shook hands.

Finally, came an exchange of presents.

I gave him a box of matches, and he— it must have been a real sacrifice, too — took the finely-carved shell ornament from the septum of his nose and gravely handed it to me.

I turned to go, down the steep side of the ridge.

‘‘Woa. pren!” he said.

“Friend”, I answered.

And as I turned at the corner in the track, before disappearing with my line 9 f carriers into the darkness of the jungle, I saw him raise an arm and wave his red-banded cap.

“Woa, pren!” he shouted.

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Nov. 10.

ANEW vessel is under construction at the Government Boatsheds, at Walu Bay, to replace the old Government ves sel, “Derek”, which had been engaged in duties in the Group for many years, un til she was eventually lost on the island of Komo.

The new vessel, which should be launched early in December, and com missioned in February, will take up the work of visiting lighthouses, and repair ing buoys and beacons, besides transport ing Government cargo to various parts of the Group—including regular visits to the leper station at Makogai.

She will be 93 ft. long, beam 23 ft., depth 10 ft., with a draught of 8 ft. 6 in.

She will be powered by twin Gardner en gines, giving her a speed of 94 knots.

Mr. J, E. Palmer, who has been in Papua for 18 months as geophysicist with Island Explorations Ltd., seeking oil, spent a short holiday in Victoria at the end of November. He sailed from Syd ney for the United States early in December.

Colonies

A PLAN for the administration of Col onies under international supervis ion was suggested at the Liberal Summer School at Cambridge, England, recently, by Mr. Ramsay Muir, when he spoke on the Colonial question.

Mr. Muir urged that the possessors of Colonies should resign their absolute sov ereignty over those Colonies to some in ternational authority, and he suggested conditions on which they should do so.

One condition should be an absolute open trade access for the traders of all nations to all Colonies under such ad ministration. The second condition would be that there must be full and adequate safeguards for the rights of the native population, with definite obligation to train them gradually to take a larger and larger share in the management of their own affairs and train them for ultimate self-government.

Mr. Muir put the question as to which authority should have the control of the Colonies under his plan. He preferred the League of Nations system of control because it enabled every people in the world to feel they had a chance of mak ing their voices heard. The scheme was a far bigger scheme than one to placate Germany.

Mrs, R. Moffatt, well-known resident of Eastern Papua, returned to the Territory by the last “Macdljui” after three months’ holiday in Australia. Her husband owns the ketch “Gitana II”.

How a Missionary Solved a Problem

(By a Missionary)

THOUGH I had recognised that Britain could take no other course, it was with a deep sense of shame and repug nance that I faced the task of announcing to the natives of Paama (New Heb rides) that the British Commonwealth of nations was at war.

After proclaiming for 40 years, to peo ple whom the world calls savages, that vendetta warfare was a beastly method of settling disputes, and should be replaced by the new and better way of concord and negotiation, I felt it a great humili ation to have to confess that my own country was at war. I wondered what the reaction of the Christian natives would be; and, remembering their ante cedents, I made sure it would be one of disapprobation.

To make the announcement. I obtain ed from the school-house a blackboard and, writing oh one side, “Germany at war with Poland”, I showed it to a big crowd of natives who had assembled at the morning dispensary of Benjamin, the native medical practitioner.

Every one knew about Germany, but Poland was a new name.

When I explained that Poland was a small and weaker nation about to be over run by a powerful and well-armed neigh bour, they expressed their horror and indignation. Benjamin voiced the pre vailing feeling by enquiring, “Will no one go to the help of Poland?”

Now I turned the blackboard to the other side, whereon was written; “France and Britain are helping Poland”.

Sparkling eyes and smiling faces greet ed the announcement, and instantly there was a spontaneous murmur of ap proval and applause.

Instead of suffering humiliation at the action of Britain in declaring war, the native verdict thrilled me with a feeling of pride. These native Christians, the descendants of cannibals, thought it a great thing that the people of Britain and France should fight and die in de fence of justice and fair play. I felt like proposing “Three cheers for the Condo minium”.

From Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, Nov. 10.

PEARSON AND ALLEN, the authors of the famed Washington “Merry-Go- Round” daily newspaper column in the United States, have re-awakened what has been reported in the “P.1.M.” before —that the U.S.A. is considering the occu pation of Christmas Island, a strategic island now occupied by Britain, near Fanning Island, in the Central Pacific.

Like Canton and other such islands, Christmas would make a fine modern navy base.

Some American observers abhor the idea of Britain and America sharing is lands. like Canton and Enderbury—es pecially now that Britain is a belligerent nation, so far as America is concerned.

This joint-occupation-and-use business raises interesting angles in connection with Washington’s current mood for neu trality.

Japanese Claim a Win on Old "Makambo"

The following news despatch from Japan was published in the Austra lian newspapers on November 15;— The Okada Salvage Company sailed the former British steamer “Makambo” (1,159 tons), into Osaka yesterday after having dragged her off a reef in the New Heb rides, where she was grounded on Sep tember 20, 1935. ( The vessel was sailed under her own power for 3.600 miles.

The salvage has turned an investment of 15,000 yen (£A1,125) into 700,000 yen (£A52,500).

The “Makambo”, built on the Clyde in 1907, was formerly owned by Burns Philp (South Sea) and was employed for many years in the Islands trade. She sprang a leak at Vila, New Hebrides, four years ago, and was run ashore, afterwards be ing abandoned.

The “Airspeed Air Circulator” is the modern equivalent of the old-style electric fan. It is claimed that one of these units can ventilate any size of room. They are available in a wide range of colours and sizes, and may be used anywhere where there is electric power. Noyes Bros., Ltd.. 115 Clarence Street, Sydney, are distributors.**

Education

Commendable Effort to Combine New and Old

By E.M.F.

rpHAT the scheme of education for the -■- Fijians, provided by the educational authorities in Fiji, is meeting with the success it deserves was apparent in one instance recently, when a visit to an obscure school, on one of the largest of the Fijian Islands, was made.

Various primary schools, formerly wholly under the control of mission teachers, who were also the village pas tors, are now supplied with properly trained and certified teachers. The Fijian people are gradually being taught to adapt themselves to their changed con ditions, thereby enabling them to absorb, without detriment to themselves, the new order that has come to them.

It was drill-time. It also was seen to be war time, as one hundred school children of both sexes raised their voices and sang the 1914-18 song, “What’s the Use of Worrying! Smile, Smile, Smile”, in English, as they marched in perfect time across the sun-drenched village green. One hundred pairs of chocolate tinted legs, supple and tireless, clicked without fault to the word of command.

One hundred dark-cropped heads moved not an inch, whilst fathers, mothers, sis ters, brothers, out from the cool shade of their “bures”, twitted the youngsters critically.

DISCIPLINE was excellent. Every succeeding drill testified to it. Later,

during lesson-time, it was convincing. The classes moved as one at the teacher’s prompting. In fact, orders were carried out as if no visitor existed within their own restricted sphere, in spite of an intriguing camera very much in evidence. And although one knew that each little palpitating scholar was keenly aware of it, they

showed but slight sign of that awareness. To a picaninny, they loyally and intelligently gave of their best, which spoke volumes for their quiet voiced instructor, surely the star student of his training school, who it was noticed worked single-handed.

INTENSELY interested in the teaching methods used, one learned much about the Governmental system of edu cating promising native lads to the status of teachers, and of the excellent curri culum of studies arranged to fit in nat urally with the habits and customs of their own race. It seemed of paramount importance that the younger generation should be encouraged to retain the charming manners of their forefathers, and to carry out the age-old ceremonies correctly, whilst acquiring the more mod ern knowledge demanded by the march towards European conditions. To this

advanced scholars are encouraged to be come familiar with the written word, also. If a child shows unusual aptitude in this respect, he is singled out for promotion to one of the two provincial schools, where is given industrial and agricultural instruction, as his abilities demand.

On completion of these studies, stud ents are either taken into the Colony’s administrative system, or are absorbed by business firms, in consequence of their knowledge of English and the go-between Fijian language.

ONE of the chief aims of this second ary education is that budding agri culturists, in particular, should pioneer the system they have been taught, among the inhabitants of their home villages, thereby completing the neces sary cycle for agriculture and social ad

A Fijian native village school, in the nsual picturesque surroundings. The boys are equipped with school uniforms.

vancement. In this instance, inspection of the school garden was enlightening.

Here, in neat, well-drained plots, were European vegetables growing, while above and beyond, straggling up the hill-sides, were the less intensively cultured na tive foods in abundance. It would seem that our qualified informant had been assistant agricultural officer, at his training school, to some purpose.

Apart from work, sports and games are indulged in. One became rather reminiscent on seeing “twos and threes” being played in such an alien setting.

But the manlier game of football has great appeal for the boys, each fleet footed aspirant hoping, no doubt, to emulate the prowess of members of that victorious Fijian team which recently competed with their Maori cousins in New Zealand. And Maoris are among the world’s best footballers.

School uniform has been provided and, like any other competitive scheme con ducted amongst the Fijians, has met with great appreciation. For the small sum of 5/-, little Israeli or Jakope is solemnly clothed in khaki skirt and pants, the wherewithal having been ob tained from the sale of the prolific coco-

nut, lest shame be upon the paternal head. As girls must now also be edu cated, there is the rather tiresome busi ness of white-collared pinafores for them. But nothing is taken too seri ously by these laughing happy people, except perhaps their native rites and ceremonies—which is as it should be, if they are to remain an individual race.

The dramatic struggle, so creditably car ried out by the early missionaries, and of later years continued in co-operation with the Fijian Government, has already, it will be seen, resulted in a great work being done. Western civilisation may have brought its vices to these simple people, but it also has brought its vir tues and benefits. They are becoming aware of the opportunities at their dis posal to help maintain their identity in the new world, and it is the task of the Government and others in power to help them to save themselves and their ancient domains.

In urging upon native children in Fiji the value of their being members of the British Empire, it might be well to quote

to them the wise counsel of one of their dignified and ageing chiefs, who said: “Education does not consist of copying European manners in the wrong way, or of impudently imitating European cus toms. Native customs and manners are appreciated and respected by the white chiefs and the white people, and if these are observed, and the good, clean habits of the educated Fijian are cultivated, there can be no doubt but that the Fijians will continue to be considered and loved by everyone”.

Rev. Roy McLelland recently relinquish ed the work of superintendent of Ma poon Presbyterian Mission and. accom panied by his wife and two children, re turned to Victoria, where he has taken up parish work again. Mr. McLelland is well known to missionaries in the New Hebrides field.

Miss Myrtle Irene Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Curtin Johnson, of Blakeney, Norfolk, England, was mar ried in Port Moresby on November 11 to Mr, Kenneth Norman Rimington, of Kew, Victoria. The bride was given away by Mr. G. Whittle, and attended by Mrs.

Stach as matron of honour. Mr. A. G.

Creswell was best man. Guests were en tertained afterwards by Mr. and Mrs.

Howard.

Mr. J. B. Macfarlane, founder of the trading firm of J. B. Macfarlane Ltd., Auckland, N.Z., who had many friends in Fiji as a result of his business con nections with the Colony, died in Auck land on November 6, aged 80. He re cently underwent an operation on his eyes, and his health declined rapidly.

One of Mr. Macfarlane’s daughters is the wife of Mr. C. Nott, chief clerk in the Colonial Secretary’s Department, Suva.

A class at work inside the village church. The children use their mats, upon the floor, as their desks, after the native fashion.

Shoot

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Nov. 2.

THE Governor (Sir Harry Luke, K.C.M.G.). who is patron of the Fiji Small-Bore Rifle Association, has express ed pleasure at the performances of mem bers, who this year put up a score of 1.574, out of a possible 1,600. in the an nual shooting competition between the

various Colonies of the British Empire.

Last year, Bermuda won the Challenge Cup, with a score of 1,570, so there would appear to be good grounds for hoping that this year Fiji, with a score of 1,574, will be highly placed when the final re sults are announced.

Pastor L. Wilkinson, formerly superin tendent for the Seventh Day Adventist Mission in Fiji, has taken up a position as teacher at the S.D.A. Mission Col lege, Newcastle, N.S.W.

And Motor Cars

Old Habits Pass in Tahiti

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, Nov. 3.

FROM the time of Taaroa—Father of gods and men, and from whom many of the high chiefs of the islands claim descent—the Polynesians • have trod the earth unshod.

Formed in the image of the gods of Olympus the men, proud of the perfec tion of their bodies, walked like patri cians. The women carried themselves with grace and dignity. And so they con tinued until high-heeled shoes and motor cars came into fashion.

There were, indeed, shoes, when we came to the islands many years ago; but only for wear at church on the Sabbath.

These shoes were fitted with low heels, were of ample proportions and were not designed as instruments of torture.

In any case they were worn only while going to church and during the period of the service. On emerging from the meeting house the men were accustomed to take off their shoes at the church steps, tie them together by their laces and walk home after the manner of their ancestors. The women usually wait ed until they came to the bridge at the Pa—where there is a low parapet—be fore divesting themselves of their foot wear and continuing thence, with great sighs of relief, to their several abodes.

Presently, came a change. We began to remark on the faces of our women folk an expression of agonised tension, of desperate endurance. The smooth graceful gait had given place to a hobble.

The long, flowing draperies of women’s apparel, of those days, concealed from our eyes the cause of this transforma tion.

Imagining all manner of reasons we inquired of a young woman who, when we met her on a highway of Papeete, seemed to have descended to the very nadir of despair and desolation; “What in the world has happened?”

She replied: “My feet hurt”, and, lift ing the hem of her garment, she revealed a pair of high-heeled, narrow, pointed Paris shoes.

That was the beginning of the end.

Fashion had come in, and with her advent departed forever the age-long grace of our Polynesian women.

Then came the internal combustion en gine and the motor car.

Men. whose ancestors since time be gan had battled the sea with sail and paddle, now sit supinely amid the thun ders of exploding petrol, as their craft skims over the waters. Persons who once walked kilometres every day with ease and enjoyment now anchor themselves in motor cars, stagger unwillingly from their vehicles to the interior of shops, and lean languidly on counters while they choose their wares.

Many people of the districts of Tahiti pass, apparently, their waking hours aboard motor trucks which shuttle back and forth daily between Papeete and the most remote settlements.

Packed tightly on benches, their feet resting on a carpet of trussed pigs and curtained from the fervid rays of the tropic sun by fringes of strung fish hung along the sides of the canopy, they are wafted to Papeete in the morning and returned again to their districts in the afternoon.

Reliable witnesses affirm that no Poly nesian of this day and generation, who possesses the means to travel by car or truck, will walk one hundred yards dur ing the period of a month.

Perhaps that inexorable law of Nature, which atrophies those members of a liv ing body long neglected by disuse, will one day exact its penalties from man kind—of this and Other countries—by reducing the nether limbs to flapping ap pendages of cartilaginous tissue.

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Nov. 10.

THE Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd. has completed its crushing, for the 1940 season, at its Nausori Mill, at Rewa, and it is expected that other mills will finish their work about the end of No vember.

There has not been as great a tonnage of cane as in previous years, but in some areas the yield of sugar per ton has been greater than the average, so that the growers should receive a sub stantial bonus over the arranged price.

Nadi district reports that the pine apple crop is in a very flourishing con dition.

The prizes in the Samarai Library sweep on the Melbourne Cup were won as follows .—First. £62/10/-, Mrs. L. Skelly and W. Johnston: second, £25, V. C.

Eglestaff; third, £l2 10/-, Gail Ranie.

The Library Institute also had a “Cal cutta Sweep’’ on the Cup, with the fol lowing result: First, £66/13/-, A. Ramsden; second, £33/6/-, C. Skelly: third, £ll/2/-, A. Ramsden.

A Problem in Eastern Papua

Letter to the Editor IT seems high time that the voice of the Papuan European miner in Misima is given an attentive ear by of ficialdom.

Bwagaoia is the port of Misima Is land, and is situated five miles from the nearest mine—Cuthbert’s Misima Gold Mines Limited. . This mine has been producing for the past 20 years and from all indications, is likely to continue doing so.

There are about 14 Europeans living in Bwagaoia, which has been proclaimed a township. There are about 47 Europeans at Umuna (C.M.G.M.) which has not been proclaimed a township. If Umuna closes down, Bwagaoia automatically loses at least half of its inhabitants.

Why, then, is Bwagaoia a township and Umuna not?

The proclaiming of a place as a town ship doesn’t enhance its value; but ap parently it makes a big difference in re gard to law.

In Bwagaoia, every native has to be in his own dwelling by 9 p.m. In Umuna, he has not.

In Bwagaoia, if the rest of the inhab itants are disturbed by dances and drums, after 9 p.m., they can complain to the Government and have it stopped. In Umuna, the natives can belt drums and kick up a row all night and nothing legal ly can be done.

The natives, needless to say. take full advantage of this, at times annoying the white population to madness. A native

drum to a tired man endeavouring to sleep is an incentive to murder.

If, in Bwagaoia, a native is insolent in any way, or is heard swearing, he may be summoned for it. If it is done at Umuna, there is no redress.

Is it any wonder that there are fre quent cases of white men boxing a na tive’s ears and being charged with as sault in the Court? They are 99 per cent, cases in which the native has just received a slap in the face with the open hand, but the white man is always con victed and fined.

A native “bush lawyer” can use all power to provoke a white man, while keeping within the law himself, until the white man loses his temper and smacks him. Then the native can go and complain to the Government and the white man will be charged with assault and convicted.

There was one case on October 19, where a native actually wrote a challenge to his white boss. When the white man. humiliated before numerous natives,- went and hit the boy responsible, the latter immediately reported the matter to the Government and the white man was con victed and fined for assault. The native had apparently been trained to write by missionaries, and his own bush lawyers had schooled him in the art of provoking a white man.

The Government say that if they al low a white man to lay a finger on a boy, it will lead to brutality. Do they consider’ themselves the only ones who have been civilised to the extent of dis liking brutality? Do they think that re sidents of Papua would stand by and see natives brutally treated? Have the na tives who have besmirched decent citi zens’ names with convictions for assault

been marked in any way resembling brutality?

Papuan citizens, as a whole, set a wonderful example to the native and mostly take a whole-hearted interest in the welfare of the native and the coun try. They are also blessed with a cer tain amount of pride of race. Why, then, should a white man be convicted for smacking an insolent native’s face?

There is such a thing as dumb insol ence. This is not an offence according to Papuan law, although every man in the country, including officials, knows it can be more aggravating than anything else. In army law, it is an offence.

We have long passed the days of slav ery. The native receives respect from us, and we expect respect from him. How ever, when he signs a contract to work he is expected to do his whack. Instead, he has to be watched continuously or he will sleep on the job. That is all con sidered fair and square by the man work ing him. But when one native, who has probably given trouble in previous cases, outdoes his comrades by insulting the overseer, by dumb insolence, nothing can be done. It is the fact that he knows

he has the Government on his side that encourages him to be troublesome.

If one white man insults another, and both are of the good old British type, there is a fight. In most cases, the com batants finish up good friends. If the Government did the same with a native when he had provoked a white man to the extent of hitting him the result would generally be the same. Then why don’t they?

I am, etc., • W.

Misima, Papua, 31/10/1939.

Mrs. Nancy Mack, wife of Mr. D. Mack, of Fiji, died in the Colonial War Mem orial Hospital, Suva, on November 10, after an operation. Born in Dunedin.

N.Z., she qualified for the degree of Bachelor of Arts and went to Fiji in 1928 as an assistant mistress at the Suva Girls’ Grammar School. She resigned two years later to be married; but since had filled several vacancies as relieving mistress. Last June, she was appointed by the Fiji Government to be supervisor of the correspondence classes.

In Fiji?

Scientists State that There is No Anopheles Mosquito

MORE than once, the “P.l.Mhas commented upon the curious fact that there is no malaria in Fiji, or east wards in Polynesia, although there are Anopheles mosquitoes in Fiji, and active malaria next door, in the New Hebrides.

The statement that the Anopheles was present in Fiji and Samoa was made in the “P.1.M.” some years ago, by a cor respondent who apparently spoke with authority. It appears that he was in error.

Writing in the October number of the Fiji “Agricultural Journal”, the Fiji entomologist, Mr. J. A. W. Lever, says positively that the Anopheles does not exist in Fiji, nor in Polynesia generally.

He goes on to say that, so far as Fiji is concerned, R. W. Paine (“Introduc tion to the Mosquitoes of Fiji”, 1935) studied all the fourteen local forms very thoroughly, collected them throughout the Group but does not so much as mention the malarial mosquito in his detailed paper. F. H. Taylor (writing on the subject in 1934 and 1938) similarly does not even refer once to Fiji as a locality for Anopheles.

The claim for Samoa was even more difficult to maintain as P. A. Buxton (“Researches in Polynesia and Me lanesia”) stated as long ago as 1927 that “south and east of the New Hebrides, Anopheles is absent and no malaria oc curs in the Loyalty Group, New Cale donia, Fiji or any part of Polynesia.

One may summarise the matter by say ing that Anopheles punctulatus and ma laria occur eastwards of 170 deg. E. and southwards to 20 deg. S. . . . Outside this area, malaria is found nowhere except in Aneityum (New Hebrides) which is only a fraction of a degree south of 20 deg. S.”

Finally, Buxton’s Samoan collections, made in 1914-5, comprised only half a dozen different species of Aedes and Culex which were described by F. W. Ed wards (“Insects of Samoa”, 1928), who shows that as one proceeds eastwards from New Guinea, the fauna diminishes and “in Fiji Anopheles drops out”, “It would therefore be strange to have it cropping up further east, in Sa moa, when not present in Fiji to the west”, says Mr. Lever.

Miss R. Davis, of the Audit Depart ment, Fiji, is at present on long leave.

From all over their world-wide Empire, Britain and France are calling men to their colours, to be ready for the ultimate struggle with Germany, should that be necessary.

Photographs show men leaving New Hebrides for Noumea, to join the Army of France. Top: Recruits marching through Port Vila, lead by members of the French Ex-Soldiers* Association.

Lower: Some of the recruits on the tender, going out to the steamer.

How Jungle Music Has

WHILE Tematahi lived, Tahiti was a land of good music.

A song was on every lip. The woman beating clothes at the river bank sang some ancient love song as she worked; men loading schooners at the quay timed their labours to a chanty of the Islands; a company passing along the highway by day or by night announced their coming from afar by the harmony of their mass ed voices.

Schooners arriving from Moorea or Ra’iatea or the Tuamotu atolls always came through the pass with their passen gers and crew singing the polyphonic music of their islands, and the sound of their voices over the water was good to hear.

Our music was not alone the ute and himene of Polynesia. Music of quality by European composers was known and ap preciated. For many years we had an orchestra under the leadership of a tal ented officer of the Government to which it was a delight to listen. But the band trained and led by Tematahi was the dis tinctive and most widely esteemed or ganisation in French Oceania.

Tematahi was a commanding person ality. He had been educated in France and was a cultured gentleman of that age when good manners were the hall mark of gentility. His taste in music was discriminating and with it he was endowed with the “Sacred Fire”, and that quality which could pass the radi ance of the flame within him to each of the players under his direction.

Like a gala night in some plaza of Old Spain, the square of Papeete ap

peared when Tematahi’s band gave a concert. All who could walk were there in the dense crowd about the square and many came from distant districts to listen and applaud.

Bands from visiting warships had to look to their laurels; for few could equal and none surpass the excellence of per formance by the band under the baton of Tematahi.

The first trumpet of doom was sound ed through the flaring horn of the fiVst gramophone imported into the island.

Degeneration was, however, slow while Tematahi was able to direct and influence musical taste.

But, with his passing, came lethargy and there was no one to take his place.

The descent of the avernus of jazz was rapid. Good European music was

consigned to the mausoleum, to rest be side the pallid form of old Tahitian himene; and the cacophonies of the Ash anti jungle—and of that other jungle named Harlem, in the City of New York —have ever since reigned in their stead.

A.C.R.

The Sydney police did not proceed with the charge of murder made against Wil liam Baddeley, aged 67, and formerly well known in Fiji and the Solomons as a hospital superintendent. A woman died as a result of what apparently was an illegal operation and evidence had indi cated that Baddeley had been consulted in connection with the case. A man de scribed as a material witness could not be located by the police, who later an nounced that they had no evidence to offer against Baddeley.

Sir Brooke Francis, who was at one time Attorney-General in Fiji, arrived in Sydney from England at the end of November. He recently retired after 35 years in the Colonial Service.

Mr. William M. Sutherland, of Suva, collapsed in the street in November and died. He was 71 years of age. Mr. Suth erland, who went to Fiji from New Zea land about 25 years ago, had been living in retirement. Two of his four daughters reside in Suva —Mrs. Inez Bartley and Miss Cynthia Sutherland.

Mr. W. T. Candler, well known Islands travelling representative for a number of Australian commercial firms, returned to Sydney by the “Monterey” at the end of November, after a business visit to Fiji.

Condition

Are People Being Properly Trained for Peasant-Farmer Life?

By A Resident Of Tonga

YOUR issue of August is a remarkable one. I have been a regular reader of the “Pacific Islands Monthly” since it was a small news-sheet—quite a few years ago now.

To the many references to, and articles on, Tonga and its affairs during that period I have naturally given particular attention, and what may have appeared to the casual reader as severe criticism of the Administration, and those con

nected with it, is amply justified by the case of the high Government officer, re ported in the pages of the August issue.

The policy of the Tongan Government has been an extraordinary one-as it well might have been in view of the disclo sures now made, and perhaps more to come. How can the well-being, and the guidance of a native people, through what must be, at best, a difficult period of transition, be anything but a tragi-comedy when the destiny of those people is in the hands of such a type as that referred to?

The financial policy is alone sufficient to condemn them. In 1919, the f.o.b. value of the Kingdom’s exports totalled £443,- 195, and the value has declined by a zig-zag but downward course to £96,803, in 1938. The expenditure by the Gov ernment, at £55,533 in 1919, has increased by a zig-zag but pronounced upward course to £63,921 in 1938-39, and £65,910 for the current year.

Taking the average copra output at 12,000 tons, the value received by the producer (i.e., the ultimate taxpayer) during 1938 was about £50,000, and dur ing 1939 the average price will work out to something round £48,000, if the stabil ised price holds until the end of the year.

Bananas, say, £3,500 for each year. The Government, therefore, imposes taxation higher than the total value of the people’s income. It not only wants the lot, but more besides!

Is any further comment needed? Un fortunately, yes! The quantity of copra exported has been allowed to decline through lack of any administrative effort to induce the native to cultivate his al lotment and to improve its productive capacity. The only guidance in the Ad ministration is that which leads their steps towards the pay-office at the end of the month. As to any example shown to the natives, your pages are eloquent enough.

THE drift from the land, to a sort of lackadaisical and purposeless exist ence, which is the trend of the younger generation of Tongans can only prove dis astrous unless immediately checked.

The unsuitable secondary education given to these young Tongans, both male and female, the surprising lack of dis cipline both in the schools and in then homes, is bringing about a rapid deterior ation in the moral fibre of the race. The missions are largely responsible for this, but the Government must shoulder the blame for their acquiescence in a disas trous policy, and for their own inertia.

Where the Wesleyan Mission ends and the Government begins is a line of de marcation so fine as to be indistinguish able, and the mutual support given by the one to the other is nowhere so suc cessful as in their campaigns to deprive the native of his last cent. But, in the vital matter of fitting these young people for the life which their natural environ ment provides, and for which solely they are capable (with one or two exceptions) both the Government and its mission appendage (or, perhaps, it should be, the Wesleyan Mission and its Government appendage) have lamentably failed.

They are producing far too large a per centage of undesirable characters of no

use to any community—some are crim inals, some just offensive larrikins, others simply loud and flash, others so swelled-headed as to be merely silly, others again just stupid, most of them lazy—but all of them carrying evidence suggesting that the march of “civilisa tion” is too much for them. They are neither Tongan nor European, and the best thing that could happen, for their peace and happiness, would be a return to that mode of life to which Nature had fitted them before any mission dis turbed them, or a Government exploited them.

Materially, they have made no progress in the last 20 years. With all the wealth they have produced in two decades, they live in the main in the same sloth and squalor that they did before. Where has the money gone? The Government of Tonga, and all the missions combined, have done nothing to improve the real life of the Tongan people.

Your editorial remarks on page 4 of August issue, about the Japanese, are trenchant and admirable. Asiatics are not a good influence on primitive peoples; they certainly are bad competitors in trade.

Here again, the Tongan Government must take its share of the blame. But if current belief here is correct, the ad mission of Japanese was the work, or lack of work —certainly lack of guts— of the then British Agent and Consul who, after permanently and irreparably injuring his countrymen, enjoys at this moment the handsome pension which they provide! A typical example of John Bull, the friend of everybody’s children but his own!

How far British capitalism has helped the Asiatics in Tonga to attain their present strong position, and how far such support of foreign interests and manufac tures. direct and indirect, is detrimental to the true interests of British democ racy, are questions which the British Government might well consider.

for developing a rich and beautiful country. It is a practical and eminently readable book, worth attention—which it will not receive from Australia’s swarm of politicians.

The Fighting Soldier, By Major

W. A. S. Dunlop, lately of the Australian Staff Corps, is a timely little volume, Published by Angus and Robertson Ltd., Sydney, at 2/-. Here are set forth, clearly and simply, all the information sought by the young soldier—and especially the young officer—newly transplanted from civilian to military life. The book con tains a great mass of data, handily ar ranged—but an index would have made it handier, Mr. and Mrs. W. Wyatt, of Port Moresby, Papua, received many congratu lations on November 13, on the birth of a daughter.

Miss L. M. Lovell-Smith, who arrived in Fiji in September, recently was ap pointed Staff Sister in the X-ray Department of the Fiji Nursing Service.

Dr. R. W. Schuch, who resigned from the New Guinea Administration several months ago owing to ill-health, died re cently in a N.S.W. hospital.

Mr. S. Kensett, of the Posts and Tele graph Department in New Guinea, re turned to Rabaul in November after spending leave in Australia.

Mr. R. M. J. Cameron was recently appointed clerk of the New Guinea Legislative Council, replacing Mr. G. E.

Walker.

Miss M. Tracey arrived in New Guinea recently from Sydney to join the ac counts department of W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd., Rabaul.

The Spur Of The Moment.—An

other series of delightful essays by Aus tralia’s most gifted, humorous and charming writer. Professor Walter Mur doch. (Angus and Robertson Ltd., Syd ney, 6/-). There are few masters of English prose in the world who possess this man’s gift of challenging one’s com monsense, and making one think. He starts to write about a can-opener, for example: in a few moments, he is asking you to recognise the epoch-shaking fact that mankind has become the slave of its gadgets—that we are being destroy ed by the machines and the systems we invented to make life worth while. Or he writes an imaginative paragraph about “the beasts in the basement”—and, in two or three pages, we are shown how the causes of present international hor rors may be found in the curious re pressions of the human mind. Every interested observer of human affairs, who wants the viewpoint of a true philoso pher on every-day things which repel or disgust us, will read this book with pleasure,

Shall White Australia Fail?

by Walter S. Bromhead. (Angus and Robertson Ltd., Sydney, 6/-). Mr.

Bromhead has had pioneer experience in Australia and New Zealand; has tra velled widely and thought deeply; and in this book he elaborates a plan for Introducing population to Australia, and

Closed Area

rERE has been a steady decline in the population of Ontong Java, an atoll group in the British Solomon Is lands, in recent years, and medical sur veys have clearly shown that the decline is directly due to epidemics introduced by visiting vessels.

Ontong Java is an isolated place, and the people have not been brought into contact with Europeans to a sufficient extent to give them immunity from or resistance to the diseases, especially chest troubles, usually introduced by visiting ships.

The High Commissioner for the West ern Pacific, in a proclamation dated Oc tober 6. has accordingly declared Ontong Java to be a closed district, and persons now may go there only if they under go strict medical examination and quar antine and receive a permit from the Administration. All ships proposing to visit the atoll will be medically inspect ed at Tulagi.

Ontong Java (otherwise known as Lord Howe's Group) has a peculiar interest,

because the people there are of Polynes ian origin—evidently an offshoot from the

east which somehow has become estab lished in Melanesia. It was written of them nearly 20 years ago: “The natives suffered severely in the pneumonic in fluenza epidemic, which swept through the atoll in 1919. Owing to generations of perfect health they had no anti-toxins in their blood, which would have helped them to combat the scourge”.

Mr. H. A. Markham conducted a trade store in the group for many years, but he sold out in the ’twenties, and there has been a succession of white traders there practically ever since.

It is evidently intended to maintain a closed area here for an indefinite time so that the population—now very small —may have a chance to rehabilitate it self and increase in numbers.

A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs.

Maxwell C. Mann, of Kopoko, New Britain, T.N.G., at Namanula Hospital on November 18.

Mrs. F. E. Williams, wife of the Papuan Government Anthropologist, arrived in Australia from Port Moresby in Novem ber to spend an extended holiday.

Right Rev. J. W. C. Wand, Archbishop of Brisbane, returned to Queensland in November, after opening and consecrating the new Anglican Cathedral at Dogura, North Eastern Division.

A group of typical men of Ontong Java.

Island!

Study o of Polynesian Economics

By “Anthropos”

WHEN I was working with him at Syd ney University in 1931, Raymond Firth, M.A., PhD., the boyish-featured young New Zealander, who was Acting Professor of Anthropology at the time, showed me a large steel trunk which oc cupied a corner of his study and said: “That’s my Tikopia stuff. Goodness knows when I'll get the time to write it up”.

The box was chock-full of field-notes gathered by Firth during his year’s so journ among the interesting Polynesian people of the lovely little island of Tiko pia, an outlier of the Solomons Protec torate. He had managed up to that time to do no more than publish, in such journals as “Oceania”, one or two articles on special aspects of Tikopian life, in cluding a description of the unique na tive dart-throwing competitions.

Next year saw Firth installed at Lon don University as assistant to Malinow ski in the Department of Social Anthrop ology, where, presumably, in spite of a very wide field of interests and the many calls upon his time for special lecture purposes, not to mention his marriage, and the secretarial duties of the Royal Anthropological Institute, with its exclu sive fellowship, he managed to sort out the contents of the iron box.

Two years ago saw the first of his proposed Tikopian trilogy launched, and well received, under the compelling title of “We, the Tikopia”. This large tome presented a picture of the Tikopian background and general culture on de tailed lines, such as have rarely been found in enthnographic studies of this type.

Firth’s early study interest was the field of economics. He had published a most detailed thesis, “Primitive Econo mics of the New Zealand Maori”, prior to his trip to Tikopia. This work broke new ground and caused a good deal of academic fluttering in its attitude to wards the conventional theories of pri mitive economic life.

It is not surprising, therefore, to find No. 2 of the Tikopia trilogy dealing with the economic side of the life of the peo ple. Published a few months ago under the title of “Primitive Polynesian Econ omy ”, the work, while embodying some material already published in various scientific periodicals, deals in great de tail with population and food, labour, technical processes and achievements, property, exchange values, and the social relationships involved in the economic organisation of the island: in short, the organisation of the life of a primitive homogenous people living on a small island remote from outside contacts and influences, from the economic viewpoint.

FIRTH himself early hits out at the old idea held by those whose conclusions were based on data apparently more imaginative than real: “The popular idyllic picture of the Golden Age primi tive man sitting beneath his tree and waiting for the fruit to fall before him is seen to find no place in a community where the struggle to wrest a livelihood from the environment is a very definite reality”.

In other words, as I think the average man who has observed primitive people closely in their everyday life would put

it, “Life’s not so simple for these folk as the romantic literature of travel makes out”.

Firth scotches, by implication, the idea that these primitive people are lazy. He scotches, too, the idea that they are com munists. They are, we know, communal ists, forming a unity of co-operating in dividuals, services and talents; but com munists in the sense of common owner ship and equality of property division they certainly are not.

In Tikopia, for instance, a chief draws income from his subjects in the form of food and material objects, they, receiving in return the right of his protection and

the advantages of attachment to his group.

There are recognised rates of exchange —lO locally-made, primitive but most ef fective, fish-hooks for one type of club, for instance. There is a regular system of labour division; there are expert tech niques in the making of nets, building of houses, and fashioning tools —from clam shells, in some cases. And all of these techniques must be acquired by diligent apprenticeship on an organised plan.

There are, however, no distinctive em ployer and employee classes. Each man makes his own contribution to the eco nomic welfare of the whole, getting and

giving, receiving and contributing. A man may be employer or boss (in his special field) to-day; and employee or worker under another boss to-morrow.

There is an element of equality about it all. And behind it all is the urge, the sheer life necessity, of keeping the whole thing going.

As Firth says: “There is no clash of interests between workers as a whole and employers as a whole”; and “there are no strikes of labour in Tikopia’’.

Can it be that, out of that iron box, with its valuable records of Tikopia, has come at last an outline of the ideal sys tem of living and working harmoniously and co-operating together for the com mon good, which surely all mankind to day is seeking?

There's only this difference —that Euro peans are not Tikopians. They’re more “civilised”!

Prom Our Own Correspondent WAU, Nov. 20.

THE surprisingly* small gold output of 22,267 ounces, valued at £A94,517, was declared for October. The reason is that shipping services have been irregular, and some large quantities of gold pro duced in October were not declared until November.

Mr. E. G. Theodore, managing direc tor of Emperor Gold Mining Co. Ltd., reached Melbourne from Fiji in Novem ber to attend the annual meeting of the company.

In Tahiti

And Their Sad, Ignominious End

CENTRAL Polynesia is a most unpromis ing field for persons with a superior ity complex.

Occasionally, a man or woman afflicted with this malady comes to the Islands.

Old residents who have passed years of delightful good fellowship with Polynes ians never argue the matter with these august arrivals. Experience has taught us that the malady is incurable.

Well-born Polynesians—whose ancest ral line of high chiefs, valiant warriors and heroic explorers was ancient at the time the visitor’s first ancestor (rescued from the oblivion of a parish register by the visitor’s family genealogist! was born —never trouble to pay this type of in dividual the compliment of serious notice.

A general impression merely percolates through the communty that the new comer is a taata-huru-e (a strange, extra ordinary person) and to Polynesian eyes the space he or she occupies becomes a vacuum.

This bears fruit if the visitor (as he or she usually does) rents a villa in the country.

The adventure generally starts pro pitiously—the owner of the villa having put everything in proper order as to sup plies, domestic service and so forth. The initial domestic service is available be cause there prevails a natural curiosity to ascertain the full measure of the visitor’s Huru-e-ness.» But the time soon comes when this curiosity has been fully appeased and

suddenly, mysteriously, the investigators evaporate, and more appear to take their places.

If there is anything more infuriating, more devastating, to a person of superior complex than to be in the position where neither gold nor silver nor the import ance of his person will attract service of any kind, it is reserved for the re searches of some future sadist to dis cover.

Once, long ago, we timidly suggested that conformity with the gracious equal ity of Polynesian life might provide a re lief from trouble; but were rewarded only by a contemptuous intimation that we had gone native. Consequently, we have since contented ourselves with listening to loud harangues, full of bitterness and venom, and watching nature take her appointed course.

The end is invariably the same. The indignant sojourner shakes the dust of the Islands from his feet and betakes himself and his superiority complex to a more congenial land.

Perhaps it is better so, for his (or her) health and happiness. —“Mahaena”.

Mr. lan Maclean, whose dental surgery was destroyed in the recent Carpenter fire at Rabaul. returned to New Guinea in November after a quick visit to Aus tralia to purchase new equipment and supplies. He intends to resume his prac tice in Purter's Building at Rabaul.

Rev. W. G. Thomas, vicar of St.

Nicholas’s, Mordialloc, Victoria, returned to Melbourne in November after a two months’ visit to Nauru and Ocean Is land in the interests of the Australian Board of Missions.

Jones!

Some Interesting 8.5.1. History

THE following is part of an interesting letter, sent to the “P.1.M,” by a Solomons Islands resident, who resents the implications in “Brother Jones Among the Headhunters’’, pub lished in October.

The interesting feature is that the writer is a full-blooded Solomons native. Many Poly nesians acquire this degree of education; but it is rarely met with among Melanesians.

IWAS surprised to read an article under the heading, “Brother Jones Among the Headhunters”, in the October issue, and to note the statement made by Brother Jones as revealed by Pastor Watson, with regard to his pioneer work in the Solomon Islands, and related by your correspondent, “M.”. I doubt whether Brother Jones really did any pioneer work at all in the Solomons.

"Pioneer” means one that goes before, to prepare the way for another.

As every schoolboy knows, the Solo mons had been long settled, by white traders, before any missionary ‘set his foot in this group. The island in which Brother Jones claimed to have done his pioneer work was apparently the island of New Georgia. At the south side of the island is the Roviana Lagoon, and to the south-east is Viru Harbour. There is a village of about 100 natives, and just at the entrance of the harbour is a trade store, long established by Euro peans.

This is the first village to have ac cepted the Seventh Day Adventist Mis sion in the Solomons. Even these na tives were not “savage headhunters” be fore the arrival of Brother Jones; but, of course, they lived according to the native religion. After that, the Seventh Day Mission moved to Telina Island, in the Marovo Lagoon, just opposite Lilihina Island, where the traders had established a store before any S.D.A.

Mission representative settled in that la goon.

Not only Lilihina Island was settled by white men, but several islands in the lagoon had been planted with coconut trees, for many years. There was also a Government Station established there in 1906, and the Methodist Mission had been there for several years before 1915 (the year claimed by Brother Jones for his pioneer work in the Solomons).

The Southern and Eastern Solomons had been “civilised” by the Church of England and other Mission bodies, so it was ridiculous to say that the Solomons had been “pioneered” by the Brother.

Brother Jones said that in 1915 he arrived in a small launch; “and then, dear friends, they found amongst that people savage headhunters, and didn’t dare sleep on the land for eight months”.

This statment is Brother Jones’s own imagination. There were no “savage headhunters” in 1915 on those islands.

It may be true that the white men who traded in these islands among the natives did very little to stop them from killing one another. It was the Gov ernment which really did the pioneer work in making the natives live in peace and order. In 1899 the first Resident Magistrate (as it was then styled, prior to the title of District Officer) was sta tioned at Gizo, and he (Mr. A. Mahaffy) did his best to make the natives live in peace, before the arrival of the Meth odist Mission in May, 1902, headed by the Rev. J. F. Goldie (still Chairman of the District Mission, after 37 years),

Mr. Rooney, and a band of Solomon Islands natives brought back from Fiji They first settled on an islet, Nusa Zona near Kokeqolo, in the Roviana Lagoon but were later moved over to the main land at Kokeqolo, the present headquart ers of the Mission. This Mission body has been well established there, and the natives in that part have been well edu cated and “civilised”. The people were living in peace and order, without a trace of “headhunters”, before 1915, the year Brother Jones claimed to have started his “pioneer” work. It may be that he is the ‘“pioneer” among his Mis sion, but he is not a “pioneer” among “headhunters” in the Solomons. I visited Roviana and Gizo, in 1913, when I was a small boy, and I saw men and women and children, all happy and well dress ed, as in other civilised countries, and they were far advanced in other mat ters.

Golden Deeps, N.L., incorporated in N.S.W. in May, 1934, and registered in New Guinea the following month, will be struck off the list of New Guinea mining companies in January, unless cause be shown to the contrary, accord ing to a recent official announcement in the New Guinea Government Gazette.

Polynesia

Australian Writer Reports Bad Conditions

AN appeal for improved health services in Tonga and Rarotonga was made by Mrs. E. Marie Irvine, Australian au thoress, when speaking of her recent visit to those islands, at the Pacific Islands Club in Sydney.

Mrs. Irvine said that when Queen Salote recently called for recruits in Tonga, no fewer than 75 per cent, of those offering were found to be suffering from tuberculosis. The disease was rife throughout the islands. “There might be some excuse in Tonga”, continued the speaker, “as that kingdom has only a small budget, but I contend that New Zealand has absolutely fallen down on her job in Rarotonga, where there is not even a sanatorium for the treatment of sufferers”.

While Mrs. Irvine paid a tribute to the excellent work of Dr. E. P. Ellison, medical superintendent at Rarotonga, she said that his efforts were handicapped there because of no sanatorium. “It is absolutely tragic”, she said. “New Zea land can find money for a road there, and for jobs for her own young men, but she cannot afford £5,000 for such an institution”. A campaign should be in stituted, she insisted, to save the lives of young people in both groups, and, if necessary, an appeal should be made to the League of Nations. “If the money cannot be obtained elsewhere, why not appeal to the Rockefeller Foundation?” she added.

Mrs. Irvine said that native patients should not be expected to feed them selves in hospital. The correct foods should be supplied to them.

Mrs. Irvine spoke most warmly of the hospitality she had received in both places, and praised the interest Queen Salote took in the welfare of her people.

“The Queen is a magnificent woman, both mentally and physically”, she de clared, “and I was most impressed by the respect in which she is held by the Tongans”.

British Law v. Koran Law A Problem In Fiji

BECAUSE certain of the laws relating to inheritance, guardianship, mar riage and divorce, which are part of the laws of the British Colony of Fiji, are not “sanctioned by the Koran”, the Mos lem section of the Indians now resident in Fiji are making a strong appeal to the present Governor for a re-considera tion of their case.

It appears that the Fiji Moslems have appealed in the past to two Governors, Sir Murchison Fletcher and Sir Arthur Richards, asking that, in the matters referred to, they should be governed by their personal laws as set out in the Koran: and they claim that each of the two Governors named gave them an as surance that their wishes would be respected. They state, however, that the present Governor, Sir Harry Luke, has refused to deal further with the matter, and they understand that the present British laws applying to them must stand.

This is typical of the troubles which beset the Governor of a three-community Colony.

The Europeans and Fijians are quite content to live under British colonial law, which is broad enough and liberal enough to provide for almost anything.

But the Indians, while demanding all the freedom and political privileges of British colonial life, ask, in addition, for special treatment on account of then religion. That is, they are asking for something that is not even given to European religions. The attitude of the Government, apparently, is that the Mos lems should place themselves in the same position as the Roman Catholics for ex ample—they should adapt their commu nity laws to the broad general laws under which they live, and not expect the broad general laws to be adapted to the special needs of their community.

Glasson and Parer Carry On

MR. Ray Parer left Wau, in November, to bring another aeroplane from Australia for the Glasson-Parer Syn dicate.

It will be remembered that Mr. Parer, on behalf of the Syndicate, began freight ing, between Wau and Salamaua, in August last, with a couple of planes brought from Australia. Within a few weeks, two of their planes crashed in the jungle, in bad weather, between Wau and Salamaua, and were completely lost.

Mr. R. N. Wayne, Interpreter at the Supreme Court, Rabaul, returned to New Guinea in mid-November after spending leave in Australia.

TOP.—From left: Mr. J. W. Houston, who has been transferred from the Melbourne office of Australasian Petroleum Co. Pty., Ltd., to the Port Moresby branch, sailed for Papua by the “Tasman” at the end of November. Miss C.

White and her mother, Mrs. W. D. Chawner, whose husband is associated with the A.P.C. concern, returned to Papua, after a holiday trip to America. Mrs. G. Barrow sailed for Port Moresby by the same vessel after a visit to England—Mr. Barrow is an employee of A.P.C.

SECOND ROW. —Seeing his two children, Carol and Chris, safely on board the December “Malaita” was Mr. C. J. Brennan, of New Guinea Goldfields, Ltd., Edie Creek, T.N.G. They will spend their school holidays in New Guinea in the care of Miss W. Scope (right). At the left of the group is Mrs. J. Robinson, also from Edie Creek, who now is spending furlough in Sydney.

BOTTOM.—A party of Marist missionaries bound for the Solomons by the last “Malaita”.

From left: Father M. McMahon, S.M., for Visale; Brother Joseph Redman, Kieta; Brother Paul Riggs, Kieta; and Father A. Duhamel, S.M., Visale.

Schools For Boys And Girls

NEAR the high and healthy town of Warwick, on the Darling Downs, in Southern Queens land, the Church of England authorities have established two fine secondary schools—one (the Slade School) for boys, standing in 20 acres of grounds, overlooking the Condamine River; and the other (St. Catherine School, Warwick) for girls. Both of these institutions have been care fully organised and very well equipped, and young people of both sexes are taken from the junior stage right up to preparation for a pro fessional career or the University, while at the same time they are well trained as citizens and are provided with every facility in the way of sport. Both schools re-open on January 30, 1940.

Further details of each institution are given in an advertisement in this issue.** M. Oscar Meyer, of Paris, who has been engaged in anthropological research in New Guinea, has sailed from Sydney with French recruits for Indo-China.

Lefagoalii (Mrs. Alfred Page), chief tainess of the Pacific Islands Club, will be entertained by members of the coun cil at a Christmas morning tea party at the Carlton Hotel, Sydney, on December 16, and presented with a gift. Mrs. Page, who is now in her third year of office, is a former resident of Samoa and

Tonga.

THE Pacific Islands Club, at its final gathering of the year at the Carlton Hotel in Sydney on December 6, had three guests of honour: Mrs. E. Marie Irvine, the Australian authoress, who has just returned from Rarotonga and Tonga: Mrs. A. Allen-Innes, formerly of New Guinea, who spoke of her recent wanderings throughout the United States; and Monsieur Oscar Meyer, of the School of Anthropology, Paris, who dealt with the history of German col onisation in New Guinea.

The guests were welcomed by the pre sident, Mr. A. J. Marshall (who con gratulated his predecessor, Dr. H. lan Hogbin, on his new book on the Solo mons), and the club’s chieftainess, Lefagoalii (Mrs. Alfred Page). Lady Wavertree, C.8.E., proposed a vote of thanks to the speakers, which was sec onded by Mrs. Doris Booth, the New Guinea writer, who is on holiday in Syd

ney. Miss Gladys Graham sang, and Miss Mary Brett was in charge of the musical programme. Also present was the Hon.

F. M. B. Fisher, former Davis Cup tennis player, and at one time Minister for Cus toms and Marine in New Zealand.

Mr. William C. V. C. Baker, B.A. (Cantab.) recently arrived in Suva to join the Fiji and Western Pacific Civil Service as a cadet officer.

Mr. Henry Cecil Krone, of Burns Philp (South Sea) Co. Ltd., Apia, Western Samoa, married Miss Lucy Allen on No vember 11.

Mr. G. F. Betham, of Apia, Samoa, has just completed a particularly suc cessful tennis season —he won the men’s singles championship from Mr. Chris.

Hellesoe, who held the title for the past 10 years; the men’s doubles cham pionship, with Mr. A. M. Betham; and the mixed doubles championship, with Miss O. Nelson.

Copra

Serious Difficulties in Central Pacific

THE following statement about the copra market was issued in Suva, Fiji, on November 16, with the approval of Messrs. Burns Philp (S.S.) Co. Ltd. and Messrs. Morris Hedstrom Ltd.: During September, 1939, the local copra market remained unchanged be cause no prices were quoted from Lon don and it was understood that the Brit ish Government intended to exercise control over the selling of copra in the United Kingdom.

On September 29, advice was received that Burns, Philp and Co. Ltd. and Dalgety and Co. Ltd. had been appoint ed by the Copra Association to protect the interests of all South Sea shippers, and it was hoped shortly to get a price ruling from the Ministry of Food.

On September 30, advice was received that the Ministry had fixed the price of South Seas Copra as follows; F.M.S. £l2 per ton; plantation £l2/15/- per ton.

On that basis the buying prices in Suva and Levuka were fixed at: F.M.S. £7/2/6 per ton; plantation £7/7/6 per ton.

On October 13, advices were received from London that buying prices had been reduced by 7/6 per ton and the local market was, therefore, fixed at: F.M.S. £6/15/-; plantation £7.

On the same date, Burns, Philp and Co. Ltd., Sydney, cabled to their London office as follows: “Copra industry unable carry additional war costs affecting es sential supplies, freights and generally higher cost production. Many small trad ers and planters insolvent or abandoned properties. Lost all hope. Also natives discouraged from production. On behalf of producers we ask you protest to Min istry reduction 7/6 per ton buying prices’. They also arranged with Dal gety and Co. Ltd. to cable to their prin cipals in London in a similar manner.

On October 16. Burns, Philp and Co.

Ltd., Sydney, received the following cable from their London office: “Yours 13th Dalgety ourselves protested Ministry who state no intention their part force prices down. Reduction 7/6 occasioned by nor mal offerings Straits at reduced price.

Our opinion reduction only temporary’’.

Mr. R. W. Robson, managing director of Pacific Publications Ltd., Sydney, and editor of “Pacific Islands Monthly”, took an active interest in the matter and con sulted the companies in Sydney princip ally interested in the copra business. He then telegraphed to the Department of Commerce in Canberra urging in strong terms “that if the South Seas planters were to carry the higher war costs and be saved from bankruptcy, the Austra lian High Commissioner should be asked to make representations to the British Government that the price of copra should be fixed at a higher rather than lower level”.

Almost a month has elapsed since these representations were made and so far no information has been received as to restoration of the original price.

Meanwhile, shippers realised that in creases in rates of freight were likely to have a more serious effect on prices than a reduction of 7/6 per ton in the London buying price of copra.

On September 22, the Swedish steamer “Tolken” arrived under charter to Morris, Hedstrom Ltd. and Burns

Philp (S.SJ Co. Ltd. She finished loading copra m Suva on September 27, in Levuka on September 29, and in Savu Savu on October 2; by that time she had loaded 2,500 tons. On October 4 advices

ownerfofthe “W'WreS ad®

“ ? o e^l\rcLSe?? k reS-

disagree Consult'wiunsS* IT

cognise difficult circumstances and prepared consider modest adjustment when probable legal position known”.

On October 20, a cable was received from London stating that counsel in London were of the opinion that the owners were not entitled to demand extra freight for carrying the copra to Liverpool and Hull but that they were entitled to refuse to go to ports within

the war zone. The cable went on to say that the owners demanded addi tional freight of 27/6 per ton —or, al ternatively, the proved extra cost in volved by war conditions.

Charterers were advised that as a re

“tT accept "g^SSSIoSS

-rdeS h a™^

charge ata oort wkhin the war zone and g CO uld hi P the Exercise of their dk

dk^the 6 ™ at'

Port and claim their full freight. Finally, the charterers agreed to pay an extra 20 - per ton on something over 5,000 tons of cargo.

Whilst this discussion was going on charterers received from Australia ad vices indicating that Australian copra

shippers had been compelled to agree to increases in freight on a somewhat simi lar basis to that enforced by the owners of the “Tolken”.

On October 19, charterers wrote to the Acting Colonial Secretary, Fiji, placed the facts before him and explain ed that if another vessel were chartered to load for the United Kingdom at the increased rate of freight local buyers

would be compelled to reduce their buy ing price of copra. The 20/- increased freight rate is in English currency and is equivalent to about 22/4 Fiji cur rency. A reduction of this amount would bring the buying price in Suva and Le vuka down to about £5/12/6 per ton for

F.M.S.

On October 27, Sir Maynard Hedstrom and Hon. John Trotter had an interview with the Governor, at which were also present the Acting Colonial Secretary and the Director of Agriculture. The Governor gave Sir Maynard Hedstrom and Mr. Trotter a sympathetic hearing and the same day despatched a cable to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Under the arrangement whereby the British Government agreed to purchase the surplus sugar crop from Australian growers the price was fixed at a higher rate than that ruling prior to the war.

One clause in the agreement provided that the British Government would bear the cost of any increase in freight above the rate ruling at the time the contract was signed. Sir Maynard Hedstrom and Mr. Trotter suggested to His Excellency that if the British Ministry of Food would not agree to an increase in the buying price of copra in London it might agree to bear the cost of any increase in rates of freight above those ruling prior to the outbreak of war.

The two companies have recently chartered the “Admiral Wiley”, for January February loading. She is ex pected to carry about 3,000 tons of copra and will, therefore, do something to re lieve accumulations. The Mexican mar ket is somewhat uncertain and, prior to the war, its consumption of copra was very limited. Owing to the war, condi tions may have changed but local buy ers at present have no certain know ledge as to what quantity that market can now absorb.

Prospects in the local market are somewhat obscure, but the two com panies are hopeful that in the near future they will secure another vessel to load, either for the United Kingdom or Mexico.

This statement is published to make it clear to producers that local buyers are making every effort to assure con tinuity of shipment from the three groups—Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

Japanese To Produce

From Our Own Correspondent

Honolulu, Nov. 14.

BY degrees, Holland’s virtual monopoly of world quinine production is being threatened. Experiments are well ad vanced in Australian New Guinea: and, now, Japanese interests have secured a concession from the Ecuadorian Govern ment (South America) for the planting of 20,000 cinchona trees (from the bark of which quinine is made).

The trees will be planted in 500 acres of unoccupied Government land. Stock is being imported direct from Japan.

A concession stipulation says that the Japanese must establish a laboratory and other facilities for the production in Ecuador of the quinine and other chemi cal by-products.

Wau (New Guinea) has joined in the Empire-wide Red Cross movement, and a local branch is in full swing, with Dr.

N. McKenna, lecturer; Mr. R. A. Laws, supervisor; Mrs. D. Wetherall, secretary; and Mrs. F. S. Stewart and Major E. B.

Ayris, committee. ,

What To Do With

Dr. Hogbin's New Book Will Help In Solution of Administrative Problems

Experiments in civilisation—The Effects of European Culture on a Native Community of the Solomon Islands” is a new book by Dr. H. lan Hogbin. M.A., Ph.D., of Sydney. It con tains a great mass of carefully-sifted facts relating to native life in Melanesia, pre sented in a literary style which should give it a wide general appeal.

From the viewpoint of the Pacific resi dent, however, the outstanding value of the book lies in the way in which this

well-trained scientist presents, for Euro pean consideration, the conditions of native life in the Islands to-day in rela tion to the political and economic future of the Pacific Territories. Here, he has done an exceedingly useful job of work.

All Pacific Islands administrations to day are confronted with the same prob lem, or series of problems—thus:— Do we wish to preserve the native populations?—We do.

Is it possible to preserve them in their primitive condition —that is, retaining their old cultures and social structures?— It is not.

Does the change-over, from primitive to European conditions, affect adversely the native races? —Unless properly controlled and directed, it tends to destroy them altogether.

Up to this point, we can answer the logical sequence of questions. But, from here on, the questions are difficult to answer, and they are the sources of pain ful headaches for most Pacific adminis trators. Here they are: What sort of system should control the change-over from primitive to Euro pean conditions?

Having prevented depopulation, what are we going to do with the native races?

Some sort of education system is needed.

What is to be its purpose? Are the

natives to be trained as labourers for Europeans or as technicians, or as farmers of their own lands? Are they to be encouraged to exercise self-govemment? • It is in dealing with these very real problems of administration that a book such as that of Dr. Hogbin is so valuable.

He sought a typical Islands community, still living under primitive conditions, but

re-acting rapidly to “Europeanisation”.

He found it in the north end of Malaita, and he settled in there and lived by him self for many months among the natives, and studied not only their psychological condition, but also the manner in which their material condition was being af fected by the slow, steady change in their daily life.

The conclusions he draws, logically and

Dr. H. lan Hogbin.

inevitably, are of interest to anyone who may speculate concerning the future of the Pacific races, and unquestionably they are of value to Pacific adminis trators. The book, of course, has its scientific interest also —Dr. Hogbin is an anthropologist of distinction, and learned the work of observation, deduction and connotation under famous masters. That but adds to the practical value of his book—a knowledge of anthropology is now part of the standard equipment of most Pacific administrative officials.

Our copy from the publishers—George Routledge and Sons, Ltd., London. Price 15/- Stg.

Mr. W. V. C. Compton recently arrived in England from New Guinea to join the Royal Air Force.

Rt. Rev. W. H. Baddeley, Bishop of Melanesia, visited New Britain in No vember and, after a short stay in Rabaul. inspected the Mission’s outstations. He Jater returned in the Mission vessel, Southern Cross VII.”, to his headquart e. Solomon Islands. Bishop Baddeley will arrive in Australia from Tulagi by the January “Malaita”. ac companied by Mrs. Baddeley and their infant son. Martin, and after a short visit to Sydney will proceed to South Australia to spend a few weeks in Ade laide. He will leave Sydney at the end of January for New Zealand to attend the Mission’s General Synod in Nelson.

Rev. Baddeley was in New Zealand last September, when the Mission vessel was taken to Auckland to undergo a special survey.

EACH month we publish a Fashions design. patterns of which may be purchased by our readers direct from this office. post free. To obtain a pattern, print your name and address below, giving the number of the pattern and the bust size, and send to ‘Pattern Department”, Pacific Islands Monthly, Box 3408 R, G.P.0., Sydney; enclose also the price of the pattern in postal note or stamps It will be sent by return mail.

Name Address Pattern Number size

6698.—The present vogue for the new washable elastic, gathering thread is seen in this youthful style for formal afternoon wear. Shirring is cleverly designed to produce the extended shoulder line and contributes in no small degree to the flattering treatment of the bodice. The frock is finished with a skirt which flares widely from the hips. If your material be a summer silk the full length sleeve is smarter; if a wash ing material, use the three-quarter length sleeve finishing below the elbow. The pattern is available in 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 in. bust measure ments, at 1/1, post free. Material required for 36 in. bust is four yards of 36 in. material.

By "Therese"

CONTRASTS running through Fashion’s sports, formal and beach set-ups are apt to make one dizzy with their brilliance. Two things remain clear, how ever, cottons are trumps; and colour and line are important—on them rest the success or failure of your whole ward robe.

Formal afternoon frocks are beauti fully cut on simple lines with here and there a feminine touch, and their very simplicity ensures success. Colours run the whole gamut of pastel shades both for day and evening. Navy is worn with white accessories or with that lovely corn colour that is particularly in demand this season and which not only looks but feels cool.

Frocks are mostly still zipped up with plastic lightning fasteners, though enor mous leather hooks frequently are being worn down a simple hand knit dress.

Trimmings these days are usually part of the dress. Buttons are endlessly amusing and in some instances are the high spots of simple dark clothes. De tail is decorative button may be as telling as the dress which it adorns.

Gloves, bags and hats often give lovely colour contrast. Like other details they always “make” an outfit and the scope for colour contrast is infinite.

SPORTS frocks, whether spectator or active, play an important part in Fashion’s scheme of things. If you play tennis, you have the choice of a simple white or pastel frock with a femininely tailored air, or you may choose a one piece suit of shorts, made with kick pleats and a backless bodice. For mo

ments off the court don a pique knee length jacket; the same jacket gives further service over playsuits for the beach. Plaid cottons also are charming for these.

For swimming this year, there is the choice of either two roles—the slim sophisticate or the demure Victorian. A brief swim suit of white satin lastex is eye-arresting, but* should your choice fall upon the Victorian mode, it is no less attractive.

Beach coats must of necessity find a place in your wardrobe. They are charm ing and original in design, mostly made on tailored lines. Some have light hoods attached to protect the wearer from a too ardent sun. The coats are of vary ing length, but for a good all-rounder choose one that reaches almost to the ground; and multi-coloured cottons pat terned in bold design are the happiest medium. If you favour coats of shorter length, however, what about a knee length jacket of gaily-striped cotton, lined with towelling?

For house lounging or informal even ings at home nothing is more delight ful than the house coat. You can please yourself what type it will be, but here again gaily-patterned prints are ideal, and when the skirts swirl wide these gowns are for all the world like an in formal evening frock, and indeed are sometimes worn as such, FOR that formal evening occasion when something special is called for, a chiffon gown with softly moulded bodice and graceful flowing skirt scattered with clusters of silver beads is really lovely; add a tiny bolero outlined with the beads

and the whole ensemble Is breath-taking.

Swiss organzas, light filmy fabrics, make fairy-like dance frocks that simply breathe glamour for the ingenue. Bouf fant skirts and tight fitting bodices are the lines called for by this filmy fabric.

Accessories for evening are most at tractive—at the moment, ostrich feather fans are flirted with all the aplomb of the gay nineties. Dyed in brilliant col ours, they present a glorious contrast to evening gowns, in equally gay colours.

Theatre compacts hold everything and these are available in all shapes and sizes, covered in rich fabrics or glitter ing lames.

Not only are evening accessories full of attraction but those for the beach also. Correctly chosen, they will give just the right touch to your seaside clothes. Enormous bags in fabric are lined with oiled silk on which the sea water can have no deleterious effect.

They are gay and decorative and have sections for those hundred and one things that are needed for the modern woman’s complexion.

The craze for peasant handkerchiefs seems to have given place to fish net turbans, which are charming for all oc casions—even for evening wear. Sandals for beach wear are varied in style and come in crochet fish net, canvas and em broidered linen. Soles are of cork or

rubber; while wooden heels strike a new note.

Beach hats are quaint and amusing.

Pill boxes evolved in pique perch on one side of the head. Sombreros in true Mexi can style offer protection from the sun.

Quaker bonnets vie with coolie hats for popularity, and the fish net turban takes its place among them all. Attractive and varied, they all seem to fit well into Fashion’s scheme of things and give life a new zest.

Mr. S. H. Gander, of the Seventh Day Adventist mission station at Bena Bena, Central New Guinea, arrived in Sydney on December 12 with his wife and daughter, Miss Gwen Gander, on leave.

Mr. John Archibald Harris, of Burns Philp (S.S.) Co. Ltd., died on board the Mission schooner “John Williams V.” in October, when the ship was nearing Suva, Fiji. Born in Levuka, he joined B.P. and Co. as an engineer and served on the inter-islands vessels for many years. He was engineer on the “Motau” and “Mako” and recently was appointed chief engineer on the new motor ship “Moamoa”, trading in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. He left the “Moa moa” at the beginning of October to take passage to Fiji for medical treatment and was accompanied by his wife; but when the “John Williams” was within eight hours’ sailing of Suva he collapsed and died. Mr. Harris was 42 years of age.

Mr. Hugh R. Goodwyn, of W. R. Car penter and Co., Ltd., married Mrs. Molly Thompson at St. Xavier’s Church, Rabaul, New Guinea, on December 6.

The reception was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Phillpott.

TOP ROW.—Left: Mrs. J. Bundle, wife of the chairman of the Methodist Mission in Papua, returned to Samarai by the November “Macd hui”, after bringing Miss D. Glasson, one of the Mission’s staff, to Sydney for medical treatment.

Right: Mrs. A. Ritchie left Sydney by the last “Macdhui” for Bulolo, New Guinea, to join her husband who is an employee of Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd.

SECOND ROW.—Left: Carol Munster, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. C. Munster, well-known plan tation owners of Lorengau, Manus, T.N.G., sailed from Sydney by the “Macdhui” late in November to spend holidays with her parents.

Centre and right: John and Joan Temple Watts left Sydney by the December “Malaita” for Port Moresby to spend Christmas with their parents.

Mr. Temple Watts is general superintendent of the Australasian Petroleum Co. in Papua.

THIRD ROW. —Left: Mrs. L. M. Annan, whose husband Is in the Department of Public Works, Papua, sailed for Port Moresby by the last “Malaita”. She recently arrived in Australia from England. Right: Mrs. H. L. Downing, who recently married the popular A.D.O. at Kleta, Bougainville Island, T.N.G., left Sydney for Buka Passage by the December “Malaita”. She was formerly Miss Dorothea Acocks.

BOTTOM ROW. —Brian Ashwell returned to New Guinea at the end of November after schooling in Australia, His father Is on the staff of Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd. Right: Patricia Welby, whose father is an officer at the Port Moresby Radio Station, sailed for Papua recently on school holidays.

The Crash of Woolcott Forbes Repercusssion In Wau, New Guinea

A MEETING in Wau, New Guinea, with a gentleman named Reuben Levitus, about two years ago, had an unhappy sequel for a New Guinea miner, Robert Charles Symes, who is well-known in Wau, where he has resided for about ten years. Mr. Symes, by hard work and good management of various contracts, had succeeded in accumulating a small fortune, and he came to Sydney in August, 1938, for a holiday.

In Sydney, Mr. Symes resumed his acquaintanceship with Mr. Reuben Levitus, and the latter suggested that Mr. Symes might invest some of his money in businesses in which his brother, Albert Levitus, was interested.

One day Mr. Symes was called upon at his flat in Kings Cross, Sydney, by Reuben and Albert Levitus, and taken in a car to the superlatively luxurious home of John Woolcott Forbes, in Gordon. Mr.

Symes was introduced to Mr. Forbes by Mr. Albert Levitus, with the remark that Mr. Symes would give consideration to a plan of lending Mr. Forbes £B,OOO on second mortgage on his home. Mr. Symes, conducted by Mr. Forbes, duly inspected the home.

Mr. Symes did not bite too readily, however. A week later, he was called upon by Reuben and taken to the offices of the Scottish Loan and Finance Com pany, where they met Albert Levitus; and from there the two brothers took him to the office of the chairman of the com pany, Mr. Bruce Walker, M.L.A. Mr.

Walker asked Mr. Symes for a loan of £5,000, offering various shares and pro perty as security. Eventually Mr. Symes gave Mr. Walker the loan of £4,000, on a second mortgage.

In October, Mr. Woolcott Forbes took Mr. Symes to lunch, and asked him to put £4,000 or £5,000 into Scottish Loan preference shares, and he suggested that Mr. Symes should receive a directorship in Scottish Loan and in that capacity should represent the company in New Guinea. Symes, very fortunately for him, said he would not bring any more money into Australia for investment, but that, if Walker released the second mort gage he (Symes) would put the money into Scottish Loan. Eventually, Walker released the second mortgage, and Mr.

Symes duly invested £3,950 in Scottish Loan preferences at 8 per cent, (to re turn him £316 p.a.), and he was also given a directorship in Scottish Loan, on condition that he represented the com pany in New Guinea, for which his fees were to be £3OO per annum.

Mr. Symes returned to New Guinea.

He subsequently received two cheques for his fees as director —the fees, however, had been cut from £3OO to £2OO per an num. When, in March, 1939, he re ceived the balance-sheet of Scottish Loan, and noticed that his name was not in cluded among the directors, he became a little uneasy: and within a very few weeks his worst fears were confirmed.

Mr. John Woolcott Forbes had fled from Sydney—he is now a fugitive from Justice hiding in Europe—and his group of companies are in a sad condition.

Scottish Loan and Finance is in liqui dation, and appears to have few assets— it is unlikely that Mr. Symes will recover his unfortunate investment of £3,950.

The associates of Forbes in Scottish Loan, including Albert Levitus and Bruce Walker, M.L.A., are now in the Police

Court in Sydney facing a charge of con spiracy and the above story was told to the Court by Mr. Symes, who came from New Guinea to give evidence. Mr. Symes said that Mr. Bruce Walker did not ad vise him to put his money into Scottish Loan when he released him from the second mortgage—that advice was given to him by Albert Levitus and Forbes. * * * Forbes was a spectacular, ostentatious person, who appeared in Australia many years ago with a foreign-sounding name, and an extraordinary capacity as a “go getter” salesman: He made money as a

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salesman, and then he became a notable figure on Sydney race-courses, where he brought off coup after coup, and became notorious as “the Bull-fighter”. Next, he crashed into Sydney business, mostly as promoter of and trader in companies which specialised in money-lending— Scottish Loan was one such. He was of fensively ostentatious —he gave his wife a birthday party at Hotel Australia, which was reported to cost £l,OOO, and he built a magnificent home at Gordon, which cost over £40,000; and he wallowed in the publicity which the flapper press

gave these things. Because of his ap parent flair for making money, he was able to get on to the boards of his com panies people with well known names.

When he left for Europe, one hop ahead of the police—-he actually was overtaken and arrested in Bombay, but escaped— these people were left to carry his finan cial babies. He changed his name by deed poll to Woolcott Forbes several years ago: it is said that he selected the names from two streets, well known in Kings Cross, Sydney.

Mr. W. H. Roberts, Treasurer In the Cook Islands Administration, recently re turned to New Zealand from Rarotonga to take up a position in the Department of External Affairs. He has been re placed by Mr. J. B. Wright. Both gen tlemen are also well known in Western Samoa where they served in the Treas ury at Apia.

TOP.—Left: Mr. G. J. A. Moore, manager of Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd.’s branch at Port Moresby, returned to Papua by the December “Malaita” after several months’ leave in Aus tralia. Right: Mr. P. Murrin departed .for Makambo, B.S.I., by the last “Malaita” after three months’ furlough in Sydney. He is with B.P. & Co., Ltd.

SECOND ROW.—Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Whale sailed from Sydney by the December “Malaita” for Samarai, Papua, where he is a worker for the Kwato Mission. They were married on November 4, the bride being Miss Kathleen Blake.

THIRD ROW. —John Osborne (left) and his school friend, Jim Switzer, sailed from Sydney for the Solomon Islands in December to spend their school holidays at Tulagi, where Mr.

Osborne is Engineer in Charge of the Radio Station.

BOTTOM ROW.—Left; Mr. M. Harland de parted from Sydney by the “Macdhui” at the end of November for Wau, New Guinea, to take up a position with an oil company. Right: Mrs.

J. Minns, whose husband is manager of the Wau Club, passed through Sydney at the end of November on the “Tasman” on her way back to New Guinea, after the round trip to N.Z. and Australia.

Fiji Sugar!

BECAUSE Fiji gold mining interests are getting the full benefit of the in crease in the price of gold caused bv war conditions, the shares of the two principal Fijian mines, Emperor and Loloma, have been jumping about in a lively fashion on Australian Stock Exchanges during the month.

Australian, Papuan and New Guinea gold mines have not been allowed to secure the full amount of the war gains on gold—the Governments are taking 50 per cent, of it.

Indications are that in 1940 Fiji will be exporting gold to the value of no less than £1,000,000 per annum, and thus it will be running sugar a very close second in the list of Fiji’s principal exports. If anyone five years ago had said that the annual value of Fiji gold production would soon rival the annual value of Fiji sugar production he would have been written down as mad.

The German Official News Agency on November 9 announced that a German professor named Prigge has discovered a new lymph which renders the dysentery germ harmless.

Mr. Desmond Trevor Tilley, Deputy Chief Officer of the Suva Fire Brigade, recently married Miss Daphne Winifred King, of Auckland, N.Z., at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Suva, Fiji.

Notes

From New Guinea

Sunshine Gold Development, Ltd.

Sunshine gold development, ltd., New Guinea, showed a net profit of £11,142 for the year ended September 30, compared with £13,111 for the previous year.

With £10,916 brought forward, £22,058 was available. One dividend of 6d. a share was paid, absorbing £5,000. An amount of £5,000 was transferred to reserve account, and £7,000 trans ferred to depreciation reserve, leaving £5,058 to be carried forward.

Net proceeds of bullion sold and on hand totalled £23,220. The yardage treated during the year was 309,087, of which 130,758 cubic yards represented overburden. Gold won during the year realised £24,777. Royalties, freight, smelting, and other charges amounted to £1,714 additional plant and buildings involved an ex penditure of £6,186.

The increased volume resulting from the sluicing down of overburden was reflected in lower working costs, which amounted to 7.722 d. a cubic yard. It is anticipated that working costs will be increased as the war continues, owing to higher prices of supplies, but this should be offset by the enhanced value of gTJId, and the increased yield which it is expected to obtain from plant extensions.

The purchase from Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd., of claims totalling 40 acres, adjoining the com pany’s main workings, was completed on satis factory terms.

The clean-up for November yielded 201 oz. gold. The general manager stated that the clean-up, as expected, is below the average,

owing to transferring over to the No. 6 ele vator for the sluicing of a channel on the Watut River wing portion. This had to be completed before the heavy rains and high rivers, usually experienced in December, prevail.

Guinea Gold, N.L.

The directors of Guinea Gold, N.L., announce the declaration of a half-yearly dividend of 1/a share, payable December 12. Books closed De cember 14.

Placer Development, Ltd.

The directors of Placer Development, Ltd., have declared a half-yearly interim dividend of 60 cents (Canadian) less Canadian absentee tax of 5 per cent. The dividend will be payable on December 18. Books closed December 2.

Enterprise Of New Guinea Gold And

Petroleum Development, N.L.

Enterprise of New Guinea Gold and Petroleum Development, N.L., showed a debit balance of £10,013 in the year ended August 31. Receipts from bullion recovered in operations at the Surprise Creek alluvial mine amounted to £2,154.

Current assets exceeded outside liabilities at the balance date by £5,354. Mine expenditure (including depreciation) totalled £11,009.

The oil concession in New Guinea in which the Co. was interested was still in “uncontrolled” territory, and the directors therefore had been unable to take further action to endeavour to acquire the lease, said the chairman, Mr. Edward Ward, at the annual meeting in Melbourne at the end of November.

No ore was treated at the Edie Mine during the year, but metallurgical research work was continued, and confirmed the previously ex pressed opinion that the ore can be treated at a cost that will show a good profit on opera tions.

Operations had been confined principally to the underground development of the main lode.

Sufficient ore had been blocked out at the Edie Creek mine to supply a battery with 100 tons a day for three years. Average value was about 7 dwt. a ton. Other large quantities of pay able ore had been developed. When the Sala maua-Wau road was completed construction of a mill would be considered. Two or three calls of 5/- a share would be necessary to finance development.

The shareholders in the Co. number over 2,100 and the percentage of British is 99.5.

Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd.

Production of Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd.’s dredges in New Guinea for October is compared with the two previous months in the following table (issued in November): —

ounces of fine gold, allowing for the new excise duty.

No. 8 dredge commenced operating on Novem ber 7.

For the five months ended November 1 the Bulolo dredges handled 7,534,000 yards of gravel for a recovery of bullion valued at 2,533,000 dollars.

At the annual meeting of the Co., on Novem ber 16, the managing director (Mr. Banks) said that war regulations had held up the declaration of a dividend, but he anticipated that the diffi culties would soon be overcome. Several days later a half-yearly dividend was declared. It comprised 1 dollar 50 cents (Canadian), less a Canadian absentee tax of 5 per cent., payable on December 18. Books closed December 2.

New Guinea Goldfields, Ltd.

A progress report issued by The Mining Trust, Ltd., consulting engineers to New Guinea Gold fields, Ltd., compares the production and profit for August, September and October:—

August.

Sept.

Oct.

Cubic yards .. .. 1,609,000 1,589,000 1,646,000 Bullion, oz. . .. 19,774 25,851 23,215 Gold, fine, oz. . 13,645 17,838 16,018 Estimated working profit for October, 10,058

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Edie Creek mill— Ore, tons 3,008 2,360 3,009 Gold, oz., fine .. .. 1,179 646 891 Silver, oz., fine .. .. 6,832 5,364 7,321 Alluvial— Gold, oz., fine .. .. 1,683 1,734 Silver, oz., fine .. .. 1,170 "— 1,224 Golden Ridges mill— Tons treated 3,142 2,744 2,336 Gold, oz., fine .. 1,500 1,367 971 Silver, oz., fine .. 1,596 1,513 1,070 Operating profit— Edie Creek, £ .. 3,280 •178 1,226 Alluvial, £ 4,588 3,746 5,788 Golden Ridges, £ .. 5,633 5,382 1,644 ♦Loss.

During September, N.G.G., Ltd., did not par-

ticipate in the working of the Koranga alluvlals, operations being confined to ground not included in the agreement. Since then, most of the work has been removing overburden.

In view of the intermittent nature of the operations, the Co. will in future issue reports of production quarterly. The first report will cover the period ending December 31.

Sandy Creek Gold Sluicing, Ltd.

The manager of Sandy Creek Gold Sluicing, Ltd., New Guinea, reported in November that the last four yields compared as follows:

Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

Cubic yards .. .. 26,693 26,153 24,238 18,920 Gold, oz 446 39>6 255 243 Per cubic yard .. 2/4 y 2 2/3y 4 1/7 1/11 Working cost ... /II /10Vi /II —

Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Co., Ltd.

WE are no longer searching for oil, we have found it by scout bores over an area oi 12 miles,” said the Chairman, Mr. W. M. Marks, at the annual meeting of the Co. in Sydney on November 27. ‘‘Four oil structures have been found in the Co.’s area, and in each bore traces of light oil and gas have been found. These are believed to have come up from depth.”

Cones taken from the scout bores are stated to be identical in every case with those taken from oil producing wells in Java, Sumatra and Borneo, continued Mr. Marks. With the deep boring plant leased from the Commonwealth Government, the Co. hopes to reach permeable sands where oil collects.

Mr. Marks pointed out that the scout drilling results had been achieved on the small capital of £62,500. Funds were available for drilling the first test well to approximately 5,000 ft., but further capital would be required to carry out a full programme of extended deep drilling if the undertaking was to remain an all-Australian venture. Approaches had been made by out side interests, but any proposal which the directors thought was worth consideration would not be completed before it was submitted to shareholders.

The Federal Government has granted the Co. a £1 for £1 subsidy to the extent of £lO,OOO and had also agreed to co-operate by hiring out a deep drilling plant.

In the year ended June 30 the Co. Incurred field expenditure of £10,851 and overhead ex penses of £3,297, a total of £14,148. Interest and discounts received were £ 185, Leaving net expenditure on development for the year £13,962.

The year’s outgo brought the total expenditure on development to £22,036. In addition, cost of plant, equipment, etc., is shown at £5,949, and preliminary expenses at £4,514, making total expenditure to date of balance £32,499.

Scout drilling has been carried out on an ex tended scale under the advice of the Common wealth Oil Advisory Committee with satisfactory results. Three further scout bores were put down, making four pores on the Oiapu struc ture. The gas pressure in these four bores varied from 140 lb. to 282 lb. a square inch at the surface.

Mr. Launcelot Owen, general manager, reported that, despite absence of surface indications of petroleum within the Oiapu structure, the under lying mudstone was definitely petroliferous throughout the area, and that the light gravity of the traces of oil encountered strongly sug

gested migration from depth. He stated that the area should be tested to a depth of 5,000 ft. or more, if necessary.

At the balance date, the Co. had £22,877 on hand, and £1,334 of other current assets. Out side liabilities totalled £299.

Yodda Goldfields, Ltd.

Directors of Yodda Goldfields, Ltd., have de clared a dividend of 3d. a share payable on December 18. Books closed December 11. The Co.’s gold yield for November was 83 oz. 3 dwts.

Gold Mines Of Papua, Ltd.

The annual report of Gold Mines of Papua, Ltd., issued in late November, stated that the plant was closed down on August 17 last and the staff reduced to a minimum. Prospecting work is still continuing, however, and a large body of ore has been located with generally similar physical characteristics to those of the Umuna lode. This ore body is being investigated, but the crosscut values to date are disappoint ing. Other lodes have been examined, but re sults have not warranted development.

Australasian Petroleum Co. Pty., Ltd.

Oil Search, Ltd., reports that Australasian Petroleum Co. Pty., Ltd., has been granted an

additional prospecting permit, of 1,704 sq. miles, in the hitherto uncontrolled area of Papua and adjoining the western boundary of the Co.’s present Permit No. 5. Geological investigations now in progress on Permit No. 5 will be extended over the new permit in due course.

The bulk of the drilling equipment ordered by A.P.C. has been landed at Port Moresby.

This plant, which cost £200,000, is designed to penetrate to a depth of 10,000 ft.

Cuthbert’S Misima Goldmine, Ltd.

Figures for the November clean-up from Cuth bert’s mine on Misima Island, Papua, compared with the two previous yields as follows:

(Continued Overleaf.)

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Mill treated, tons .. 3,341 3,208 3,260 Bullion, oz 3,331 3,018 2,914 Gold, fine oz 839 788 824 Silver, fine oz 2,407 2,170 2,030 Estimated value .. .. .. £6,856 £6,347 £6,710 Value per ton of ore 41/- 39/7 41/2 The directors have declared a dividend of 1/a share, payable December 18.

Books closed December 9.

Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L.

PROFIT of Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L., in the year ended July 31, was £193,814.

In the previous year, the Co. was producing for 10 months and the profit was £83,793.

Operating profit was £232,785. Of this amount, depreciation absorbed £11,923, mine development £17,342, and taxation £11,400.

Four dividends of 1/- each were paid, requiring £ 165,000. Since the close of accounts, distri bution of a further 2/6 per share has been an nounced. In the year, 27,767 tons of ore were treated for 37,208 oz. of fine gold, and 7,658 oz. of silver. Residues averaged 1.36 dwt. gold per ton, compared with 3.184 dwt. in the previous year. Extraction was 95.167 per cent., compared with 87.656 per cent. The average value of ore treated was 28.14 dwt. per ton. Total produc tion costs were 64/9 per ton in Fijian currency, which is a small reduction on the 19'37-38 period.

The annual meeting of the Co. was held on December 12.

The output for the four weeks ended November 29 compares with the three previous periods as follows:

*ln addition recovered 231 oz. gold from re treatment of accumulated slimes. Increased head values due to exceptionally good values en countered in west crosscut off No. 6 stope 43 ft. above No, 1 level. The position of these values suggests possibility of flat make connecting with footwall of lode corresponding to No. adit south drive.

Emperor Gold Mining Co., Ltd.

A profit of £204,288 was earned by Emperor Gold Mining Co., Ltd., for the year ended June 30. Operating profit was £244.021 in Fijian currency. Of this. £22,551 was absorbed bv depreciation, £29.873 by mine development, and £10,007 by taxation.

Emperor Mines, Ltd., for which the Co.

operates, received £ 196,875 in dividends, and distributed 2/- per share, requiring £190,000.

Another 1/- per share was paid after the bal ance date. Current assets of Emperor Mines, Ltd., total £ A 312,155, and current liabilities £1,667. Investments in other companies are shown at cost at £664,320. Ore reserves at September were estimated at: Positive ore, 193,350 tons of oxidised, average 6.8 dwt. ton; 100,300 of semi-oxidised, average 8.1 dwt.; 493,400 tons of sulphide ore, average 8 dwt. gold per ton.

Operating costs were 20/5.1 per ton in Fijian currency, against 19/6 the previous year.

An extensive developmental programme has been planned for next year. The Co. proposes to spend £30,000 on modifications and additions to the treatment plant, for the treatment of sulphide and semi-sulphide ore.

T t T he fourth annual meeting of Emperor Mines, Ltd., was held on December 12. A resolution considered was the increasing of directors’ total remuneration from £1,500 to £2,000 per annum.

November production of the Emperor mine is compared with the three previous yields in the following table:—

Old mill recovered 284 oz. from treatment of accumulated concentrates, making total for October 4 period 4,122 oz. *ln addition, recovered 450 oz. from accumu lated concentrates, making total production 4,762 OZ.

T 1,066 oz. from accumulated concentrates, total production 5,029 oz.

Mount Kasi Mines, Ltd.

Latest yields from the Mount Kasi mine at Vanua Levu are compared in the following table:—

Sept.

Oct.

Nov. *Nov. 6. 4. 1. 29.

Tons treated . .. 2.525 2.540 2,532 2.520 Gold, oz., fine 3.295 3,277 3,330 3.780 Silver, oz.. fine . 660 674 Residue, dwt. . ., 0.84 1.0 1.2 1.5

Four weeks ended Sept. Oct. *Nov. tNov. 8. 4. 1. 29 Ore treated, tons .. 13.185 12,655 13.386 12,400 H*?ad, value, dwt. .. 7.0 6.8 72 71 Gold oz, fine . .. 4.046 3.838 4,312 3.963 Residues, dwt 0.81 0.67 0.70 0 70

Pour weeks ended Sept. 6. Oct. 4. Nov. 1. Nov. 29.

Ore. tons . .. 3.069 3,547 3,520 3 058 Gold, fine, oz. . 716 657 707 ’710 Value, £ A . .,7.160 6,570 7,070 7,100

Shares

Fiji

Mid-June. Mid-Sept. Mid-Dec.

Emperor Mines .. b9/9 b8/9 bll/10 Loloma b23/7>/ 2 b23/b24/3 Mt. Kasi s3/9 b2/6 b3/9 Tavua Dev b2d s6d s4d Bulolo G.D

New Guinea

b £ 6/10/- b £7/2/ - b £ 6/3/- Enterprise of N.G b40/bl7/6 b35/- Guinea Gold bl4/bl3/bl4/9 M.G.G., Ltd bi/ioy 2 b2/7»/ 2 b2/7 Oil Search b4/5 b3/4 b4/2 Placer Dev. . b£3/10/s70/b74/3 Sandy Creek bl/3 bl/3 bl/4 Sunshine Gold .. b6/4 b5/4 b7/8 Cuthbert’s

Papua

S20/bl6/bl8/6 G.M. of Papua . b2/b3 >/ 2 d b2V 2 d.

Mandated All. ... b3/l s4/b3/0 Oriomo Oil b6/b4/b5/6 Papuan Apinaipi b5/b3/6 b4/10 Yodda Goldfields bl/5 bl/4 bl/5

(Australian Official Quotations) Pine Standard oz. oz.

October 2, 1939 . • .. £10/11/ £9/13/5 October 9 £9/13/5 October 16 £9/13/5 October 23 £9/13/5 October 30 £9/13/6 November 6 . .. £10/11/ £9/13/5 November 13 .. . £9/13/5 November 20 .. ., £10/13/- £9/15/3 November 27 .. .. £9/15/3 December 4 £ 10/12/6 £9/14/9V 2 December 11 .. .. £ 10/12/6 £9/14/9‘/ 2

Broadcast

A NATIONAL Short Wave Programme is broadcast daily from Lyndhurst, near Melbourne, Victoria, for listeners in the Western Pacific. Call signs: Before 10.15 a.m. VLR3; after 12.00 noon VLR.

Wave lengths: Before 10.15 a.m. 25.25 metres; after 12.00 noon 31.32 metres.

Frequencies: Before 10.15 a.m. 11880 Kcs.; after 12.00 noon 9580 Kcs. Power: 2 Kilowatts.

Daily Week Days

(Subject to Alteration Without Notice.) a.m. 6.30 Market Reports. 6.50 News Bulletin. 7.05 Physical Exercises. 7.15 Music. 7.45 News. 8.00 Music. 9. 30 Story. 10.00 Dally Devotional Service. 10.15 Close. 12.00 Time Signal, p.m. 12.20 Wheat and Grain Report. 12.25 Stock Exchange Reports.- 12.40 Commentary by “The Watchman.” 12.55 Overseas News. 1.00 Time Signal. 1.30 News. 1.40 Afternoon Musical Programme. 4.15 Overseas News. 5.30 Children’s Session. 6.15 Dinner Music. 7.00 Overseas News. 7.15 News Commentary. 7.45 Talk (“The Watchman”—Tuesdays). 9.30 Overseas News. 11.15 Music. 11.50 Overseas News. 12.00 Close.

P.M. Every Saturday

1.40 —5.30 Description of current sporting and athletic events, interspersed with music. 12.00 Close.

Am. Every Sunday

6.45 Music. 6.50 News. 7.00 Music. 8.30 Brass Band Music. 9.00 News. 9.15 Sporting Session. 9.30 “In Quires and Places Where They Sing”. 10.00 Light Ensemble. 10.15 Book Reviews. 10.30 New Releases. 11.00 Divine Service, p.m. 12.15 Operatic Excerpts. 12.55 News Session. 1.00 Luncheon Music. 1.30 Close. 3.00 Re-open—Talk, 3.15 Musical Programme. 6.45 Talk. 7.00 News. 7.15 Talk on “International Affairs”. 9.30 News Service. 10.30 Readings from the Bible. 10.50 Late News. 11.00 Close.

January 1 To 13

Jan. 1 (Mon.) —1.40 p.m. Race and Cricket Descriptions; 8 Play: “Death of Uncle George”; 8.30 “Songs of the People”; 9 Jim Davidson’s Band; 9.45 Talk by Frank Cluffe.

Jan, 2 (Tues.) —1.40 p.m. Cricket and Race Des criptions; 8 Orchestral Programme; 9 Harry Bloom’s Band; 10.45 Jim Davidson’s Dance Band.

Jan. 3 (Wed.) —1.40 p.m. Race Descriptions - 8 “Women and Song'; 8.30 Play; “The Inspector General”; 10 “Melody by Moonlight”; 10.30 Harry Bloom’s Band.

Jan. 4 (Thurs.) —1.40 p.m. Moonee Valley Races; 8 “Colour Canvas”; 8.20 “Emma and ’Erbert”; 8.30 Musical Comedy, with Gladys Moncrieff; 9.45 Frank Clune; 10 Modern Music -10.40 Dance Music.

Jan. 5 (Frl.) —8.30 p.m. Recital (lan Mc- Murtrie); 8.40 Brass Band Music; 9 Jim David son’s Band; 10.30 Violin Recital.

Jan. 6 (Sat.) —1.40 p.m. Sporting Descriptions; 8.15 Music; 9.15 Strella Wilson (Soprano).

Jan. 7 (Sun.) —5.30 p.m. Children’s Play; 6.45 Bass Recital (Stanley Clarkson); 8 Play “Pull Circle”; 8.45 Isadpre Goodman & Virtuoso Players; 9.15 Strella Wilson (Soprano); 9.45 “in the Public Eye”.

Jan. 8 (Mon.) —-1.35 p.m. Sheffield Shield Cricket: 7.45 “Men Talking”; 8 Serial “39 Steps”; 9 Jim Davidson & Connors; 9.45 Talk- Frank Clune; 10 Military Band.

Jan. 9 (Tues.) —1.35 p.m. Sheffield Shield Cricket; 8 Orchestral Concert; 9 Harry Bloom’s Band; 9.45 Collingwood Band; 10.30 Dance Music (Jim Davidson).

Jan. 10 (W’ed.) —1.35 p.m. Race and Cricket Descriptions; 8 “Women and Song”; 8.30 Play— “ Fashion Belong Mr. Fisher”; 9’. 15 Master singers; 10 Violin & Piano Recital; 10.30 Harry Bloom’s Band.

Jan. 11 (Thurs.) —1.35-4.15 p.m. Pakenham Races; 8 Colour Canvas; 8.20 “Emma & ’Erbert”; 8.30 Musical Comedy, with Gladys Moncrieff; 9.45 Talk—Frank Clune; 10.40 A.B.C. Dance Band.

Jan. 12 (Fri.) —8 p.m. Light Orchestra; 8.30 Ballad Recital; 8.40 Military Band; 9 “These Were Hits”, with Jim Davidson; 10.15 Story.

Jan. 13 (Sat.) —1.35 p.m. Ascot Races & Shef field Shield Cricket; 7.45 Music Hall Memories; 9.15 Pianoforte Recital; 9.45 Orchestral Pro gramme.

Mr. Francis G. Hutton and Mr, Walter G. Petersen resigned from the New Guinea Administration in November.

June 7 £11 15 0 £12 7 6 September 6 . . £9 17 6 £10 17 6 December 6 .. £12 17 6 £14 0 0 South Sea.

South Sea.

Plantation.

Smoked, to Genoa Sun-Dried Hot-air Dried.

London and Marseilles, to London Rabaul, Price on- —Per ton, c.i.f.

Per ton. c.i.f.

Per ton, c.i.f.

Jan. 3, 1 36 £13 2 6 £13 15 0 £14 0 0 Mar. 8 . . £11 15 0 £12 16 0 £13 0 0 June 5 . . £11 10 0 £12 0 0 £12 17 0 Sept. 4 . . £13 2 6 £13 10 0 £14 12 6 Dec. 4 . . £19 7 6 £19 7 6 £20 7 6 Jan. 8. 37 £22 12 6 £22 12 6 £23 12 6 Mar. 5 . . £19 0 0 £19 5 0 £20 0 0 June 4 . £15 15 0 £15 12 6 £16 12 6 Sept. 3 . . £13 5 0 £13 5 0 £14 0 0 Dec. 3 . . £12 10 0 £12 12 6 £13 7 6 Jan. 7, ' 38 £12 12 6 £12 15 0 £13 12 6 Feb. 4 . .. £11 2 6 £11 10 0 £12 7 6 Mar. 4 .. £10 17 6 £11 0 0 £12 0 0 Apr. 1 .. £10 10 0 £10 12 6 £11 10 0 May 6 . . £10 17 6 £10 17 6 £11 17 6 June 3 . . £9 15 0 £9 15 0 £10 12 6 July 1 . . £9 17 6 £9 17 6 £10 17 6

Aug. 5 . £9 15 0 £9 15 0 £10 15 0 sept. 2 £9 10 0 £9 10 0 £10 10 O Oct. 7 . . £9 2 6 £9 2 6 £10 2 s Nov. 4 . £8 12 6 £8 12 6 £9 10 0 Dec. 2 . £9 5 0 £9 5 0 £10 2 6 Jan. «, ’39 £9 12 6 £9 15 0 £10 10 0 Jan. 13 £9 10 0 £9 12 6 £10 7 5 Jan. 20 .. £9 7 6 £9 10 0 £10 5 0 Jan. 27 . . £9 7 S £9 10 0 £10 5 0 Feb. 3 .. .. £9 10 0 £9 12 6 £10 10 0 Feb. 10 . . £9 7 6 £9 10 0 £10 10 0 Peb. 17 .. £9 15 9 £10 0 0 £10 17 6 Peb. 24 . . £9 17 6 £10 2 6 £11 0 o Mar. 3 .. £10 0 0 £10 2 6 £11 0 0 Mar. 10 . £9 17 6 £10 2 6 £11 0 o Mar, 17 .. £9 15 0 £9 17 6 £10 17 f Mar. 24 . . £9 15 0 £9 17 6 £10 17 f Mar. 31 .. £9 12 6 £9 IS 0 £10 IB • April 6 £9 12 6 £9 15 0 £10 15 O’

April 14 . £9 10 0 £9 12 6 £10 12 « April 21 . £9 10 0 £9 12 6 £10 12 6 April 28 £9 17 6 £10 0 0 £11 0 0 May 5 . . £10 0 0 £10 5 0 £11 0 0 May 12 .. £10 5 0 £10 10 0 £11 5 $ May 19 .. £10 5 0 £10 7 6 £11 2 c May 26 .. £10 7 6 £10 10 0 £11 7 6 June 2 .. £10 7 6 £10 10 0 £11 7 6 June 9 .. £10 6 0 £10 10 0 £11 7 8 June 16 . . £9 15 0 £10 0 0 £10 17 8 June 23 .. £9 10 0 £9 15 0 £10 15 0 June 30 . . £9 5 0 £9 7 6 £10 7 8 July 7 £9 2 6 £9 7 6 £10 5 o July 14 . . £9 0 0 £9 5 0 £10 0 o July 21 . . £8 15 0 £8 17 6 £9 12 6 July 28 .. £9 0 0 £9 2 6 £10 0 0 Aug. 4 .. £9 2 6 £9 5 0 £10 5 o Aug. 11 .. £9 2 6 £9 5 0 £10 5 o Aug. 18 . . £9 0 0 £9 2 6 £10 2 8 Aug. 25 .. £9 5 0 £9 7 5 £10 7 8 Sept. 1 . . £9 10 0 £9 12 6 £ in 12 6 Sept. 8—Not quoted—outbreak of War.

Sept. 15 . [not quoted!

Sept. 29 , > . [not quoted] Sept. 22 . . [not quoted] Oct. 6 . . £11 15 0 [unquoted] £12 IS a Oct. 12— -Fixed price, until further notice. 1 based on £ 12/7/6 per ton, c.i.f., London fnr plantation hot-air dried.

Copra

South Sea, Sun-dried Plantation, Hot-air Dried, andon to London Rabaul Price on— Per ton. c.i.f, Per ton c.i.f.

January 1, 1932 . . £14 0 0 £14 15 0 June 17 . .. £13 2 6 £13 5 0 December 16 £14 2 6 £14 6 • January 6, 1933 £13 0 0 £13 12 6 March 3 .. £11 7 6 £11 10 0 June 30 . . .. £10 17 6 £11 0 0 September 29 , . . £9 7 6 £9 10 0 December 1 .. . . .. £8 12 6 £9 0 0 January 5, 1934 £8 0 0 £8 7 6 March 30 .. .. £7 7 6 £8 0 0 June 15 £8 0 0 £8 12 6 September 7 .. . . .. £7 12 6 £8 15 0 December 28 £9 0 0 £9 12 6 January 4, 1935 £9 5 0 £10 5 0 March 1 .. ,. £12 2 6 £12 15 0

Rubber

London Plantation Para.

Smoked.

Price on— per lb. per lb.

January 6, 1933 .. .. 2.43d.

July 7 .. 3.71d.

December 8 . . 4.0%.

January 5, 1934 .. . 4%d. .. 4.28d.

July 6 .. 7.06d.

December 28 .. .. .. 5d. .. 6V 4 d.

January 4. 1935 .. .. 5d. .. 6%d.

July 5 . .. 7%d.

December 6 . . .. .. 6%d. .. 6%d.

January 3, 1936 . . . 63/ 4 d. .. 6%d.

June 5 .. .. 9d. .. 7V 4 d.

December 4 .. 9 l-16d January 8, 1937 .. 1/2 .. 10%d.

June 4 .. 9 5-8d.

December 3 .. .. 7*/ad. .. 7Vad.

January 7, 1938 .. . 7»/ 4 d. .. 7d.

July 1 .. .. 6%d. .. 7%d.

December 2 7%d. . . 8d.

January 6, 1939 .. . 7d. .. 8%d.

February 3 6%d. .. 7%d.

March 3 7%d. .. 8 5-16d, April 6 7d. .. 8d.

May 5 .. .. 7V 4 d. . . 7 15/16d.

May 12 .. 7 31-32d June 2 7*/ 4 d. .. 8 5-l«d July 7 .. 8% July 14 7%d. .. 8%d.

July 21 .. .. 7»/ 2 d. .. 8%d.

July 28 7»/ 2 d. .. 8%d.

August 4 7%d. .. 8%d.

August 11 7%d. .. sy 2 d.

August 18 7 5 / 8 d. .. 8%d.

August 25 .. 7%d.

September 1 September 8 .. .. 9y 2 d. .. 9y 2 d.-10d September 15 September 22 [not quoted] September 29 lid. .. 9y a d.

October 6 lid. .. 9 9/18d.

October 13 lid. .. lOVsd.

October 20 .. .. lid. .. 10%d.

October 27 lid. .. 10 13/16d November 3 lid. .. ioy 8 d.

November 10 .. .. ny 2 d. .. 11 3/16d.

November 17 .. .. ny 2 d. . . 10;03y 8 d.

November 24 .. .. HV 2 d. . . 11.5% d.

December 1 .. .. 12d. . . ll%d.

December 8 .. .. 13d. . . liy 8 d.

THE following quotations were obtained in Sydney in mid-December: —

Coffee

Robusta, f.a.q., imported from Java on firm conversion of exchange, c.i.f., prompt shipment, Sydney; Quote No. 1: 19/-t per cwt. Quote No. 2: 20/3 per cwt.

Kenya, f.a.q., immediate shipment, c.i.f., Syd ney, per cwt. Quote No. 1: Grade “A”, —; grade •B”, Jan.-Feb. shipment, 66/-; grade “C”, 62/6; Triage, 57/6. Quote No. 2: Grade “B”, 64/-t; grade “C”, 58/-t.

Mysore, f.a.q., c.i.f., Sydney, per cwt.. No. 1 quotations: Grade “A”, 68/-t: grade “B”, 64/-t; Triage, 58/-. No. 2 quotations: Grade “A’ - , 72/- (Prompt Shipment); grade “B”, 65/- (Prompt Shipment); grade “C”, 57/-; Triage, 52/-.

Arabian (Aden) Hodeidah, f.a.q., c.i.f., Sydney -No. 1 quotation, 80/- stg. per cwt. No. 2 quotation, 82/- per cwt.t tPurely nominal, as sterling rates of ex change have been fluctuating widely.

Note: Importers of coffee from Java, etc., pay the following additional charges: Exchange, duty (4d. lb.), primage (10 per cent.), landing costs (1/- per cwt.) Coffee from Papua and New Guinea escapes most of these charges.

Kapok

Based on firm conversion of exchange, the c.i.f. prices for kapok in mid-December were;— Feb.-June—'Average Java, sVad. per lb., and Prime Japara, s‘/id. per lb.

Ivory Nuts

No. 1 quotation: £7 per ton. f.o.b.

No. 2 quotation; £7 per ton, f.0.b., Sydney.

Quotations nominal.

Cocoa

New Guinea Cocoa: Quote No. 1: £36-£3B per ton. Quote No. 2; £39 per ton.

Rice

Rangoon rice, packed in 100 lb. bags, £l6 per ton; 200 lb. sacks, £l5/15/- per ton, Australian table rice, packed in 56 lb. bags, £2O per ton.

Trochus Shell

Owing to Japan’s restrictions on overseas credits, there have been no sales for some time.

The following are nominal quotations from three Sydney sources:—

Mother of Pearl Shell

At the last Mother of Pearl Shell sales in London, before war broke out, prices ruling were; Torres Strait shell, from 110/- per cwt. B Stout medium to 15/- per cwt. for EE rejections; Black Edged Tahiti, no demand; Black Edged Fiji, 20/- for small to bold and 5/- for defective and broken.

Green Snail Shell

Green snail shell, quoted nominally by Sydney buyers:—Quote No. 1: £4O; No. 2: £5O.

£ £ £ No. 1 grade 75 77 80 NO. 2 grade 65 66 Vi 70 No. 3 grade 52 52 56 All quotes are f.o.b., and on the Australian £.

THE following exchange quotations, gathered in Sydney, show the rates existing in mid-December:—

Fiji—Through Bank Of N.S.W.

And Bank Of New Zealand

Australia on Fiji on basis of £lOO FIJI: Buying £ Alll/2/6, selling £AII3.

Pljl-London on basis £lOO London; — Buying. Selling.

New Caledonia—Through

French Bank

Drafts, Sydney-Noumea and Noumea-Sydney, are on basis -of current rate of exchange on Paris, less % per cent, (approx.) either way.

As quoted by the Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris, in Sydney, and the Banque de ITndo- China, Noumea. On December 14, when the Australian £ was nominally worth 139.25 francs, £lOO Australian would purchase a draft in Noumea of 13,750. (Subject to Exchange Control

Regulations.)

direct telegraphic transfer

Selling Rates

Quoted by

Bank Op New South Wales

in Australia.

Australia on Papeete Francs to £ Australian.

The above are nominal only—no business has been transacted on that basis.

Western Samoa—Through

Bank Of N.Z.

Exchange, Australia on Western Samoa, basis £lOO Samoa—buying. £A99/12/6; selling,

£ Aloo/2/6.

Exchange, Samoa on London, basis £lOO in London:—

New Guinea And Papua

Through Bank Of N.S.W.

Australia on Papua 10/- per cent, premium each way, equivalent to commission of 10/- per cent.; Australia on Rabaul 10/- per cent, pre mium. ' ’ i Papua and New Guinea on London: Same as Australia on London and vice versa. (Continued Overleaf)

Average for week ended 20/11/39 .. .. .. 138.27 Average for week ended 27/11/39 .. .. . . 138.27 Average for week ended 4/12/39 .. .. .. 138.27 Average for week ended 11/12/39 .. .. .. 138.27 Australia on Noumea Francs to £ Australian.

Average for week ended 20/11/39 .. .. .. 137.77 Average for week ended 27/11/39 . . .. .. 137.77 Average for week ended 4/12/39 . . .. .. 137.77 Average for week ended 11/12/39 . . .. .. 137.77

Buying.

Selling.

Telegraphic transfer — £125 10 0 On Demand £122 18 9 125 7 8 30 days 122 8 9 125 2 6

60 days .. .. 18 9 124 17 6 90 days .. .. 121 8 9 124 12 6 120 days .. .. 18 9 —

£. s. d. £. s. d.

Telegraphic transfer ... 110 15 0 112 0 0 On demand 110 12 6 111 17 6

Prom Australia, Port Moresby, 10/- per cent.; on Rabaul, 10/- per cent.—Other Papua and New Guinea districts, £1 per cent.

From Rabaul on London, same as Australia on London:— Buying; T.T, £AI2S equals £stg. 100.

Selling: T.T. £AI2S/10/- equals £stg. 100.

A paragraph in the November issue of the “P.1.M.”, which stated that Mr. H. A*! Bentley had resigned from the Gilbert Islands, is incorrect. Mr. Bentley, who at present is a resident of Mount Roskill, Auckland, did not resign from the service—he was retired owing to ill health.

rpHE shipping timetables which, presented in these pages, have been a feature rfc. e 2L th s« ,l ?S?l I S lail s ! i fO 5 nearl y ™ years, may not. for obvious reasons, be published while Britain and Prance are at war. We regret the incon- SSSSS. t 0 glands residents; but war-time regulations must be complied with.

Publication of the timetables win be resumed as soon as it is possible and prac ticable.)

Sydney-Papua-New Guinea

The motor-ships "Macdhul" and “Malaita”, owned and operated by Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd.. 7 Bridge St., Sydney, maintain a regular service.

Papua Inter-Island Services

The M.V. “Nusa” (Steamships Trading Co., Ltd., Port Moresby, Papua) and the M.V.

“Lakatoi” (Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd.) carry on coastal and inter-island services.

New Guinea Inter-Island

Services

The S.S. “Maiwara” and M.V. “Muliama” (Burns. Philp and Co. Ltd) and the S.S. “Coom bar”, M.V. “Desikoko”, M.V. “Duranbah”, and S.S. “Mako” (W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd., 19 O’Connell St.. Sydney) maintain inter-island services in the Mandated Territory.

Hong Kong—New Guinea

The M.V. “Yunnan”, operating for Colyer, Watson (New Guinea) Ltd., of Rabaul, carries on a regular service between Hong Kong and New Guinea. At Hong Kong, the vessel con nects with the Blue Funnel liners running to Europe and the United Kingdom.

Sydney-Papua-N.G.-Hong Kong

The M.V “Neptuna”, owned and operated by Burns, Philp and Co., carries on a service.

Sydney-T.1.-Darwin-Singapore

The vessels “Marella” and “Merkur”, owned and operated by Bums, Philp and Co. Ltd., carry on a regular service.

Saigon-Java-South Seas-N.Z.-

Sydney

The vessels “Maetsuycker” and “Tasman”, owned and operated by the Royal Packet Navi gation Co. Ltd., 255 George St., Sydney, main tain a regular service.

Sydney-Rabaul-Hong Kong

The vessels “Nellore”. “Tanda”, and “Nan kin”, owned and operated by the E and A Steamship Co. Ltd., 37 Pitt St., Sydney, carry on a regular service.

Sydney-Papua-8.5.1.-New Guinea

The M.V. “Malaita”, owned and operated by Burns, Philp and Co. Ltd., maintains a regular service.

Solomon Islands Inter-Island

Service

The AS. “Mamutu” (Burns Philp (South Seal co. Ltd.) operates among the Islands of the Group, on a regular schedule.

Sydney-Norfolk Island-New

Hebrides-B.S.L

The S.S “Morinda”, owned and operated by Burns, Philp and Co. Ltd., carries on a regular service. 8

New Hebrides Inter-Island

Services

The S.S. “Mlrani” (Burns Philp (South Sea) Co. Ltd.) and M.V. “Polynesian” (Messageries Maritimes Co., 36 Grosvenor St., Sydney) carry on services among the islands of the Group.

Sydney-Noumea-New Hebrides

Indochina

The vessel “Pierre Loti”, owned and oper ated by Messageries Maritimes Co., maintains a service.

Noumea-Australia

The S.S. “Neo Hebrldais” (Soclete Maritime et Miniere Hagen, Noumea, New Caledonia) and the “Cap Tarlfa”, “Capitaine Illlaquer”, and “Notou” (Societe Le Nickel, Noumea, New Caledonia), carry on services.

New Caledonia Inter.Island

Services

The M.V. “La Phoque” (Societe des Hes Loy alty, Noumea, New Caledonia) maintains con nection with the coastal ports of New Cale donia and with the islands of the Loyalty Group.

Gilbert And Ellice Inter-Island

Services

The M.V. "Moamoa” (Burns Philp (South Sea) Co. Ltd.) and M.V. “John Bolton” (W. R. Car penter and Co. Ltd.) connect with all Islands in the Group.

Sydney-N.Z.-Ftji-Samoa-Hawaii

The liners “Mariposa” and “Monterey”, owned and operated by the Matson Navigation Co., 12 Bridge St., Sydney, maintain a service.

Sydney-N.Z.-Fiji-Hawaii

The liners “Aorangi” and “Niagara”, owned and operated by the Union Steam Ship Co. of

N.Z. Ltd., 247 George St., Sydney, maintain a service.

Fiji Inter-Island Services

The M.V. “Matafele” and M.V. “Yanawal” (Burns Philp (South Sea) Co. Ltd.) and the M.V. “Tui Cakau”, M.S. “Adi Rewa”, and M.S.

“Tui Kauvaro” (Morris, Hedstrom Ltd., Suva, Fiji) carry on services among the Islands of the Group.

Central Pacific Services

The M.V. “Matua”, owned and operated by the Union Steam Ship Co. of N.Z., Ltd., main tains a service between New Zealand, Cook Is., Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji. The Co. also runs a cargo service from Sydney to Nth. America, via Fiji and Tahiti.

New Zealand-Samoa-Niue

The M.V. “Maui Pomare”, owned and oper ated by the New Zealand Government, main tains a service. Apply for details to the De partment of External Affairs, Wellington, N.Z.

Australia-Nauru-Ocean Island

Vessels are despatched fairly regularly from Australia and from New Zealand to Nauru and Ocean Island by the British Phosphate Com mission, Henty House, Little Collins St., Mel bourne.

Sydney-Noumea-Tahiti

A service between Sydney and Tahiti is main tained by Messageries Maritimes Co., passengers connecting with the M.M. liners “Eridan”, “Sa glttaire”, “Vllle d’Amlens”, and “Commlssalre Ramel” at Noumea (New Caledonia) per the “Pierre Loti” from Sydney (see Sydney-Noumea- New Hebrides service). The big M.M. liners carry on a service between France and New Caledonia.

French Oceania Inter-Island

Service

The small vessel “Hiro” maintains a service between Tahiti and the Leeward Group.

Samoan Inter-Island Services

The Apia customs launch connects regularly with the Matson liners “Monterey” and

“Mariposa” at Pago Pago (American Samoa); and the small vessel “Tutulla” makes regular trips between the two Territories, operating from Pago Pago.

Australia-Central Pacific

Mexico

The M.V. “Tulagi”, owned and operated by Burns, Philp and Co, Ltd., makes voyages from Australia to Mexico, via Fiji, Tonga, and other Central Pacific ports.

Europe-Suva-N.Z.-Sydney-New

Guinea

The M.V. “Rabaul”, M.V. “Salamaua”, and S.S.

“Suva”, owned and operated by W. R. Carpen ter and Co. Ltd., carry on services between Europe and Australia, via South Sea Islands.

U.S.A.-South Seas

A service between the Pacific coast of America and the main South Sea Islands is maintained by the Pacific Transport Line (U.S.A.), using the motor-ships “Thor I” and “Velox”. Time tables can be obtained from the Australasian agents, Birt & Co., Ltd., 4 Bridge Street, Sydney, or any of their branch offices.

Japan-N.G.-Noumea-New Zealand

The M.V. “Canberra Maru”, M.V. “Sydney Maru”, and M.V. “Tokyo Maru” (Osaka Shosen Kaisha Line, Osaka, Japan) and the S.S. “Nani wa Maru” and S.S. “Muko Maru” (Yamashlta Risen Kaisha Line, Osaka, Japan) maintain re gular services from Japan to New Zealand and Australia, via Pacific Islands ports. Timetable particulars are available on personal application to the Australasian agents, Birt and Co. Ltd., 4 Bridge St., Sydney, or any of their branch offices and agents.

Sydney-Papua-N.G. Air Service

Regular air mail services between Australia and Papua and New Guinea are maintained by W.R.C. Airlines Ltd., 19 O’Connell St., Sydney, with De Havilland airliners. Timetable details can be obtained from any branch of the firm.

N.G. Goldfields Air Services

Aeroplane services between Salamaua and Lae (the N.G. mainland ports) and Wau and other centres on the Morobe Goldfield are conducted

by Guinea Airways Ltd., Mandated Airlines Ltd., and other aerial transport companies. The aerial services are the only means of commu nication.

Wau-Port Moresby Air Service

Aeroplane services between the New Guinea goldfields (Morobe, etc.) and Port Moresby, Pa pua, are maintained by Guinea Airways Ltd., of Lae, and Mandated Airlines Ltd., of Sala maua. Schedule details available on personal application to any branch of the firms, from the pursers of the Burns, Philp mail steamers, or branches of W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd.

THE following staff movements in the New Guinea Public Service were announced in November by the Acting-Government Secretary:—

Permanent Staff Transfers

Health Dept.—Dr. H. S. Roberts, Medical Officer, Rabaul to Wewak; C. R. Tully, Medical Assistant, Rabaul to Kieta.

District Services Dept.—J. A. Costelloe, Patrol Officer, Rabaul to Kavieng; D. C. McPhee, Patrol Officer, Rabaul to Wewak; G. Stevenson, Patrol Officer, Rabaul to Kieta.

Police Force. —L. R. P. Johnson, Warrant Officer, Rabaul to Naffiatanai.

Mrs. R. Knox has been appointed to the Temporary Staff, as a nurse.