"Untouchables"

rE erection of a polling booth in Port Moresby, so that the members of the garrison stationed there might record their votes in the Com monwealth general election on Septem ber 21, brought home sharply to the residents of that Territory the fact that, although they are governed from Can berra just as directly and more severely than any district in Australia, they have no vote and no say in the character of the Government.

The “Papuan Courier”, commenting bitterly on the position, said: “In the political life of Australia, to which we are bound, we all are outcasts and untouchables, and we have no say.”

Of course, the other side of the pic ture, which the newspaper does not stress, is that the residents of Papua escape the frightful burden of taxation imposed upon all who receive incomes in Australia. They cannot have it both ways!

Mr. L. G. Vial, well-known Madang Patrol Officer, arrived in Sydney by the September “Macdhui” on furlough.

Mr. Wilfred J. Ragg, a member of a pioneer Fiji family, died recently in Mel bourne, aged 56. Born in Suva, he was trained as an engineer and for some years served on the Fiji Government yacht “Pioneer”. Later, he joined the Union S.S. Co., and for 10 years was second engineer on the “Niagara”, before being transferred to the Co.’s South Aus tralia-Tasmania run.