Tropicalities

MR. JOHN PARER, who is well-known as the owner of a hotel and other interests on the Morobe goldfield, New Guinea, was “front page news” in Sydney on May 3 when the Sunday Sun gave prominence to the fact that he had been five times to Monte Carlo and that he had lost altogether £lO,OOO in testing out a special “system” there. He said that the system itself was not at fault —the fault was his own in not taking the table at the proper time. Mr. Parer said that the system was worked on the law of averages, based on the results showing on the table, and if the man with the system played it correctly, it was a winner. The difficulty was to know when and how to attack the table. * * * OIDGIN as She is Spoke” could be the title of many funny incidents which occur when the newcomer to New Guinea tries to give instructions to his boy.

An epicure sat down to lunch in the Bulolo Co.’s mess one day, when along came the boy with a plate of rabbit.

“What’s this?” asked the epicure.

“Pussy,” said the boy.

“What!” shouted the diner.

“ Tm ’ere, Pussy,” said the boy.

Exit the epicure with a rush.

Hearken to a tale of a misunderstanding between a newly arrived overseer and his boy, shovelling gravel onto the road.

“Alright, plenty,” said the overseer.

Whereat the native continued to shovel.

“Plenty,” said the white man raising his voice slightly.

Slightly faster went the shovel.

“Plenty,” shouted the overseer, becoming rather annoyed.

The speed of the shoveller increased noticeably.

“PLENTY,” he shrieked, his temper rising fast.

Gravel and sweat began to fly in all directions.

“P LENTY, you .”

The native, by now thoroughly terrified, shovelled faster than he’d ever done before, when suddenly a boot landed with a thud on his posterior.

At last the boss-boy came to the rescue.

“Enough,” he whispered to the frightened worker.

“Ah, me savvy now,” grinned the native, and departed for a safer place. * * * r IVHE Samoa Herald (incorporating the Samoa Times, which was established in 1901) was taken over at the end of March by Mr. J. W. Liston and a new company. Its name has been changed to Western Sainoa Mail ; and it has been give a new typographical dress, and a new journalistic standard. Mr. Liston, the editor, has been for 12 years a resident of Samoa —most of the time as a mission ary. The assistant editor, Mr. W. Tarr, is a well-known South Seas journalist.

Western Samoa seems to have entered upon a new era of prosperity, and we hope that the Samoa Mail will prosper with it.

The Herald, for some years, had been controlled by Mr. Alport Barker, the Suva newspaper-owner, but it was not a satis factory arrangement. He necessarily had to leave publication authority in the hands of others, and some of the latter allowed themselves to become too deeply immersed in parish-pump politics, and local likes and dislikes, to be good journalists.

There should be plenty of scope in Western Samoa for a well-conducted pub lishing house.

T ADS who were born and spent their earlier days in the Pacific Territories have been distinguishing themselves lately.

J. B. Hagen, the 18-years-old son of Mr.

Nicholas Hagen, well-known resident of New Caledonia, was a member of the row ing eight of St. Ignatius (Riverview) Col lege which put up the school’s finest performance for years in the G.P.S. Re gatta on Nepean River, N.S.W., on April 18.

Hagen arrived in Sydney from Noumea two and a half months ago to attend Riverview so that he could be taught Eng lish. Impressed by his splendid physique and ideal proportions, the rowing master tried to explain to him the rudiments of rowing. Being French, Hagen could not understand the English terms, so the coach demonstrated the action and technique to him by signs.

In the big race, Hagen, rowing bow, was a polished oarsman and, though finishing sixth, the crew made a remarkably good effort.

Frank H. Boileau, who obtained his B.Sc. degree at the Sydney University last November, has received an appoint ment at the Cranbrook College, Rose Bay, Sydney, as Science Master under General Mac Kay. He is a son of Mr. J. Boileau. well known as Engineer for Telephones and Electric Light in Papua.

There does not seem to be anything wrong with those “tropical boys,” ren dered immortal in the song which Boileau, senr., has made famous. * * * THE last mail from the Solomons brought another parcel of 11 different books produced at what apparently is the busiest printing press in the Pacific — namely, the Melanesian Mission Press at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, under the active management of Mr. Fred. R. Isom.

Three of the books are in English, seven in native dialects, and one is partly in

English and partly in native. They are all well printed and attractively bound, and reflect the greatest credit upon their indefatigable authors, and upon the print ing office. It may be assumed that the increasing productiveness of this mission press indicates the spread of education among the natives of Melanesia. ♦ ♦ * AN experienced recruiter in the Solorpon' Islands writes: “The game is slow and fees are only £7 a head landed in Ma kambo; I cannot understand why this lower price should rule, now that wages are only 10/- per month and boys so much harder to get.”