Territories

Australian Minister In

Brief Visit to Rabaul

THE Minister in Charge of Australia’s Pacific territories (Sir George Pearce) arrived in Rabaul on August 5 and de parted on August 6. He was then to visit some of the outposts, and spend a few days on the Morobe goldfield; after which he was to fly across to Port Moresby and join the Macdhui there for Sydney.

Australian newspapers report that at Rabaul the Minister had a long, private interview with members of the Planters’

Association, who urged that the Common wealth Government should permit a sub stantial writing-down in the value of expropriated plantations. It was reported that “there is strong opposition in Rabaul to this proposal on the grounds that at least 80 per cent. of the plantations are owned or completely controlled by big trading companies which for many years have been paying large dividends.” (Reference to an article on this subject elsewhere in this issue will show that the companies concerned are disposed to make concessions to the planters in the same proportion as concessions are made by the Commonwealth.—Editor.) A Rabaul correspondent telegraphed: There has been considerable criticism of Sir George Pearce’s decision to spend only one day in Rabaul. Many residents, wish ing to ventilate grievances, have not been given an opportunity of interviewing the Minister.

Paramount chiefs, who after several meetings have drawn up a list of 14 sug gested reforms, say they have been ignored.

Visit To Papua

When the Minister arrived in Port Moresby on August 1, he was joined by the Lieut.-Governor of Papua (Sir Hu bert Murray), and the latter accompanied Sir George Pearce on the steamer west wards to Yule Island, back to Port Moresby and on to Samarai. There, the Lieut.-Governor left the ship and pro ceeded on an inspection up the north-east coast of Papua. While the Macdhui was in Port Moresby, over 40 lady residents met Lady Pearce at an afternoon recep tion arranged by Mrs. R. T. Gore, wife of the chief judicial officer.