News in Brief

Papua’s draft estimates for 1940-1 show: Estimated revenue, £176,809; esti mated expenditure, £183,212 (£185,637 was spent in 1939-40). New taxes on gold and rubber, together with primage tax and higher ’phone charges, will bring in over £20,000. Deficiency in Superannuation Fund amounts to £9,399 (£6,264, the previous year).

Solomon Islands Development Co., Ltd., a copra-producer in which Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd., hold a subsidiary interest, reports, after providing £290 for depreciation, a loss of £779 for the year ended March 31. With no copra markets available overseas, further losses appear to be inevitable. The copra output for the year was 763 tons.

In the year ended March 31, 1940, the Southern Pacific Insurance Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd., showed a net profit of £5,640 after making substantial provision for premium, reserve, unsettled claims, and taxation.

It paid a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum and carried forward £2,272. The company has an issued capi tal of 25,000 £1 shares, and 75,000 10/shares.

New offices for Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., Rabaul, New Guinea, have been erected adjoining the Co.’s present offices in Mango Street.

Two native corporals in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony Armed Con stabulary—Kaintikuaba and Keakea— have been awarded the Colonial Police and Fire Brigades Long Service Medal for long and meritorious service in the Colony.

The new Swimming Pool in Rabaul, New Guinea, was officially opened by the Administrator (Sir Walter McNicoll) on July 28.

The Indian driver of a 17-seater charabanc was kill in July when the vehicle left the road near Navesau, Fiji, and fell 81 feet into the Wainibuka River. A Fijian passenger was injured.

A slight earth tremor was felt in Port Moresby, Papua, on the evening of July 31.

It is reported from Papua that the house of Mr. William Walsh, 70, well known trader at Kaloura, Central Divi sion was burnt to the ground on July 28 and that he perished in the fire.

Mrs. E. H. Britten departed from Mel bourne recently for Rabaul, New Guinea, where her husband is attached to the District Office staff. Mrs. Britten left the Territory after the 1937 eruption, but owing to an accident whilst in Aus tralia was unable to return.

Crown Prince Tuboutoa will leave Sydney for Tonga in December in order to spend the Christmas holidays with his mother, Queen Salote. It is possible that he will travel as far as New Zealand by air. Just what the future holds for him, the Prince does not know. After obtain ing his LL.B. at the University of Syd ney, he wanted to go to Oxford to study anthropology with Professor Radcliffe Browne. The latter, by the way, was at one time headmaster of the Government College in Tonga. A family conference will be held when the Prince returns to Nukualofa to discuss his educational future. Much will depend, of course, on the length of the present war.