Sir W. Carpenter

His Warnings of Pacific Dangers

“W AR conditions in the Pacific have Tt reduced the number of our Pacific Territories: and I wonder how you are getting on, now that you have not so many Administrators to write about — you must be feeling awful lonely!”

Thus Sir Walter Carpenter, in a cheery letter to the editor of the “PIM” from Vancouver, where he now directs the activities of W. R. Carpenter (Canada) Ltd., crushers of copra and oil seeds.

It will be remembered that in 1938-39 the Carpenter group, wearying of trying to make profits out of a product (copra) that was hopelessly in the grip of the Lever combine, decided to establish mills in Vancouver and crush for the Ameri can market. The plan was put into operation, in spite of many difficulties created by the war, and it was success ful from the start. Since the opening of the Pacific war, with its disruption of Pacific copra supplies and transport, Sir Walter has had a new series of problems to deal with.

“The short trip over here that I plan ned has extended itself considerably,” he says. “I do not know when I shall be able to return to Australia. Carrying on a business to-day is hard going— there are so many Controllers who have different views. I think the time has come when they should appoint a Con troller to control Controllers.

“You appear to have your grouse over there, just as we have here —and as everyone has everywhere. It does not matter what Government is in—everyone is sure that some other Government could do better.

“Life here is very different to that in Australia. There we had plenty of sun shine and little rain. Here we have plenty of rain and always are crying for sunshine. We have just come through a very severe winter—temperatures, below zero and snow all the time.

“When I read of the things that are happening in and around New Guinea I cannot help thinking of all thdse warn ings I tried to give, during many years, about guarding those places to the northwards of Australia.

“But no one would listen —they thought I talked like that only because I had an axe to grind. What a different story it would be to-day if Australia’s Islands doorways had been properly guarded! I am afraid it is going to take a long time to get back what we have lost—and a further long time to carry out the work of restoration.

“The world outlook is changing. I think that every country now will adopt some form of social security. It is recognised that the conditions under which employment was given in the past did not provide the masses of workers with security, and led to endless indus trial unrest.”

Who would like to make life a little easier for a Fiji resident who is now in the AIF, and is a member of a small party in an isolated position on the Aus tralian coast? Facilities for recreation there are limited, and they want some playing-cards and some reading matter.

Any reader with a pack of cards or a magazine to spare will help by putting same in the post, addressed to NX103,889, Corporal F. C. Beddoes, RPD. c/o DDME, Victoria Barracks, Sydney.