News Items In Brief.

“New Sin” For Rabaul.

A well-known Melbourne actor, Mr.

Norman Carter, intends to leave in Oc tober in an attempt to sail from Mel bourne to London in his yacht, Oimara.

His crew will include a photographer and a journalist and professional actors, and they intend to pay their way by staging plays at all ports where there is a fairly large English-speaking popu lation. Their first port of call will be Rabaul, where they will produce a play entitled, ‘‘The New Sin.”

Papuan Administrator.

We have received another letter from “Admirer” making reference to Mr. J.

T. Bensted’s letter in the June issue of “The Pacific Islands Monthly.” “Ad mirer” says: “Your correspondent is entirely wrong when he suggests that the successor to Sir Hubert Murray would have to possess experience in the Executive Council of Papua. It would be insulting to a learned judge for me to debate his qualifications with Mr.

Bensted. Suffice it for me to say that His Honor Judge Gore established his reputation at the University, the Bar and at the Great War before he saw Papua. . . Anyway, I hope that Sir Hubert Murray will not retire until he reaches the age of President Hinden burg.”

Fiji Exports And Imports.

The total imports into Fiji for the six months ended June 30, 1932, amounted to £353,383, as compared with £486,599 in the same period of 1931. The value of the exports in the same period (six months ended June 30) was £419,920, as compared with £351,759 in the same period of 1931. A little study of those figures will show the remark able soundness of Fiji. There have been substantial increases in the exports of sugar, bananas and trocas shell, but the value of copra exported has de clined by half.

Club For P.I. Association.

The membership of the Pacific Is lands’ Association continues steadily to increase. New members admitted at the last meeting included: C. E. Hart (Solomons), N. A. O’Dwyer (T.N.G.), Roger Greene (Ocean Is), A. St.C.

Compton (Ocean Is.), H. C. M. Stewart (Solo mons), H. A. Markham (Sol. Is.), C. H. V.

Hodgess (Sol. Is.), L. V. Waterhouse (Sydney), H. C. Cardew (T.N.G.), A. S. Meeks (Sydney), W. J. Hawthorne (Fiji).

The committee of the Pacific Islands’

Association is now engaged in negotia tions with the committee of a leading Sydney club, and it is hoped very

shortly to announce that membership of the Pacific Islands’ Association will automatically carry with it member ship of the club referred to, the full privileges of which will be available to Pacific Islands members whenever they make a visit to Sydney. The main ob ject in forming the Pacific Islands’ As sociation was to create an organisation which would advance the interests of Pacific Islands residents generally; but it is believed that this method of pro viding also first-class Sydney club facilities for members will be appre ciated.

The estimates for the current year of the Administrator of Samoa have not yet been published, but it is reported that by very drastic pruning of depart mental expenditure an amount has been saved equal to not less than £25,000 per annum. A very satisfactory output of cocoa and copra is expected during the year, and the prospects of a surplus, now, are not at all bad.

The net profit made by Messrs. Brown and Joske, Ltd., of Suva, Fiji, declined from £3,000 in the year ended March, 1931, to £302 in the year ended March. 1932. The company, however, was able to pay its full preference dividend from the amount of profit brought forward from the previous year. The last bal ance-sheet covered a period of extreme depression in regard to primary pro duction and general trading. The bal ance sheet figures show that the con dition of the company is extremely healthy. Capital is £69,000 and reserves are shown at over £10,000. Cash and investments amount to over £23,000, and the directors have decided to proceed with the erection of a new building in Suva. Latest figures from Fiji show that the Colony is making already a marked recovery from the general de pression.

The new Missionary vessel of the Melanesian Mission the Southern Cross —was dedicated at Greenwich, England, on July 26, in the presence of nine Bishops and 100 clergy. She is equipped as a school and hospital and she sailed for Auckland at the end of July with a large quantity of school requisites and hospital equipment. The new Bishop of Melanesia, the Rt. Rev.

W. H. Baddeley, will embark on the vessel at Auckland.

The Solomon Islands Development Company Limited showed a net profit of £1134 for the year ended March, 1931, compared with £869 for the previous year. The Directors were able to main tain a dividend from accumulated pro fits brought forward. The balance sheet figures show that the condition of the company generally is quite healthy.