New Police Chief For Solomons

Solomons

MR. J. I. Blaikie, of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, has been promoted to the position of Super intendent of Police in the British Solo mon Islands Protectorate, and is ex pected to take up duty at Tulagi about July.

Mr. Blaikie first joined the service of the Western Pacific High Commission in 1923, on secondment from the Educa tion Department of Victoria, as head teacher at Ocean Island, after serving a term as Education Officer at Nauru. He was subsequently headmaster of the King George V. School at Bairiki, Gil bert Islands, and Superintendent of Police at Ocean Island. He served with the Australian Flying Corps during the war of 1914-18.

Jack Blaikie is a “good sport”, and has always been popular among both Europeans and natives. His numerous friends in the G. and E. Colony will wish him and Mrs. Blaikie a happy term in the Solomons.

Mr. R. Higginson arrived in Fiji in March to take over temporarily the post of Resident Magistrate in Suva while Mr. T. T. Russell proceeds on leave. Mr.

Higginson has been on the retired list of the Colonial Office Service for some years, but as he previously had had ex perience in Fiji as a Magistrate he offered his services again to the Government.

Mr. William G. Smith, formerly well known in Fiji, died recently at Launces ton, Tasmania, at the age of 75. Arriving at first in Fiji from Melbourne in 1874

with his parents, he remained only a short time then left for Australia; but went back to the Colony six years later as an engineer with the Colonial Sugar Co., Ltd. After another period away from Fiji, he returned in 1901 and served again for several years with the C.S.R.

Co. Later he took over the management of Kanacea coconut estate, and held that posltlon until he retlred some Rev. A. E. McKay, 8.D., 8.A., will shortly leave Sydney for Tonga to join the Methodist Mission staff at Nukualofa.