N.I.'S Troubles

SAYING that they had been unable to obtain" a reasonable living in spite of all their efforts, 27 residents of Nor folk Island reached Auckland on Febru ary 13, in the steamer “Tasman in search of work in New Zealand. About 15 of them are former New Zealanders: the others have spent their lives on Nor folk Island. They said that a change from Australian to New Zealand control and more frequent shipping services were necessary before the island could hope to flourish. One hundred settlers had left in the last three months.

Mr. A. J. Peadon, a well-known New Guinea miner, suffered a painful accid ent in the Ramu district in February.

He was working on his claim, when a large stone rolled on to him and badly cut his leg. He was brought to Sydney by aeroplane, and placed under expert treatment, in the hope that the broken bones may be made to grow together again.

Mr. E. C. Monck, who is well-known in New Guinea, left Sydney for Rabaul, by the February “Bulolo”, “looking”, as he expressed it, “for further investments”. A few years ago, Mr. Monck took over the lease of the famous Ah Chee Hotel in Rabaul and re-named it the Cosmo politan Hotel. Then he sold it and returned to West Australia. A little later, he made the trip by air from Perth to Wau, in New Guinea, in the Hercules aeroplane bought in West Australia by Mr. E. Stevens. Mr.

Monck went on to Rabaul, and took over the lease of the Hotel Rabaul.

He sold out on May 15, 1937, to Mrs.

C. R. Bignell and left for a trip up East. Exactly a fortnight later, in

Hong Kong, Mr. Monck received news of the Rabaul eruption, wherein so much property was destroyed. He since has visited China, Japan, Singa pore and the East Indies, and has spent some time in Western Aus tralia.