Tropicalties

ONE ardent believer in the value of the aeroplane as a factor in Islands communications and development is Mr. G. H. Murray, Director of Agricul ture in New Guinea. He spent long leave recently in an extensive tour of the West Indies, investigating tropical agricultural conditions there, which may in future interest New Guinea, and he travelled nearly everywhere by ’plane.

The aerial services of Pan-Pacific Air ways—a powerful American company— cover most of the West Indies, and they are fast, cheap and wonderfully ef ficient. Mr. Murray went right across the Archipelago, from Panama and Porto Rico to Haiti and Cuba, by a network of air service: and now he believes that, as population grows and industries are developed, similar aerial services will become an important fac tor in future life in the South Pacific. * * * THERE is something about the happy isles of Tonga which seems to de velop a writer’s itch, and a happy capacity for the right phrase. We have had from Tonga more letters, and let ters more aptly written —dealing with administrative subjects—than from any other Pacific Territory. There seems to be two schools of thought—one which is friendly towards the Government, and its hopes and expectations (even unto the banana venture!) and another which is ready, with bell, book and candle, to curse the kingdom and its administration, and all its works. We have several lengthy letters on hand from Tongan controversialists, which will be published as soon as possible.

They ought to be thrown out, owing to their excessive length; but they are so well-written, and are so brightly argu mentative, that we have not the heart for the slaughter. * * * THE other day, I heard two Islands administration officials squabbling over a Territory budget. They were getting ready to “cut” estimates, and they were casting calculating eyes over the lists of salaries.

“Too many of these scientific John nies,” said one. “We’ve got half a dozen on the strength now.”

“Yes,” agreed the second official.

“They’re all right in prosperous days, when there’s plenty of money about.

But, in these times, they should go overboard with other luxuries.”

Ten minutes later, back in my office, I opened a letter from a friend in the Cook Islands, who told me of how an entomologist, by introducing a species of Chalcid fly to Aitutaki, had suc

ceeded in wiping out a citrus scale which was threatening to destroy all the orange groves in that fertile island.

I remembered, also, the remarkable story of how the introduction of a parasite from the East Indies destroyed the pest that, for 40 years., had made copra production impracticable in Viti Levu, Fiji. There is scarcely an Ad ministrator’s report published nowa days which does not bear testimony to the good work being done in these tropical countries by “the scientific Johnnies” —agricultural, medical, ento mological, etc. Science is the eyes of industry and progressive development.

Better retrench a dozen clerks, than one research man. • • • OUR Thursday Island correspondent sends these Torres Strait pilot stories: —One of the pilots was going about with a black band round his arm; he had just had bad news from Hongkong, he said —“Tom” was dead.

“Tom” had made his appearance some weeks previously on the vessel he was piloting up the Barrier Reef, and at once became a general favourite on board. He was not a stowaway, as he jumped quite openly on the deck, and, on being taken into the chart room, put up a pair of long, lean hands, bowed his head and offered up a prayer of thanksgiving. “Tom” was a praying mantis, and no one on the ship knew what to feed him on, until cockroaches were suggested and found favour. A letter from China contained the sad news that he had over eaten himself and passed away. One of the other pilots seemed disappointed on hearing the tale and capped it by another. One of his ships took on a mantis as pas senger long ago, he said —it must have been a very long time ago and almost suggests the days of Noah —and had laid an egg on the skipper’s bunk. A young mantis duly appeared, and the mother then took up the business in earnest. More eggs and more young mantises came along, till the supply of cockroaches ran out and the entire family perished from starvation. * * * IN view of the series of questions which Mr. Roland Green asked re cently in the House of Representa tives, in connection with matters in New Guinea, our Rabaul correspondent states he understands that Mr. Green, who is at present visiting the Terri tory, has been almost inundated with requests for interviews from persons with grievances or “an axe to grind.”