Phantasy And

Farce

A Tabulated Account of What a Man Must Do in Order to Get Official Permission to Return to

the Australian Pacific Territories

Letter to the Editor YOU were good Enough to invite me to tell you how I fared, when I had made up my mind to make formal application—after my return from abroad —to return to my old home in the Aus tralian Pacific Territories.

The following is an exact tabulation of what I had to go through before I could start off on the first stage (to Port Moresby) of my return. The thing is a combination of farce and phantasy.

I shall give a full account of it in my forthcoming 1 book, “Three Months Among Savages.” which deals with my “holiday” in South-eastern Australia; (1) Applied to Department of External Territories, Canberra: Three let ters; one urgent telegram. (2) Saw a kind friend at Victoria Bar racks, Sydney: One trunk-line call to (1). (3) Applied to Dept, of External Ter ritories, Sydney: Three personal calls, (4) Call at Income Tax Dept., Sydney: Spent 85 rhinutes standing in a queue; had a five minutes’ inter view with young man of majestic manner. (5) Army Movements Control, Sydney; One personal call.

(6) Priorities Officer, Dept, of Civil Aviation: Final seal of approval from this outfit.

At any rate, I feel that I have done my bit towards solving unemployment in Australia.

I am, etc.,

Queensland.

“Planter.”