Misima Is. Petitions for Direct

Mail Service

From Our Own Correspondent.

Port Moresby, August 24-

T>ESIDENTS of Misima Island in the Louisiade Archipelago, the mining centre at the eastern end of the Territory, seem definitely in favour of an amended itinerary for the mail contract steamers between Australia, Papua and New Guinea.

At a public meeting convened there recently by leading citizens, a petition was drawn up and signed by most of the residents, supported by six of the gold mining companies, including Gold Mines of Papua Ltd. The entreaty upheld the suggestion made by members of the Legislative Council in July that a direct service between Australia and Papua should be provided and that this purely Papuan service should call at Misima Island, in addition to the ports usually served.

The petition was forwarded to Port Moresby and was later sent on to Aus tralia to the Federal Minister in Charge of Islands Territories (Sir George Pearce).

Sir Maynard and Lady Hedstrom ar rived in Sydney by the Monterey on Sep tember 9, and left the same evening by express for Melbourne. Sir Maynard, who is the executive head of Messrs.

Morris, Hedstrom Ltd., of Fiji, is a mem ber of the Fiji Executive Council and an elected member of the Legislative Council.

He will remain in Australia on business for a month, returning to Suva by the Mariposa on October 16,