Showered With

Protests

Minister on Tour in Papua and New Guinea

IN his official capacity as Commonwealth Minister for Trade and Customs, Colonel T. W. White made a tour of Australia’s territories in the north during June and July. He was accom panied by his wife and child, and Mrs. F.

M. Grant (private secretary).

In the middle of June, the Minister in quired into the pearling industry at Thursday Island. He went out in a lugger and descended in diving dress, a Japanese diver accompanying him below to show the method of gathering pearl shell. Before leaving for Cairns to join the Montoro for Papua and New Guinea, Mr. White said he was convinced that foreign poach ers were carrying out unlawful depreda tions in Torres Straits waters. He promised to station a large patrol launch at T.I.

Papua Wants Permanent

Rubber Bounty

In Papua, Colonel White met representa tives of the Planters’ Association, who acquainted him with their case for a per manent rubber bounty.

At Rabaul on July 1 he received depu tations from the Returned Soldiers’ Asso ciation and the Planters’ Association. They protested against the introduction of the Shipping Bill and against the proposed amendments to the trading regulations, abolishing the two mile protective limit.

The Minister was told that assistance had been requested from the Federal Gov ernment for the erection of a war memorial clock tower. He replied that it was not the practice of the Government to subscribe to war memorials. Other issues discussed in cluded the renewal of bounties on N.G. produce exported to Australia.

With Administrator To

Outports

Accompanied by the Administrator (Brigadier-General W. Ramsay McNicoll) and Mr. J. C. Mullaly (president of the Planters’ Association), Colonel White de parted the same evening for the outports.

At Kavieng he heard further representa tions from planters.

Disembarking from the Montoro at Sala maua on July 4, he flew to Wau where the Citizens’ Committee entered a protest against the proposed merger of aviation interests. After inspecting the Bulolo dredges and N.G.G. Ltd’s Edie Creek work ings, the Minister flew to Ramu and the Chimbu Valley country.

Returning, he spent some time at Lae and afterwards proceeded in a Guinea Air ways’ machine to Finschafen, the Lutheran Mission’s headquarters. Mr. White, whose distinguished war record as an aviator is well-known, piloted G.A.’s new Stinson most of the distance.

Rejoining the B.P. ship, he called at Ma dang. By launch he then visited Alexis hafen (headquarters of the Roman Catho lic Mission) to see New Guinea’s largest cathedral and inspect the busy mission centre. Continuing on by the Montoro, he touched at several other ports before re turning to Rabaul, from whence he pro ceeded to Salamaua for a further inspec tion of the goldfields area.

Mr. White than flew across from Wau to Pt. Moresby, where he was the guest of Messrs. T. L. Sefton and T. Nevitt at Koitaki Para Rubber Estates’ plantation.

In the middle of July he joined the Mon toro for Australia.