Tropicalities

PASSENGERS from New Guinea were filing slowly past a Customs official in a Queensland port, and were being subjected to the ruthless third-degree operation that seems now inseparable from the conditions of these modern and enlightened days.

“Ray Parer”, said the official, reading from a document. “Are you going to Aus tralia on business?”

“Yes”, said the quiet man from Morobe.

The official ran his eye over the traveller. He did not seem to like him much. Ray is no sartorial model. Perhaps he lost the knack of exquisite dressing during his world-famous flight with Mclntosh, when they lived for weeks in shorts and singlet—that is, when they were not inhabiting various hospitals be tween Bagdad and Darwin, dressed mostly in bandages.

The official had another look at Ray’s papers. "Oh”, he said, “are you a pilot?”

“Yes”, said Ray, humbly, and was allowed to pass.

Sic transit gloria mundi. * * * r[E Canute incident of long ago was almost re-enacted the other evening, in reverse (writes “Kulau”, Rabaul).

Preparations were made for launching a dredge-punt, put together by the local Public Works Department, to remove some of the mud in the harbour, accumulated from the 1937 upheaval Well-greased allowed the punt to slide gracefully away from the chocks, under the careful view of important Gov ernment officials. But Time and Tide can not be rushed. At the bottom of the slip way the punt pulled up sharply in the mud, and could not “take” the water—for there was no water there to take. * * * IN the July issue, we jeered at the con fident announcement of daily news papers that the construction of two 25,000-tonners for the Canadian-Aus tralasian trans-Pacific run was to be commenced forthwith. We said that the statement had been made so often, and so often withdrawn, that Pacific residents would net believe it until they actually saw the 25,000-tonners.

On July 25, the daily newspapers ex pressed “the keen disappointment of all interests concerned” at the announcement that the building of the two liners “had again been postponed”.

It would not surprise this commentator if it develops, eventually, that these new British liners are not built at all, or are built as part of a definite understanding between British and American interests for sharing the trans-Pacific traffic. If the United States eventually line up with Britain in maintaining the status quo in the Pacific, then the United States will demand a price; and the British shipping combine (which periodically cries out for Governmental subsidies for British ship ping in the Pacific) may as well accept the position.

Residents of the South Seas naturally would prefer to see their shipping ser vices under their own Red Ensign, But if the acceptance of American shipping means that British Pacific territories can depend upon Anglo-American protection against Japan, then the British people will not worry.

Canada, while loyally flying the Union Jack, has settled herself very comfort ably under United States protection. We could name a dozen British communities, down here south of the Equator, which wouldn’t mind doing the same. * * * IT will be remembered that, under the heading of “The Venom of Mr.

Keegan”, we reprinted some extracts from an “interview” which a Sydney news paper published, in which a gentleman named Keegan was permitted to make very slighting references to persons and institutions in Eastern Papua. We showed that Mr. Keegan actually was a gentle man who had been convicted of gold stealing at Misima, and had left the Territory in a hurry. Here is a sequel.

On July 15, the manager of the “Daily Telegraph”, Sydney, sent the following letter to Mr. Robert Cunningham, of Tucker Street, North Sydney: “In the issue of the “Daily Telegraph” of April 18, we published a paragraph, in all good faith, from information furnished to us by a passenger who arrived in Sydney by the Bulolo the previous day.

“In this article it was stated that the boats wain cuffed a native ‘boy’ for mishandling a passenger’s luggage, and that the boatswain was fined £5 for doing so.

“We have since learnt that you were the boats wain of the Bulolo and that you were not concerned in any such incident, either on the voyage in question, or on any other voyage on the Bulolo or any other vessel.

“Furthermore, we have learnt that you have been employed by Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., as a boatswain for the past five years, and that your record with the company is unblemished.

We feel assured that you have never been con cerned in any such incident as that referred to in the paragraph complained of.

“We wish to apologise for the mistake which occurred in our publication, and to express our regret for any inconvenience you may have suf fered thereby.” * * • TWO passengers from the “Macdhui” (Mr. Young. Sargood Gardiner’s well known representative, and Mr. Bown, of Cuthbert’s Misima goldmine) got into

a taxi in Brisbane on July 31, said “Macdhui, New Farm” to the driver, and settled down in amiable conversation.

In due course, the cab stopped. The passengers knew that this was no wharf, and sat still. The driver, quietly cursing these fussy people, got reluctantly out of his seat. With one hand he opened the door; with the other he indicated a large and beautiful residence, before which he had stopped.

The passengers were surprised. “What’s the idea?” said Mr. Young. “This isn’t a wharf.”

“Wharf?” said the driver. “What wharf?” * “Dalgety’s wharf at New Farm”, chorussed the passengers. “Where the Macdhui is.”

The driver slammed the door and climbed back into his seat. There was evi dence that he was a bad-tempered and profane man.

“Gorstruth”. he declaimed. “I thought you said ‘Duhig’—l must be gettin’ old.”

Tiie travellers had been taken to the residence of His Grace Archbishop Duhig, which graces the heights of New Farm.