Late News

SYDNEY, January 23.

RECRUITS at the new reduced rate of pay were signed on in the Solomon Islands early in January. Recruiters did not find great difficulty in persuading na tives to sign on—the main difficulty being the proportionately reduced advances.

Practice has shown that the new regu lations have certain anomalies and in consistencies, which will require smooth ing out.

Sir Hubert Murray (Lieutenant-Gover nor), with eight officials and some leading commercial men, flew from Port Moresby to the new Lakekamu goldfield in Papua on January 3, in Guinea Airways new Ford airliner, inspected the new field, enjoyed much hospitality, and returned to port.

The air-line distance is 350 miles, there and back, and hitherto it involved a pain ful journey of a fortnight.

The Japanese training ship, Kaiwo Maru, with 80 students, arrived in Rabaul on January 7; and enjoyed and dispensed much hospitality during a stay of several days.

It is reported that Japanese sampans have appeared again in the Manus dis trict of New Guinea and are engaged in shell poaching. There is still no sign of the promised Australian patrol.

Pilot Colin Ferguson took off for Sala maua, New Guinea, from Mascot in Car penter’s new Dragon ’plane early on Janu ary 19. He was accompanied by his wife, who is the first woman to fly from Austra lia to New Guinea.

Over 40 natives having been imprisoned for failure to pay taxes, between 600 and

700 natives congregated at Gizo, Solomon Islands, and protested strongly against taxation being enforced at a time when natives generally are receiving a low price for produce. The Methodist Mission, on behalf of the Gizo natives, is making representations to the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, Suva.

A gang of 50 native labourers salvaged the engine of the Moth plane which crashed near the Black Cat mine between Salamaua and Wau, New Guinea, in De cember. The party took several hours to carry the engine only one mile, over in credibly rough country.

The High Commissioner for the West ern Pacific has decided that a fine will meet the case of Mr. Harvey, radio oper ator, Vila, New Hebrides, whose case was referred to in our December issue.

The sentence of imprisonment and hard labour has been remitted.