Governor Of

Papua

Canberra Decision Awaited

THE appointment of a successor to the late Sir Hubert Murray, as Lieu tenant Governor of Papua, is awaited with interest. The appointment will be made by the Australian Government, for an indeterminate period.

Some leading Australian newspapers, believed to have reliable sources of in formation, state that the choice lies be tween Sir Hubert’s nephew, Mr. Leonard Murray, who was with him for so many years as official secretary, and Mr. H. W.

Champion, Government Secretary, who is now acting as Lieutenant-Governor.

These are the two men who were closest to Sir Hubert in his administrative duties, and they are believed to be fully imbued with the Murray tradition and policy of government.

It is believed in some quarters, how ever, that the Government is giving con sideration to men in other administra tive services—namely, in New Guinea and in Norfolk Island. The reference to Norfolk Island, of course, means Major-General Sir Charles Rosenthal, who took charge there a couple of years ago, and whose vigorous work in organising the industries of that small territory has been warmly commended.

Many people hope that the Common wealth Government,' on this occasion, will make an appointment from within the tropical service. There are at least three outstanding men in the Papuan service, and three in the New Guinea service, any one of whom, experienced and trained in tropical administration, could safely be appointed as Lieutenant- Governor of Papua.

The Planters’ Association of Papua, on March 9, decided to make representa tions to Canberra in regard *to a suc cessor to Sir Hubert Murray, and the spokesman made the frank statement: “We do not want a decayed politician or a retired military man.”

The Association furthermore decided that it did not necessarily want a man trained by Sir Hubert Murray, because Sir Hubert was not the type of man to train a successor —what the territory wanted was “a vigorous young man, not more than 40 years old, who would study the finances of the Territory, and attack the problems of transport, agri culture and the establishment of vil lage industries.”

Mr. Michael Leahy, one of the famous clan of explorers and prospectors in New Guinea, married Miss Jeanette Best, of Tully, Queensland, in Sydney on March 5. The best man was Mr. Jim Taylor, also well-known as a New Guinea ex plorer. Mr. and Mrs. Leahy are at pre sent on a motoring holiday in Australia and will leave at the end of the month for New Guinea where they will make their future home.

Mr. George McEwan, son of the late Mr. William McEWan, who was for many years on the staff of Morris, Hedstrom, Ltd., Fiji, married Miss Lena Taverner, at Vatukoula, Tavua, on March 2. The bride’s father is Mr. T. Taverner, ac countant of the Emperor Gold Mining Co. The wedding was the first held at the Fiji goldfields’ town.