Tropicalities

TO all coconut planters the word “whalfc” is anathema; but, some time ago, a planter in the New Hebrides had insult added to injury by one of these little pests. He was anchored off a small island, in his cutter, during a recruiting trip, and he was taking forty winks below. Suddenly the craft began to tremble and shake. He wondered what his crew were up to; then he thought it was an extra violent earth quake. He went on deck and glanced ashore; all seemed still and peaceful.

Then he looked forward, and saw one of the crew, with eyes like saucers, star ing over the side. One look in that dir ection was enough! He spent the next five minutes holding his breath and praying that no one on board would sneeze and frighten the sixty odd feet, and hundred tons of whale, which was lazily scratching the barnacles off its hide on the side of his cutter. • • * IT is reported in Sydney that the ener getic military officers sent to Port Moresby to push on with the work of quickly fortifying that port came into collision with some sections of the Pa puan administration who are imbued with the Canberra spirit.

The Canberra spirit, in case you do not know, is spelled “procrastination”.

The thing, in the tropical Territories, which it is thought will be done within a month or two, generally takes a couple of years to accomplish. This is the re sult of the relationship between officials in Canberra and others in Port Mores by and Rabaul.

But these military officers cared no thing for tradition and less for hide bound bureaucracy. They wanted a road built to the top of Paga Hill (which is the high point overlooking Port Mores by Harbour on the seaward side) and they wanted it quickly. There were in terviews with certain people in which, it is alleged, skin and hair flew; but. finally, the officers found a man of action in Mr. C. P. Dolan, well-known in Syd ney military circles, and who recently

became chief gaoler at Port Moresby.

The military officers seized gratefully upon Mr. Dolan, and the latter has now been given a free hand as regards car rying out urgent work for the Defence authorities. With a gang of 140 prison ers he is making rapid headway with the road, and with important work of excavating and levelling the hill-top for

gun emplacements.

The work at Port Moresby was in hand and nearly completed almost before Aus tralia knew that the fortification of the Port was even seriously contemplated. It is a tribute to the efficiency of the De fence Department. If it had been left to other Departments which customarily deal with the Territory the various high officials would still have been writing each other letters about it. * ♦ ♦ IF the general manager of one of those life insurance companies which “load” the rates of policies taken out by Is lands residents had been in the Hotel Metropole, Sydney, on Monday morning, February 20, he would have hung his head in shame. At one table, there was Sir Hubert Murray, lean and vigorous and alert, despite the fact that more than 30 of his 76 years have been spent in Papua. Opposite him sat Mr. A. C.

English, healthy and lively after no less than 54 years in Papua. In a corner, sternly guarding a tall glass of excellent brew, was Mr. George Arnold—46 years in New Guinea and Papua. “They’ve been doing a little alluvial mining in my inside”, he said, “but you can tell the

boys in Wau that I’m pretty well, and I’ll- be back soon”. With him, fit and brown, was Mr. C. B. L. Wilde, who has shown Australia that Wau can grow the world’s best coffee. He has been 30i years in New Guinea. At another table, chatting to Mr. and Mrs. Loudon, of Port Moresby, was Mr. Les. Joubert, Mr.

Arnold’s old “mate” on Morobe. Mr.

Joubert is somewhere in his fifties, 31 of those years were spent in the roughest parts of New Guinea and Papua; but he still has all his hair and teeth, and a figure and an outlook which place him in the ranks of permanent youth. * ♦ tc NEW GUINEA’S Administrator, Sir Walter McNicoll, used fruity meta phors on March 2, when describing to his Legislative Council the unprotect ed state of New Guinea. He said that the Territory “hangs like an over-ripe peach over the fence of the Australian orchard, waiting to be picked by some passing marauder. It is to be hoped that the orchardists’ watchdogs will be able to keep the marauders at a distance. It would be better still if the fence could be extended and strengthened so as to include the overhanging branches”.

Which seemed to be another way of

saying that he hoped that Australia soon would annex the Mandated Territory.

Sir Walter has committed a sort of lese majesty. In of all Mandate officials, the Mandate system is holy and untouchable. It now is to be expected that a platoon of long-haired monsters from Geneva will arrive presently in Ra baul and tear out the toenails and other wise mutilate the body of His Disrespect ful Honour, the Administrator.