Teopicalities

AN authentic story of the recent Christmas race meeting at Wau, T.N.G., was included in the “Montoro’s” mailbag. Mr.

Otto Rossiter, owner of “Harmony,” the winner of the coveted Morobe Gold Cup, radioed Sydney for a jockey. The jockey arrived a few days before the race, and was very enthusiastic about the success of his mount, on such an auspicious occa sion. He plied the trainer with many questions as to the condition of the horse.

“What have you been feeding the ‘nag’ on?” he queried.

The trainer replied, nonchalantly, in true New Guinea style: “Well, after we walked him in from Salamaua he nearly died, but we fed him up on oats. Before long, Wau was full of horses and oats be came scarce, so we have been feeding him for the last few weeks on dry native biscuits.”

Dry native biscuits! The jockey, being an Australian, made adequate comment with a very fervent “Gawd Struth!”—S.L.

A NUKUALOFA correspondent on a meteorological note: —The Govern ment of Tonga has an accumulated sur plus of about £135,000. When this was being accumulated by the taxpayers it was stated to be “for a rainy day.” The rainy day has struck Tonga with a ven geance, but the Government and its ser vants are the only people with umbrellas!

QUITE a number of persons have called at the office of the “Pacific Islands Monthly” in recent weeks and enquired about the possibility of purchasing planta tions in the Islands at bargain prices. It appears that there are surprisingly many people with some money saved, and a dream of a sun-drenched existence in a beautiful, tax-free Islands home. There are indica tions, also, that as soon as world economic conditions improve, providing a definite market for Pacific Islands products, there will be many men and much money de finitely seeking permanent investments in the Pacific Territories. However, even at the present time there appears to be a mar ket for any discouraged Islands planters who wish to sell out at a sacrifice.

THE following advertisement was pub lished recently in a Pacific Islands newspaper: “If you want house boys, cook boys, — wash boys, labourers, etc., apply to Curiosity Shop — —.' The address “Curiosity Shop” caught the attention of an Islands resident, and he writes bitterly: “Having met with some marked curiosities in the past in the matter of native servants, I am wonder ing if this advertisement is being subtle, or is merely guilty of unconscious humour.”

WHEN the Commonwealth Government invited tenders for the supply of two seaplanes for the use of the New Guinea Administration, two private aviation companies offered to provide the New Guinea Administration with an efficient air service in New Guinea, without sub sidy. They asked only that they should be guaranteed 10,000 miles of air travel — 2000 miles less than was specified in the Government’s tender forms.

The Federal Government, however, re jected the offers and suggested that if the companies concerned were interested they should submit a tender which would be considered along with the others for the supply of the machines.

There is speculation as to whether the New Guinea Administration will attempt to establish a fully equipped air base for seaplanes in Rabaul —obviously an expen sive and difficult undertaking—or whether, for purposes of repairs and maintenance, the Administration will link up with the well-equipped aviation establishments at Lae and Salamaua, at the other end of the Territory.

A LONDON correspondent, on a Sa moan matter: “Your correspondent, Mr. M. T. Greene, on the Sea Transport in Samoa, although late in the day, has brought attention to a very important matter, and one which calls for immediate attention. If the Apia authorities refused permission for the boat named, to use the port, unless it conformed to the British rules, there would be very little trouble in the matter.

I can sympathise with anyone who has had to make that trip, as I have had to do it on no less than six occasions—at one time in the “Tiapan,” when we were under nearly the whole way.”