War On Coconut Pest

THE “Mariposa” brought to Sydney on October 3 several million leaf para sites from Fiji, which are to fight a coco nut pest in New Guinea. The parasites were taken in a specially cooled box in the Carpenter airliner, which left for Rabaul on October 4.

“The parasites were packed in a box with a store of honey on which they feed,” said Mr. R. O. Mant, flight super intendent of W.R.C. Airlines. “We re ceived instructions to pack ice around the box, the interior of which must be kept at about 40 degrees Fahr.”

When the parasites arrived at Rabaul on October 7 they were received by officers of the Department of Agriculture, and will be set loose to wage war on other in sects which have ravaged the coconut plantations since they were covered with pumice during last year’s volcanic erup tion.

The sloop “Rigault de Genouilly” of the French Pacific squadron arrived in Syd ney from Tahiti early in October, for overhaul.

When a party of Samoans was working at Vaea Hill gravel pit, at the Roman Catholic Mission, near Apia, on Septem ber 19, a sudden fall of earth buried sev eral natives under two tons of gravel.

A 20-years-old Samoan, Masima, of Tau fusi, was killed; the others were rescued almost unharmed.