Tropicalities

IN May, 1914, in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, I met a loquacious planter, Mr. William McBirney, who was causing considerable com ment —mostly hostile among his neighbours because he was insisting that tomatoes, exported from Raro tonga to New Zealand in winter-time, would be a profitable crop. He showed me three modest rows of shy little tomato plants, with which he was ex perimenting. I think they were the only tomato plants in the Cook Islands.

And now, the sequel! The July steamer from Rarotonga to N.Z. car ried 1200 cases of tomatoes, and the August steamer over 2,000 cases—all of which realised the excellent price of from 11/- to 15/- per case. I am told that there are now great tomato gardens in this island; and orange production, once Rarotonga’s staple in dustry, is now comparatively neg lected. * * * IT was learned with pleasure in the offices of the Pacific Islands Monthly that the Governor of Fiji, Sir Murchison Fletcher, in the course of a public statement con cerning the rights and privileges of the Legislative Council, quoted “that monthly journal, The Pacific Islands Monthly, whose correpondent appears to be intelligent and well informed.”

We are glad that His Excellency paid this tribute to our correspondent.

The gentleman referred to has loyally carried out the policy of the Pacific Islands Monthly, which strives always to make fair and reasonable comment, free from personal bias and prejudice.

RUBBER planters in Papua, who have been in the doldrums for a con siderable time, are beginning to take heart of grace again. The London price of Para rubber, per lb., has steadily increased during the past two months, and is now getting back to price that makes a modest profit pos sible. The London c.i.f. quotation on September 9 was 5¼d. per lb. To this must be added the exchange premium of 25 per cent., which, allowing for freight, is worth 1d. per lb. Most of the Papuan rubber is sold in a pro tected market in Australia, and that protection is equal to at least another 2d. per lb. So the value of his product to the Papuan rubber planter, after allowing for freight reductions, should be somewhere close to 8d. per lb. in Australian currency. * * * THERE must be something very at tractive about Papuan sugar, from the company-promoting point of view. We have made references to the enterprise of Tropicane, Ltd., which is trying to sell bonds in connection with some vague sugar-growing project in Papua; and we now hear of another inquiry that is proceeding. A repre sentative from a company called Fed eral Taxation Pty., Ltd., of 77 King Street, Sydney, has gone to Papua to investigate sugar-growing possibilities.

Sangara Sugar, Ltd., and the group known as “‘Senator Kingsmill’s Co.,” both of which have land on the north

east coast of the Territory, are await ing details of the Ottawa agreements and sugar preferences, before proceed ing- further. * * * Travellers by the Bums, Philp steamers “Macdhui,” “Montoro” and ‘Mataram,” warmly praise a recent innovation, under which two young ladies, skilled musicians, are sent along on each vessel to organise entertain ments for the passengers. Solomon Is lands residents, who came to Sydney on

As we go to press, we have received the following radiogram from Mrs. Allen Innes, of the Salamaua Hotel, N.G.:— “Consider item in Tropicalities callous. Under stand deceased died in Rabaul. Totally unknown to me. Please correct.”

The paragraph referred to the reported death of a Mr. Davidson. We understood that it occurred several years ago. Any offence given by the paragraph was quite unintentional.

the last “Mataram,” were so pleased with the new arrangement that they called specially at B.P.’s head office to praise the good work of the “Matar am’s” musicians, Miss Higgins and Miss Radeski. * * * IT is reported that French interests in New Caledonia and New Hebrides are definitely moving towards bring ing in Javanese, instead of Tonkinese, to work the plantations under a system of indenture. The Tonkinese, although from French territory, are regarded as undesirable, because they have become permeated with Communism. * * * THE Bill now before the Common wealth Parliament, providing a Legislative and an Executive Council for New Guinea, has a business-like appearance; and, with the characteristic drive of Major Marr, the responsible Minister, behind it, it soon will be passed and in opera tion. There will not be any serious ob jection to it in New Guinea —except, perhaps, by the Missions, who are not to be directly represented on the Leg islative Council. Probably, the point received consideration, but the number of sects represented, and their jealousy of each other would be an insuperable difficulty to the appointment of any one man to represent the Missions.

Dr. G. H. Vernon, who has been a resident of Thursday Island for many years, has sold his practice there and is leaving immediately to engage in planting activities on a property which he has purchased in Daru, in Western Papua. Dr. Vernon is one of the most popular men in that part of the South Seas, and news of his intention to leave Thursday Island was received with universal expressions of regret. He has been a devoted and highly esteemed medical man, and has also proved him self a splendid citizen, and has taken a keen and helpful interest in all public movements for the benefit of the com munity. The goodwill of the people was expressed in many forms, with a remarkable underlying note of sin cerity, at a series of functions at which the popular doctor was farewelled. No one regrets more than “The Pacific Is lands Monthly” the departure of Dr.

Vernon from Thursday Island. He is a writer of unusual ability, and many of his little sketches describing Islands life have been among the most valued features of this journal.