Australia’S
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
Territories
Canberra Duties Transferred from Mr. Hughes to Assistant Minister
IN a re-arrangement of Cabinet duties, on November 7 the Australian Prime Minister transferred the responsibil ity for Islands Territories administration (New Guinea, Papua, Nauru and Nor folk Island) from the Minister for Ex ternal Affairs (Rt. Hon. W. M. Hughes) to Mr. J. A. Perkins (Minister assisting the Prime Minister).
On November 8. owing to a row in Parliament, Mr. Perkins became Minis ter for Customs and Colonel E. J. Har rison, as Assistant Minister, took charge of Territories.
The Territories will not suffer from the change. Mr. Hughes has been su-
pervising their administration for nearly a year; and, while he has been respon sible for an extraordinary amount of talk, and activity of a tail-chasing char acter —so that New Guinea and Papua have been “front page” news in Austra lia almost every day—he has accomplish ed practically nothing. Mr. Hughes is a world-famous man, with a remarkable gift of picturesque speech, and Papua and New Guinea always will be glad to have known him. But they will be more glad to have, as their Minister, a man who can give a decision within a reason able time, and who has some inclination to attend to the minutiae of depart mental administration.
Colonel Harrison held a minor post in the Commonwealth Cabinet on a pre vious occasion. He is a highly-respected man. of pleasant and engaging person ality: he has unusual ability and vision, and he has a sufficient regard for duty to give Islands residents an assurance that the numerous matters referred on their behalf to Canberra will receive prompt and careful consideration.
Mr. David Campbell, an employee of New Guinea Goldfields Ltd.. Wau. New Guinea, married Miss Betty. Linn, of Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd., Wau. on November 5. The wedding party flew by aeroplane to Salamaua for the ceremony. Both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell came from Glasgow and are widely tra velled.
Colonel E. J. Harrison.