About Islands People.

Ratu J. L. V. Sukuna, a leading chief of Fiji, and in the Government service as a District Commissioner, has re ceived from Paris, through Major Clive Joske (French Consular Agent in Suva), the Military Medal of the French Army.

Ratu Sukuna was an Oxford University student in 1914, and was unsuccessful in an attempt to enlist in the British Army.

He joined the French Foreign Legion, and was in an attack in the Champagne before Fort Navarin in December, 1914, from which only 35 men returned out of 250 in his battalion. He was two years in the Foreign Legion, was wounded and returned to Fiji, where his arrival was the occasion of a remarkable de monstration. He subsequently returned to France with the Fiji Labour Corps, which did good work in France and Italy.

Among the passengers who arrived in Sydney from Vila by the last “Morinda” on December 6 were Mrs. Norton Smith, wife of the Vila manager of Messrs.

Burns, Philp, and Captain Tschaun, of the inter-island steamer “Makambo”.

Dr. H. Burrell, of the Paton memorial Hospital, Presbyterian Mission, was also a passenger.

Mr. S. J. P. Pickett, who was well known in Levuka, Fiji, died at Hamil ton, New Zealand, on October 23. Mr.

Pickett arrived in the Colony in 1926 and was manager of the Levuka branch of the Bank of New Zealand until he was transferred to New Zealand in April of this year. He was held in high es teem by the people of Levuka and had rendered valuable service to the com munity, particularly the Levuka Bowl ing Club.

Rev. J. F. Goldie, of the Methodist Church of New Zealand, will arrive in Sydney by the December “Mataram.”

He is stationed at Roviana, on New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands.

Rev. A. W. Pederick, a Methodist mis sionary at Piniqidu, New Ireland, ar rived in Melbourne, on furlough, by the “Nellore” on November 27. He is accom panied by his wife and their two children.

Hon. Tugi, Prince Consort to Queen Salote, and Prime Minister of Tonga, arrived in Auckland on December 7. He is accompanied by his son, the Crown Prince Taufaatan, who will go to Syd ney to be educated after a six months’ holiday in New Zealand. The Hon. Tugi will make representations to the New Zealand Government regarding the re striction of banana imports, the results of which have been felt severely in Tonga.

Mr. R. Meredith, manager of the en gine department of the Neptune Slip and Engineering Co., Lavender Bay, Sydney, will leave for Rabaul next month. A special job on one of the ves sels of Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd., takes him north. Mr. Meredith is an expert Diesel engineer, having served his apprenticeship in the shops of Vic kers, Ltd., at Barrow-in-Furness. He has made frequent passages to the Is lands and recently he perfected the Aus tralian-made Nesco Diesel marine en gine some of which are in service in the Pacific.

The Rev. A. H. Wood, M.A., B.D., who brought the choir of sixteen Tongan boys to Sydney by the “Aorangi,” is the Principal of Tubou College, Nukualofa.

This is not the first time he has visited Australia with a choir, as he brought a party on a tour of Victoria and New South Wales early in 1928. The present choir will tour Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland before returning to Tonga in April.

Mr. James Johnson, who was Super intendent of the New Guinea Public Works Department, died at Fremantle, Western Australia, on October 11, while on furlough. Mr. Johnson arrived in the Territory in 1917 with the Australian Contingent Forces and later was in charge of the Administration Depot at Matupi Island. He was very popular and took an active interest in the social and sporting life of Rabaul, being one of the founders of the Rabaul Masonic Lodge and, at one time, President of the New Guinea Club.

Mr. J. A. Carpenter, managing direc tor of W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd., returned to Sydney by the “Nellore” on November 23, after a business trip to New Guinea.

Mr. J. W. Liston, accompanied by his wife, left Apia, Western Samoa, on Oc tober 28 by the “Tiafau,” for Pago Pago, en route to England. For the past eight years Mr. Liston has been in charge of the L.M.S. printing office at Malua, the headquarters of the Society. Mr. Liston is on furlough and will be absent for 16 months.

Mr. R. Walshe, of Papua, deserves to be congratulated on having recently been awarded the degree of Fellow of the Faculty of Practising Accountants. He received this further recognition of his accountancy and commercial qualifica tions during his visit to the South, where his characteristic energy and ability is recognised, and this adds one more to his many other diplomas of ac countancy and commerce, etc. Mr.

Walshe is well-known in Papua, Fiji, and other parts of the Pacific and Aus tralia, where his work in connection with planting and other activities has from time to time taken him, and is highly esteemed for his genial, unas suming manner and quiet efficiency, Mr. Louis Jersy, a resident of Suva for the last 40 years, died in the War Memorial Hospital, Suva, on November 7. He was born in France and was 85 years of age.

Mr. James H. Watson, who died sud denly in Rabaul on November 14, was widely known as a capable cattleman in Australia before taking up residence in the Territory. He was well-known in the Solomons, where he was in the service of Choiseul Plantations Ltd. Afterwards he went to New Britain and was mana ger of Ablingi Plantation for some years.

Mr. Gordon Thomas, of Soraken, Buka, New Guinea, who is a well-known resi dent of the Territory, arrived in Sydney by the December “Macdhui.” Mr.

Thomas, who is accompanied by Mrs.

Thomas, probably will visit New Zea land before returning to the Territory in April.

Mr. J. Devanet has joined the staff of Holden’s Air Transport Co., Salamaua.

Mr. John Sandes, the well-known Australian journalist, was a passenger to Norfolk Island by the “Morinda” which left Sydney on December 20. He will visit his son, Mr. Archer Sandes, who was lately a Patrol Officer in Papua and is now a resident of Norfolk Island.

Rev. Maurice Prater, who has been en gaged in mission work under the direc tion of the John G. Paton Fund Com mittee, at Paama, New Hebrides, arrived in Melbourne during December on fur lough. Mr. Prater will remain in Vic toria for two months and then proceed to England, where he will deliver ad dresses on the work of the Presbyterian missions in the New Hebrides.

Mr. Ronald Stebbins, the headmaster of the Toonak School at Suva, Fiji, ar rived in Melbourne on December 4. He will leave for Fiji again in April next.

Pastor Cyril Palmer returned to Syd ney by the “Zealandia” on December 13, after eight years’ missionary work in Fiji and Tonga.

Mr. “Boy” Wilson, who until a year ago had been employed as an engineer in the Public Works Dept., Suva, for ten years, died in the War Memorial Hos pital, Suva, on November 9. He was a married man and had nine children.

Mr. Louis J. Joubert, assistant mana ger of Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., ac companied by Mrs. Joubert, has returned from a visit to America. He will be a passenger by the “Macdhui” to New Guinea.

Messrs. Tom Yeomans, S. Baker and O. Moen, of the staff of Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., arrived in Sydney on fur lough by the “Macdhui” on December 14.