Tropicalities

ALL Islanders who ever had anything to do with the Prime Minis ter’s Department at Canberra must have read with pleasure the brief an nouncement that Mr. John H. Starling had been promoted to the post of Under secretary. He has been for years, in charge of that section of the Depart ment dealing with the affairs of New Guinea, Papua, Norfolk Island, etc., and he has been a most courteous, kindly and efficient official. Thousands of people sought his assistance, at different times, and he has never been known to refuse a hearing, even to cranks. He will prove a worthy successor to several notable men who have held this Under-Secre taryship; and probably he will leave be hind a much better reputation for good manners than some of the others. Mr.

Starling’s step up probably will mean promotion for two other popular officials of this Department who have much to do with Islands affairs —Mr. Halligan, who is concerned with New Guinea ad ministration, and Mr. C. G. Garrioch, whose special responsibility is Papuan affairs. * * * WHATEVER may be said against life in the Islands, it brings a certain peace of mind —not necessarily of the manana quality—that breeds a lengthy memory. Life in cities usually destroys this and with it go memories of many pleasant events.

When Island men are in Sydney on holiday, it is usual for them to fore gather at a well-known George Street caravanserai, which also enjoys the pat ronage of a band of Sydney journalists, possibly because some of the latter have themselves knocked about the Pacific.

Recently one of the scribes was hailed by two apparent strangers who used a half-forgotten nickname in addressing him. Recognition came to him slowly, for he left the Islands eight years ago; but he refused to let his memory be jogged until he had pronounced the names of the two Island men, who are well-known on the Guadalcanal coast and were celebrating their arrival in the “Smoke” on a well-earned holiday. They were just interrupting questions like, “Do you remember old Blank’s schooner the —?” with counter queries such as “What’s become of Long Bill?” and “Did Charlie Dash do any good out at ?” when another habitue, long known to the journalists by sight, joined in the con versation and did not lose much time in establishing his identity as “Balasuna Bill,” an ex-resident of Guadalcanal who has not been in the Group for twenty years.

The chin-wagging that ensued stirred even the blase barman to an excited in terest in Islands affairs. * * * THERE may be a ray of hope for copra-producers in the fact that one quarter of Antarctica has been placed under the control of Australia, said Mons. N. Hagen, of Noumea, to the editor of The Pacific Islands Monthly, the other day. “Australia,” he explained, “has huge amounts invested in coconut plantations in the South Seas. The price of copra has fallen so much that production is barely worth while. The main cause of the copra decline is the enormous quantity of whale oil produced in Antarctica, which is deodorised and purified, and comes on to the market as

a competitor of coconut oil. This whale oil production is rapidly destroying the Antarctica whales —if not checked, by international action, there will be no whales left, in a few years. Now, since Australia is responsible for the good government of so large a part of Antarc tica, Australia would do a double service in seeking co-operative action regarding this whaling industry—service in sav ing these creatures from extinction, and service in reducing the production of whale oil, and saving the copra-pro ducers from extinction.”

It is quite a sound argument: and we have had pleasure in passing it along to the Commonwealth Government.