Tropicalities

QUAINT note from a lad who has just returned from furlough in Sydney: “I arrived back after a very plea sant trip on the ‘Malaita’ —the journey at times becoming hectic in its alcoholic frivolity.

“However, at the latter end, things were pretty quiet, as most, including myself, had worked our financial means out to the last penny, even taking into consideration the cheap beer ' between Cairns and Port Moresby.

“By the way, there is a pink pub in Cairns now'. When a friend of mine arrived back at the boat and nervously told me h? had returned to the ship sooner than he anticipated on account of seeing a pink hotel, I took him on a visit to the ship’s doctor. Later, several of the huskiest of us escorted him back up the street, all willing to attack the thing if it flew at him. However, what we found was the Courthouse Hotel, done out in pink tiles!” * * • fTVHE new junior clerk was busily sort i ing out correspondence, in a Levuka trading store, when he noticed that the symbols “c.i.f. & e.” occurred quite freauently.

For a long time, he sat quite still looking solemnlv at the letters, and then, suddenly, a great light dawned on him.

Of course, they stood for the firm’s customers—Chinese, Indians, Fijians and Europeans! • * * PEOPLE who travel on ships these days should take a lesson from what happened to the passengers on the ill-fated “Niagara”, sunk by a mine off the coast of Auckland. It appears that only a small proportion of the passengers had insured their luggage against loss by en°my action. Others had insured, in the ordinary way, but not against war-time risks; and, as the ship was considered to have been lost through enemy action, the insurance companies were not liable.

Many people will not insure their luggage against war-time risks because of the very high premiums charged. Actually, the war-time risk in the Pacific, since the outbreak of war, has been small, and not of a character to justify the rates that have been imposed. * * * THE grocery counter in Burns, Philp’s big store in Port Moresby is one of the meeting places for Govern ment officials and other notable people about 830 a.m. Not long ago, thev were all discussing the possible appointee to the vacant Governorship.

The man behind the counter said, brightly: “Why shouldn’t we have a pup pet Government, Tike other countries?”

One of the old hands, leaning on the counter, said: “Gawd struth! Ain’t we had enough of puppy governments al ready!” * * * 11THEN the Federal authorities decided T T that the New Guinea Administration should retain its headquarters at Rabaul, one of the conditions set down was that there should be maintained a first-class vulcanological service, so that early warning could be given of any pending volcanic liveliness. This meant the maintenance of observing stations at about three points around Rabaul, and the use of delicate instruments of an un usual kind.

The instruments were ordered from

Europe, but war made it impossible to fill the orders. This created a serious position. Administrative headquarters could not remain at Rabaul unless a proper observatory system was established.

In this emergency, Mr., W. E. Jackson, engineer in charge at the Public Works Department in Rabaul, and Mr. Fisher, “geologist in charge of volcanoes”, set to work to make the necessary instruments.

The Public Works workshop, under the personal supervision of Mr. Jackson, has produced a series of very delicate, finely adjusted instruments which, it is believed, will serve the purpose of the observatory.

The “Rabaul Times” congratulates the officials concerned on a fine job of work. * * » AND still they come! Mr. G. W. L.

Townsend, DO., in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea, now on furlough in Australia, is proudly showing a photograph of six volunteers from his

district now with the Australian forces — namely, T. Weston, a gold miner: Pat Morrissey, a clerk; J. Grant, a patrol officer; J. Barraclough, a medical assist ant; Bob Giles and G. Cole, cadets. Mr.

Townsend told the “Melbourne Herald” that, to inform them that volunteers were asked for by the Commonwealth, native police went out to search for those who carried the white man’s burden in remote areas of the territory, from Wewak, Aitape, Maprik and Angoram.

They covered 25,000 square miles in the search! * ♦ ♦ EVERYONE knows that, since war dis located industry and transport, we have had to put up with matches that are not like those we once knew.

A correspondent in Papua says that the Australian variety of matches they get there now are very pretty, but they will not strike, and the natives in consequehce have named them “Dika Momo”. A Port Moresby wag put it this way: “The only thing in Australia that does not strike are these matches!”