Tropicalities

WHEN the Lieutenant-Governor of Pa pua, Sir Hubert Murray, paid a re cent visit to the Government sta tion at Misima, he found a new order of precedence at the native calaboose. At meal time all the prisoners sat at a long table on forms down each side. At the head, on a roughly-made chair, sat the chairman, the senior prisoner—the boy who was serving the longest sentence.

The others took their places at the table in the order of the time served, newcomers always sitting at the end farthest from the chairman, who, at meal times serves out the kai kai in the approved style. * * * THAT genial personality, Mons. N.

Hagen, chairman of directors of Messrs. Hagen, Freres, of New Cale donia, paid a flying visit to the office of “The Pacific Islands Monthly” on his way through Sydney this month. He is en route to Paris on the “Corfu”, which sailed from Sydney on June 17, “to see how things are going in Europe”.

“That blow we had lately nearly blew New Caledonia inside out,” he said. “For days business was at a standstill and Noumea was a wreck.” Mr. Hagen said that New Hebrides planters were hop ing for big things from the World Eco nomic Conference and he hinted that was the object of his visit to Europe.

Conditions in New Caledonia, though dull, were not so bad. “There are al ways the nickel mines,” he said.

Mr. Hagen expects to be in Europe about three months. * * * RED TAPE is not always as abhorrent to the Melanesian mind as many writers infer. Some years ago when the private letter-box system was in troduced in one of the Pacific terri tories a native thought it would befit his dignity to become the holder of one; so he marched into the post-office, signed on the dotted line and became the proud possessor of the keys. For a couple of years he paid the annual fee till he was billed with the third year’s dues. With the document in his hand he indignantly approached the postmaster and said, “This bokis he gammon I think. Me pay’em money along him three year and me no catch’em letter.” The postmaster had to agree that keeping a letter-box solely for the purpose of getting a bill for its rent was false economy.

THE result of the Administration’s in quiry into the causes of the unrest in the Kavieng District of New Guinea is being awaited with interest. It centred around two main points—the cause of the grave unrest in the labour lines, and the real reasons for the prosecution of Mr. Murray, a well-known and respected planter.

Inter alia, here is an extract from a private letter written by a resident of the Kavieng district —a man who ac knowledges that he personally does not like Mr. Murray very much: “Murray is a fair man and a just one—but he is a hard man, and requires from his labour that which they contract to give, and he sees that he gets it. He is a clever, en terprising and extremely efficient man and his plantation, and organisation

generally, are a, model —and admitted to be so by the Administration officials. . . .

An appeal was upheld on Murray’s be half about two years ago against D.O.

Melrose for a fine of £15 for some ridicu lous contravention of a ridiculous law.” * * * WE have just learned from a private letter, that there recently occurred a very extraordinary meeting in the large island of New Hanover, north of New Ireland. All the luluais and tul tuls (native chiefs) met there in solemn conclave and subscribed no less than 5,000 shillings, which they offered to the Administration if the officials would go out of their district and stay out for all time.

We have not heard the Administra tion’s reply, but we can imagine it. After all, the simple savage is not so simple.

There are a few people in far more ad vanced communities than New Hanover who would pay one hundred times 5,000 shillings if Government institutions could be abolished for all time. * * * A FRIEND, writing from New Britain, is very much to the point: “I have lived on many of the Pacific Islands, particularly on Cook Island and Tahiti. This book, ‘White Man, Brown Woman,’ is tripe, and does not depict the life in the places described.

I do not think the writer ever was in Manihiki—what he has written about the place is exaggerated out of all reason. This sort of book does a lot of harm to the Islands generally.” * * * THERE was a report current in Syd ney recently that the Dutch East Indies Shipping Company (the

K.P.M.) would probably introduce a new regular service to the Solomon Islands at an early date. The shipping com panies interested said, however, that there was no likelihood of the develop ment; and the Royal Packet Naviga tion Co.’s manager stated definitely that that company had no intention of starting a Solomon Islands service. * * * WHEN the Minister in Charge of Territories (Major Marr) passed through Port Moresby last month, on his way to New Guinea, he made a slight tactical error. Addressing a gathering in Port Moresby, he warmly praised the men of the Mandated Territory! In consequence, Port Moresby seethed! Within a few hours, there was an unofficial meeting of the men of Papua, and it was seriously proposed that the Public Service Association should have a special session to pass a formal resolution about the matter.

Wiser counsels prevailed; but it was agreed that strong representations should be made to the Minister on his return. Poor Major Marr! How was he to know that the sentiments of a bull, when confronted with a red flag, will not compare with the feelings of a Papuan public servant when told that a New Guinea public servant possesses some of the real salt of the earth? But no harm was done. The incident merely disclosed in Papua an aggres sive esprit de corps, without which no service is really worth while. * * * AT St. Margaret’s Church, Vaucluse, Sydney, on April 20, the marriage was celebrated of Miss Olwen Hughes and Mr. Claude Handley.

The bridegroom, who is on the staff of the C.S.R. at Nausori, Fiji, arrived in Sydney recently on leave. The bride is the daughter of Mr. C. C. Hughes, of Rose Bay, Sydney. She was recently a member of the literary staff of Associ ated Newspapers, Ltd.