About Islands People

Mrs. A. C. Turnbull, wife of the Admini strator, is patroness of the Patriotic Society of Samoa (formed to provide comforts for local troops) and the exe cutive includes: —Mrs. J. Wallace (presi dent); Mrs. C. E. Hall (honorary sec retary) ; Mrs. R. G. Bruce (honorary treasurer); and a committee comprising Mrs. Ayers, Mrs. Cobcroft, Mrs. Davidson, Mrs F. Helg, Mrs. Phineas, Mrs. Bartley, Mrs. Croudace, Mrs Greenwood, Mrs.

King, Mrs. R. Tattersall, Miss M. Godi nett, Miss Rea L. Rasmussen and Miss Williams.

Mr, Andrew Kelly, who carried on a successful law business in New Guinea, with headquarters at Rabaul, for several years, has sold his practice to Mr. S.

McConnell, and sailed for Australia re cently. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly intend to spend some time travelling before settling down to active work again.

Mr. Robert Nolan, of the Postal De partment, Papua, agrees that queer things happen in wartime. He had been trans ferred from the post office at Samarai to the post office at Port Moresby, and he was guest at a complimentary dinner at Samarai on October 7, when he was wished bon voyage by about thirty resid ents. He left by a coastal vessel on Oc tober 9. Soon afterwards the Collector of Customs at Samarai received radio instructions to recall him and a Govern ment launch chased the coastal vessel all the way to her anchorage at Port Glas gow. The Government launch then went on a short patrol and returned triumph antly to Samarai, with Mr. Nolan aboard, on October 14.

Mr. J. B. Sedgers, manager for Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd., in the Morobe end of New Guinea, left Salamaua on October 21 on furlough. Mr. and Mrs. Sedgers were entertained at various social functions on the eve of their departure.

Miss Agnes Susan Armour was mar ried in Samarai, Eastern Papua, on October 26 to Mr. Sydney Charles Mason.

Many people gathered to wish the couple the best of good fortune.

Mr. John W. Cox, formerly roadmaster at Namatanai, New Ireland (New Guinea), writing from furlough in Hong

Kong to a friend in Sydney in October, said that -he had just received advice from New Guinea that, as part of the retrenchment scheme . now in progress there, he had been “sacked”. He was a temporary employee of the Administra tion and, of course, the temporary em ployees are the first to go. Mr. Cox says that he may return to New Guinea in search of a job of some kind; but that he will accept war service if he can per suade the authorities that he is not too old. He was regimental sergeant-major in the Irish Guards and in the Great War, he won the D.C.M. and the M.M.

Dr. V. W. T. McGusty, Director of Medical Services in Fiji and Central Medical Authority for the Western Pacific, accompanied by Dr. C. McE. Macpher son, left Suva in October on a three months’ medical survey of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. They will visit every island in the group and the survey will be the most comprehensive medical inspection ever made of the Colony.

Rev. Clifford L. Welch, of the London Missionary Society, who is stationed at Nauru, Central Pacific, is at present in Melbourne spending furlough. He will re main in Australia until January when he willSdsit New Zealand before returning to NaurcK When he was in Australia in January last year, Rev. Welch arranged for a church to be constructed in such a manner that the timbers could be shipped to Nauru and there be fitted to gether as a complete building. The sec tions of the church duly arrived at the island and in nine months the Nauruans had assembled and equipped the edifice with redwood furniture, concrete flooring and a Hammond electric organ—the first in any Pacific church. Constructed on the cruciform principle, the church ac commodates 800 worshippers; it is unde nominational and is known as the Nauru Christian Church.

Miss E. Wallace, 8.A., headmistress of the Methodist Mission Girls’ School at Faleula, Western Samoa, arrived in Mel bourne in November by the “Mariposa”, on furlough.

Mrs. W. S. Paton left Sydney by the “Malaita” at the end of October for her home at Yan dina, Solomon Is lands, after spend ing a vacation with her parents at Bathurst, N.S.W., and with her hus band’s parents in Sydney.

Miss M. Woolnough, Methodist mis sionary at Nakanai,.New Britain, was an inmate of Namanula Hospital, Rabaul, early in November. Recently when she was filling a benzine lamp it suddenly caught fire and severely burnt her left hand and arm; she quickly recovered from the burn injuries but other symp toms supervened. Miss Woolnough at first opportunity will proceed to Austra lia.

Miss Grace Bakewell was married in Wau on October 28 to Mr. H. J. Steven son. Mrs. R. Phillips, of Kila. Salamaua, was Matron of Honour.

Rev. Father J. Fotheringham, of the Samoan Marist Fathers, left Sydney for New Zealand in October by the “Mon terey”. He has been studying in Australia for six months and intended to spend two months in the Dominion before re turning to his station at Tutuila.