Years!

Five Ministers in Two Years!

Australia's Tropical Territories

rE fortunate (more or less) Pacific Territories under Australian con trol—namely, Papua, Mandated Territory of New Guinea, Northern Territory, Norfolk Island, and Nauru— are now making the acquaintance of their fifth Minister in two years.

At the last general election, Senator Sir George Pearce disappeared from the political stage, and ended a long career as Minister in Charge of Territories.

They did not put the flags at half-mast in Port Moresby or Rabaul. Sir George may have been a splendid statesman in other spheres, but as a Minister in Charge of Territories, he was little more than a rubber stamp.

Then the Right Honorable William Morris Hughes, P.C., took charge of Territories. “Billy” is always a pic turesque figure and, although he had the Department for Territories for only a few months, he was very conspicuous during that time —at any rate, in New Guinea. An expert committee reported after having spent months examing New Guinea and seeking a site for a new capital, as an alternative to volcano threatened Rabaul; but the mercurial Mr. Hughes made his first (and only) visit to New Guinea by aeroplane, swept away the committee’s recommendations, selected Salamaua as the future capital, and was back again in Canberra in a few days.

There was a Cabinet re-shuffle and Mr. Hughes disappeared from the pic ture.

He was followed by Mr. J. H. Harri son. This was a businesslike man of quick action and prompt decisions; but the Territories had no sooner begun to like his methods than there was another Cabinet re-shuffle, and Mr. John Perkins was asked to supervise territories on be half of the Prime Minister. Mr. Perkins, when he holds a portfolio, is a hard and conscientious worker; but, unfortunately, he was then a very sick man—and he obviously was glad to withdraw from

Cabinet work when a Coalition Govern ment was formed early in March.

The new Minister in Charge of Ter ritories is Mr. H. K. Nock, member for Riverina, who spent most of his life, prior to entering politics in 1931, as a storekeeper, wheat-buyer and sheep farmer. He is a man held in high re gard by all who know him. His quali fications for Ministerial rank are not known, and he has no special knowledge to fit him for the difficult and compli cated work as Ministerial head of the Pacific Territories.

It is a measure of the competence of the present Commonwealth Govern ment that it tosses this important port folio from pillar to post. It is generally placed in the hands of some unknown and untried Minister, and it is never left there long enough to allow the man to become familiar with his duties. Yet the Australian tropical territories are the only parts of Australia which lack representation in Parliament —to them, it is highly important that the man who handles Territories affairs at Canberra should be industrious, conscientious, and approachable—and, above all things, he should know something of the very pecu liar problems which surround the Ter ritories job.

Mr. J. T. McEvoy, planter, of Manus, New Guinea, is at present in Sydney on holiday. Mr. McEvoy is now the owner of a plantation on the Hermit Islands, a small group just westward of the Admiralty Group. He is the only white resident there. In that position, he would be the first European to say “good morn ing” to the Japanese forces, should they ever take it into their heads to advance southwards on New Guinea.

Mr. Howard Nock, new Minister for Islands Territories.

Mr. J. Lyng, who served in 1914-18 with the Australian Forces in New Guinea, and eventually became district officer at Madang, has written another book en titled, “The Scandinavians in Australia, New Zealand and the Western Pacific”, which has been published by Melbourne University Press, Mr. William Wilson, who was 72 years old, and who had spent practically the whole of his 'life in Fiji, died in Suva on March 19. He was one of the best known “old timers” in Fiji. The early part of his life was spent in Levuka, where he was interested in the timber and sugar industries. About 1905, he moved to Suva where for a time, he was engaged in the timber business and sub sequently he joined the staff of Burns Philp (S.S.) Co., Ltd. He married Miss Thomas, sister of Messrs. C.W. and W.W.

Thomas, of Lautoka, and he has numer ous relations in Fiji.