Tropicalities

LAST steamer-call, we managed to

salvage three or four pounds of fresh butter, a luxury when no ice-chest exists ashore. However, by the time it reached the house, after a long trip ashore, its pristine icy firmness had given way to a somewhat oily flow. The lady of the house, therefore, without speaking over-carefully, told a native helper to put it in some cold water.

An attempted reconstruction of his mental processes leads me to suppose that he thought the missus had said that it had been in the water; its liquid

appearance would naturally suggest

that. However that may be, the sequel was both simple and rather devastating.

There was Jimmy, standing guard over

a dreadful oily mass, lying in the strong tropical sun; and before the missus could say a word, with pride he looked up and declared, “I think ’e dry now, missus”. No answer!—P. * * * IT is provided in new ' Fijian legis lation relating to mining that re wards may be made to the original dis coverers of precious metals or precious stones.

It is likely that this will permit of recognition being made to the dis coverers of the Tavua goldfield in Northern Fiji—namely, Mr. William Borthwick and Mr. Pat. Costello. * ♦ • THE appointment of General Tom Grif fiths as head of the committee to select a new site for New Guinea’s admin istrative centre has given much satisfac tion in New Guinea, where he is held in high regard. General Griffiths knows New Guinea well —he was there as military Governor, until 1921, and he was adminis trator between 1932 and 1934, when he re tired—and probably there is no man better qualified to weigh up all the varying ad vantages and disadvantages of the differ ent localities suggested. He will not be influenced by any petty or selfish con sideration—the character of this man gives the New Guinea people an assurance that the selection will be made conscientiously and properly.

Mr. Thomas, the second member of the committee, also knows New Guinea thor oughly especially from the planters’ angle, for he was, for years, in charge of expropriated properties—and he should be of great assistance to General Griffiths. ♦ ♦ ♦ A WRITER on Samoan affairs, in a New Zealand newspaper, offers a new and interesting solution of the Samoan Prob lem:— “The history of Samoa clearly reveals the fact that the Samoans have always been troublesome. There was warfare among them long before the advent of Europeans. There was trouble with them during the international occupation of the islands. There was serious trouble between them and the Germans during German occupation. There has been trouble between them and every New Zealand Government since we occupied the place in 1914. They are troublesome now and they will continue to be trouble

some in the future, and there is, at least, one main reason for it. The Samoans have never had a sound thrashing from any of the powers concerned with them, consequently they have got it into their heads that they are invincible.” * * * THE time was the morning after a par ticularly “bright” New Year’s'party; the place, Suva.

Male voice on telephone: “Hello”.

Answering voice: “Hello”.

Male voice: “How are you this morn ing?”

Answering voice: “All right, thank you”.

Male voice: “Sorry, wrong number!” « * * 'T'HE following letter, by Mr. E. H. Hum- A phreys, was published in the Brisbane “Courier Mail,” in January:— “I have read with interest from time to time of the soul-stirring anxiety of the Commonwealth Government for its officials at Rabaul.

“Since the earthquake, and particularly since the report of the expert was received, we have repeatedly been told that the seat of government must be moved. Apparently the remainder of the population may go hang. They have very definitely been told that they can expect no help.

They can move, at their own expense, or stay and be blown up or ruined by loss of business.

“The idea that a government should be expected to go to the expense of saving its mere colonist citizens from ruin or destruction appears to be quite outside the mental capacity of Canberra.

No expense, however, will be spared in looking after the safety of its officials.

“Probably this is so typical that no one has thought to comment on it yet.”

The letter is unnecessarily and unreas onably bitter. The government must ac cept the report of the experts it appointed to advise them, and remove the adminis trative personnel from the danger-zone.

The officials will go because they are told to do so, and the removal will be made at the Government’s cost. The rest of the community, which followed the Adminis tration to Rabaul, in hope of profit in one

shape or another, is free to go or stay, in accordance with ordinary budgetary con siderations. Nevertheless, it does seem hard that all the people who invested in plantations and businesses in the Rabaul district should be heavily penalised, and perhaps ruined, simply because Vulcan chose to blow up on May 28, 1937. In the circumstances, a Government grant, to aid the transport of the non-official com munity to the new site, woud find wide support. * * * rIE fact that the Cook Islanders are now increasing in numbers was quoted by the Resident Commissioner (Mr. S. J.

Smith) in an Auckland interview, and he said that “no greater tribute could be paid to New Zealand’s administration of the Cook Islands.” Hyperbole! New Zealand has an excellent record in the Cook Islands, thanks to her luck in finding some capable administrators: but there is nothing extraordinary in the census position. Practically every branch of the Polynesian race—Samoan. Maori, Tongan, Tahiti —as well as Cook Islanders, having rallied after the first disastrous impact of European “civilisation”, is now increasing steadily in numbers.

The honour of being elected the first ‘honorary members of the Anthropo ogical Society of New South Wales has been accorded Mr. F. E. Williams, Government Anthropologist, Port Moresby, and Mr. Leo Austin, resident magistrate at Daru, in the western division of Papua.

Mr. A. S. Farebrother, of Suva, Fiji, recently presented a window, “The Dove of Peace” to St. Matthew’s Church, Manly, New South Wales, in memory of his mother. It was dedicated by the Archbishop of Sydney (Dr. Mowll) on February 20.

Miss Mavis Father, of Gona, Papua, who has been in Australia spending furlough at Baan Baa, N.S.W., with her parents, returned to the Territory by the last “Macdhui”. She is a worker for the Australian Board of Missions.