"Stamp Racket"

New Issue For Norfolk Is.

EVER since Australia took over Norfolk Island, Norfolk Island has used Australian postage stamps: and there have been no complaints about the effi ciency of Norfolk Island postage under this arrangement.

It is now announced, however, that about April Norfolk Island will have its own postage stamps. Designs for the first issue—showing portions of the island and the adjacent Phillip Island—have been completed and printing is under way.

At first glance, it appears a useless waste of public money. Actually it is a highly profitable proceeding. These

Islands territories usually show a profit of from £lO.OOO to £20,000 in the postage account in the year following the issue of a new lot of stamps—the result, of course, of philatelists all over the world rushing in, with their ears back, to buy up the new issue. It has become a regu lar “racket” among the small admini strations throughout the Pacific —one way of raising revenue when all else seems to have failed. The philatelists seem to like it—so why should anyone else worry!

The engagement was announced in January of Miss Fay Brown, only daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. L. Brown, of Bulolo, New Guinea, to Mr. Bruno Kroening, eldest son of Dr. and Mrs. B. Kroening, of Toboroi Estate, Kieta, New Guinea.

Miss Phoebe Mary Currie, 21-years-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Currie, of Sogi, Western Samoa, died in Apia Hospital recently from the effects of ptomaine poisoning.

Mr. Launcelot Owen, who is in charge of operations in Papua for Papuan Apin aipi Petroleum Co., Ltd., arrived in Sydney by the February “Macdhui” on a business visit. He was accompanied by his wife.