New Guinea’S Legislative Councillors.

Some Personal Sketches.

Written specially for “The Pacific Islands Monthly” by “Old Hand.”

THE selection of members of the Legislative Council should prove satisfactory to all concerned, except perhaps the missionary bodies, who, however, have little to lose from their lack of direct representation, for it is certain that a fair deal will be given to their enterprise by such a reason able fair-minded group of citizens as those selected. Most of the latter are “old hands” in the Territory; all have a stake in its ground and are therefore certain to look carefully at those problems that may have important bearing on its future.

Mr. J. C. Mullaly.

A native of Melbourne, and an “old boy” of Xavier College, after war ser vice “Jack” Mullaly came to the Ter ritory as a member of the Common wealth Audit Department’s section that looked after the finances of the Expro priation Board. Resigning from the Commonwealth service in 1925, he joined the Administration as Inspector of Native Labour in the Department of Native Affairs, and was soon promoted to the position of Deputy District Officer, being stationed at Kavieng, where he married a sister of the well known Kavieng business identity, “Frankie” Saunders.

Successfully tendering for the Natava plantation on the North Coast Road, a few miles out of Rabaul, “Jack” soon made his voice heard in the delibera tions of the Planters and Traders’

Association, with whose organisation and early life he had much to do. Last year he succeeded Mr. W. E. Grose as president of this body.

A forceful if not an eloquent speaker, he is sincerity personified; and with the tempering influence of the less explosive of the councillors, he will prove worthy of the office and a trusty guardian of the interests of all branches of the Territory’s life —with perhaps a natural bias towards the planter.

His prowess on the playing fields is remarkable; for years past “Jack” has been able to retain the championship of the Territory in practically every track event; he is a handy cricketer, and keeps a horse or two for the local turf club.

No man in the Territory has man aged to become so deeply rooted in its soil in the short space of 10 years as has Mr. J. C. Mullaly.

Mr. W. E. Grose.

Referred to when he was acting Gov ernment Secretary in 1922-23, and later as Superintendent of Police, as “Captain” Grose, “Bill” (as he is now more popularly known), after serving with a Westralian Brigade—I think, the 7th —as a staff captain, came to the Territory with Brig.-Gen. Wisdom when the latter succeeded Brig.-Gen.

Griffiths as Administrator. So that he, too, is one of the “old hands.” After acting for some time as Government Secretary, he was appointed Superin tendent of Police in succession to H. H.

Page, who moved across to the Gov.- Sec.’s chair. For a time during the

turbulent early days of the Edie Creek gold rush, he acted as mining warden.

Being the successful tenderer for the plantations of Libba and Lossu, “Bill” resigned from the Administration and moved across to the Kavieng district, where, in intervals between collecting coconuts, he threw his whole weight into local organisations, being for some time president of the Planters and Traders’ Association, of which he is still the Kavieng representative. He married, in 1923, Margaret, daughter of Lt.-Col. L. F. S. Here, M.C., and Mrs. Hore, who are now settled at Lu burua plantation, about 30 miles dis tant, towards Kavieng, from the properties of Mr. Grose.

Not much given to sport, “Bill”

Grose is a prodigious worker; his joy is in organising. Inclined to be ver bose in public speech, he can rise to the point of real eloquence. Always interested in things political, it was he who represented the planters in the interviews with Mr. Theodore during the regime of the Scullin Government, the outcome of which meant so much to the tenant-purchasers of the ex- German properties. He is now presi dent of the Kavieng club.

Mr. V. A. Pratt.

Formerly a banker in Victoria, Mr.

Victor Pratt, who has given much time to the business of the Planters’ Asso ciation. having been its secretary for some time, is part-owner of and resi dent at Tobera plantation in the Ko kopo district. He had not been in the Territory prior to the acceptance of his tender for Tobera. A keen student of finance and economics, and a fair minded gentleman, Mr. Pratt’s personal qualities and his reasoned utterances should make him a decided acquisition to the Council in its deliberations.

With these three gentlemen, all dif ferent in type and personality, but alike in their desire for the Territory’s progress and good government, the planters may rest assured that their interests are in safe and wise hands.

Nor will the wider interests of the Territory as a whole nor its policy of native affairs in conformity with the Mandate idea, be neglected.

Mr. N. P. Neal.

Well-known in mining circles in Papua as well as in the Salamaua- Wau-Edie region, “Normie” Neal holds the controlling interest in the rich Day Dawn show. Popular personally, and with an extensive knowledge of mining under New Guinea conditions, he should be an excellent medium for the represen+ation of the interests of the gold-fields. He is at present enjoying a much-earned holiday in the East.

Mr. Alan Mclennan.

A solicitor with a legal practice in Colac, Victoria, Mr. McLennan came to the Territory in the latter half of the Expropriation Board’s existence, about 1925. At first connected with the Board as legal adviser, he later built up an extensive and solid legal practice, much of it concerned with gold-mining in

terests, for which he acts as legal repre sentative at the Rabaul end. The coun sel of Mr. McLennan should prove of great value to the legislature in its de liberations.

Mr. B. B. Perriman.

Manager in Rabaul of the extensive commercial enterprise of Messrs. W. R.

Carpenter and Co., the choice of the genial, ever-smiling, obliging and very competent “Perry” was an obvious one in the commercial interests. Coming to the Territory away back in 1921 or thereabouts, when the Carpenter enter prise in Rabaul had just been com menced, Perry was a well-known

figure, as he scouted around in his old Ford, seeking purchase contracts for copra. Living continuously in Rabaul since, he has seen the business grow, has discarded the old Ford (but, I think, does not now despise it), and has grown with the enterprise. Rabaul would not be Rabaul without “Perry,” and the Legislative Council could not be itself without him.

Mr. R. L. Clark.

The last in the official list, “Nobby” (he is one of the great “Nobby” family) is not the least of the group. He, too, is an “old hand.” In fact, if one had told Jack Mullaly, Bill Grose, Nobby Clark, and Bert Perriman, back in 1922, that they would one day be M’s.L.C., they would have treated you with polite scorn. An engineer by profes sion, “Nobby,” after Flying Corps ser vice in the war, came to Rabaul prac tically at the inception of the Expro.

Board as engineer in charge of the workshops and works generally.

At that time his was a familiar figure at the wheel of the big Expro. Board car along the North Coast and Ko kopo Roads.

A quiet chap, “Nobby” has a reputa tion as a capable boxer. He is now the director of the Bay Loo Company, which undertakes construction work of almost any kind in Rabaul. Success ful in business, a likeable personality, and unpretentious in nature, “Nobby” will hold his own in all the affairs of the Territory.

One thing must not be forgotten—to congratulate whoever was responsible for the choice of these first members of this impoitant body—no doubt, the sagacious, far-seeing General Griffiths, whose knowledge of men and assess ment of their qualities is widely recognised.