Co-Ordination.

Four Australian Tropical Administrators To Confer In Canberra.

IMPORTANT problems concerning the administration c.f New Guinea, Papua, Nauru and Norfolk Island will be discussed by the administrators of the four territories and represen tatives of the Commonwealth Govern ment at a conference to be held at Canberra at the end of February.

This conference, which has been arranged by the Minister for Pacific Territories (Mr. Marr), will be the first ever held between the four adminis

trations. The Prime Minister will also attend. The four administrators con cerned are: Sir Hubert Murray (Papua).

Brigadier-General Griffiths (New Guinea).

Captain Pinney (Norfolk Island).

Commander Garcia (Nauru).

Among the main questions to be dis cussed are steps to co-ordinate the laws of Papua and New Guinea, with special regard to health and mining laws.

Norfolk Island does not present any serious problems beyond ordinary routine matters of administration, but the conference is expected to devote much time to the problem of the con trol and eradication of leprosy in Nauru.

The Canberra department supervis ing the territories should reap great benefit from the discussions, and it is hoped that the interchange of suggestions between the administrators will result in even better control of the areas than has been the case in the past.

The boundary question between Papua and New Guinea will be dis cussed. At present the boundary is not properly defined, and difficulties between the two administrations ha\e been accentuated by the fact that the laws and ordinances of the territories have marked differences. Gold seekers are the principal sufferers. Papua has adopted the Queensland mining laws for its use, while New Guinea works under an entirely different set of min ing laws, based on the best features of similar acts in operation in Australia.