Administrators.

Three Believed to be Consider ing Retirement.

THE Lieut.-Governor of Papua, Sir Hubert Murray, has been granted 10 months’ leave of absence. His Ex cellency will leave Port Moresby in July and probably, after visiting Syd ney, will proceed to London.

Sir Hubert Murray’s plans are not definitely known, but it is thought in semi-official quarters that, as he has now celebrated his 70th birthday, he is probably giving serious thought to re tirement at the end of this lengthy leave.

Mr. W. A. Newman, Administrator of Nauru, is approaching the retiring age of 65. It is understood that the period of his appointment has been extended by six months, and that he will then retire. The British and New Zealand Governments, which are jointly inter ested with Australia in the administra tion of Nauru, have been asked to ex press their views with regard to the appointment of a successor to Mr.

Newman. The administration of Nauru, since the War. has been left largely to the Australian Government by the other parties to the mandate.

It is also reported, semi-officially, that Brig.-General Wisdom, who has now reached the age of 61, is giving some thought to the question of retire ment, and may quite likely make a de cision before the end of the present year.

All three Administrators have been very successful in their respective of fices, and the probability of their re tirement within a few months of each other creates a difficult problem for the Commonwealth Government.

It is believed that this is one of the

reasons why the whole question of re organisation, permitting the creation of an Australian Tropical Service Corps, has been under the consideration of the Federal Government (as described else where in this issue). It probably also explains the fact that the re-classifica tion of the New Guinea Public Service, which was completed several months ago, has not been gazetted.