Judge Gurr Dead.

On Eve of Return to Samoa.

From Our Own Correspondent.

APIA, July 6.

THE death has occurred in hospital in Pago Pago, of Mr. Gurr (usually known as Judge Gurr —he was form erly an American Judge in Samoa).

Mr. Gurr was one of the three men (Messrs. Nelson, Smythe and Gurr) who were deported from Western Samoa by the N.Z. authorities in 1927. Mr. Smythe returned after three years; but Messrs.

Nelson and Gurr were banished for five years.

They left Auckland together, on their return, in May last. Mr. Gurr had been ill for a long time, and he had to break his journey and enter hospital in Pago Pago.

Mr. Gurr was a man of great ability, with an extraordinary knowledge of Samoan history and customs, gained during a lifetime of experience in the group.

ELSEWHERE in this issue will be found references to an application for a duty on imports of copra, made to the Australian Tariff Board by Aus tralian companies which use tallow in manufacturing soap, etc. One man who gave strong and forceful evidence against the imposition of such a duty was Mr. J. C. Mullaly, president of the Planters’ Association of New Guinea, Mr. Mullaly made the point that if such a duty were imposed, the biggest suf ferer would be the Commonwealth Gov ernment, which still owns a very large proportion of the expropriated planta tions in New Guinea.

Sir Hubert Murray (Lieutenant Gov ernor of Papua), also radioed the Tariff Board, pointing out that most of the 2,000 tons of copra sent annually by Papua to Australia was sent for re shipment to Europe, and that copra was at so low a price that any fresh burden placed upon the producers would be dis astrous to the industry.