Tropicalities

THIS happened in the Salamaua Hotel, conducted by the dynamic Mrs. Alan Innes.

Old Timer (having reached the lach rymose state of bibulousness); Poor old Jock Davidson! He sat down in the soda-water (sea) and put a cap and dy namite into his mouth, and went out.

Mrs. Innes (briskly): And a very good thing, too. Think of the horrible mess he’d have made if he’d done it in a bed room! * * * NOT long ago, 1 went ashore from m.v. Macdhui to the beach at Lin denhaven (New Guinea), with the assistant district officer. He had several parcels, which he dumped into the boat, but there was one which he nursed tenderly.

"What’s this that you are guarding with your life?” I asked, finally.

“A bit of fresh meat,” said the A.D.O., lovingly. “I haven’t tasted anything except tinned stuff and blasted chickens for two months.”

“Must be monotonous,” I murmured, sympathetically.

“Monotonous!” he snorted. “If you only knew how a man out in these out stations gets to hate Mr. Hellaby, and Mr. Barnes, and Mr. Walker, and Mr.

Playfair, and all the other meat packers. I think it’s the deadly same ness of the stuff that comes out of the tin that drives men to the bottle, just for variety. They could make things much easier for us if they’d only paste on to their tins a few simple recipes, showing how to prepare these meats in new and attractive forms. You might tell them about it, will you?”

It has been done. * * * THE port doctor at Samarai owns a graceful launch, which he has ro mantically named “L’Espero.” It was inevitable, of course, that it should come to be known throughout that flip pant community as “The Aspro.” (Memo. for advertising manager: Charge the Nicholas Pty., of Melbourne, 7/- per inch for this advertisement.) * * * ONE nominates the native gaol in Port Moresby as unique in the world. Out of the 160 prisoners kept there, no less than 125 are offi cially classed as murderers. The “mur derers,” of course, are mostly native gentlemen of the old school, who be came involved in inter-tribal fights in districts outside European influence, “got their man’’ —and now, as a result of inquisitiveness by patrol officers, are temporarily in Port Moresby, learning something of the art of road mainten ance. * * * A BUNGALOW, 18 miles from Port Moresby, had to be connected by telephone with Port Moresby through a party line. Telephone Direc tor Boileau gave instructions to two native boys he had trained. They left at 6 a.m., carrying all necessary gear, about 400 yards of wire, and their kaikai (six plain biscuits). They walked 18 miles, wired up the house, put in in strument and earth-wire, tapped the

main line and made the connection, rang through at 3 p.m. to say the job was done, and walked back to town.

Total labour cost, 10d. —being wages for two “boys” at 4d. per day each, and 2d. worth of biscuits. The same job in Australia would have cost about 150 times that amount. The mechanics would have taken two days instead of one, they certainly would not have walked, and their wages would work out at about 4d. for ten minutes, in stead of 4d. per day. It is an eye opener, for those who believe chat the Papuan is a pretty hopeless savage, to discover that in Papua the trained natives can measure up a house for electric light and power, put in a com plete installation and work to blue prints, with very little white super vision. * * * A FORMER Thursday Island man, Mr.

A. J. Hockings, who visited Tahiti in 1846, tells in an old manuscript of a hat he sold to a native on his schooner in Papeete harbour.

When he arrived there, the natives swarmed round the vessel in their canoes, and one asked if he could buy a hat. A case was pulled out and the article changed hands, to the satisfac tion of the trader, who scented good business, as it had started so early.

Next day there came a summons to attend the court to “show cause,” etc.

To Mr. Hockings’ astonishment, he learned that he should have first taken out a trader’s licence. The case was presided over by “three or four very hungry-looking Frenchmen, and the in former, an American shopkeeper, who had been watching the proceedings on the schooner through a telescope.” The unfortunate defender was fined £30 —a poor return for the sale of a hat worth a few shillings.

It is not surprising that Mr. Hock ings’ narrative displays a sensation of relief when they sailed without further extortions; and that the author feel ingly remarks, “We began to under stand by this time that newcomers were looked upon as revenue-producing machines.” * * * THERE is, throughout the Pacific Islands. a noticeable differ ence in the rates of pay allowed for average native labour. Figures which have been recently quoted in this journal show the following: Papua—10/- per month.

Territory of New Guinea —8/- per month.

British Solomon Islands —20/- per month.

Fiji—20/- per month.

Gilbert Islands (for labour signed on for phosphate works at Nauru and Ocean Island) 32/- per month.

When it is remembered that the cur rency quoted in Papua and New Gmnea is Australian —which is worth 25 per cent, less than sterling —the ad vantage enjoyed by the Australian planters over their brethren in ad jacent groups is apparent. A Solomon Islands planter told the writer recently that he would “barrack” for transfer of the group to Australian administra tion, if that protectorate were to ob tain the same native labour conditions as in New Guinea.