Magazine Section

Territories Talk-Talk

By "Tolala"

A N old Territorial!, writing from Moresby, says: “I’m still living at the hotel; the tariff is cheap com pared with everything else A boy’s ration costs 12/3 a week, and his wages can be anything from £1 to £7 a month.

I pay one of my indigenes from Han uabada £9 a month, but he keeps him self and turns up to work clad in jungle greens and nice, shiny army boots.” * * * OTHER reports from the PM front state that the native labour situ ation is growing more acute, as many of the workers have now completed their twelve months’ term, collected their “wad”, and gone to the bush, to remain there. Government labour line in Port is said to number a mere 400 now, which is far below normal strength. * * * GO-SLOW tactics on the Moresby waterfront are reminiscent of Syd ney “■wharf ies”. Vessels like the “Montoro”, in pre-war days, required 36 hours to unload. Now she takes from four to six days. * * ♦ FEDERAL Cabinet has set its seal of approval on the South Pacific Com mission, and the necessary legisla tion is being prepared. Dr. Evatt and “Eddie” Ward will be handling the Aus tralian section; and I’m having a few bob on Sir Frederic Eggleston as playing an important role in the Australian team.

Temporary headauarters, undoubtedlv will be Sydney: and I like Suva as the permanent selection. Moresby has been mentioned: but the incidence of malaria, plus no suitable accommodation (to name only a few drawbacks) weigh against it, Noumea would be more central than Port Muveshv and —especially when its Casino is in operation—more congenial. The fact that Australia is paying the biggest por tion of the bill (30 per cent.) should n rt t be an excuse to in any way eclipse the ether nations, especially those who are somewhat lukewarm on th° venture. * * * I HAVE heard many questioners ask: “What good v/ill the South Pacific Commission do?” My answer is: “I don’t know.” But change the question to: “What good could it do?” And I would say: The six nations could (and should) ■ Pool all their research data, dealing with tropical diseases, malaria, plant pests and diseases; ■ Have a common policy for labour conditions, native trading, lahd alienation, fishing regulations, native education and, eventually native co-operative move

ments; also—

b a uniform system of maintaining (or at least not destroying) native cul ture not opposed to the general principles of Western law and order. * * * ONE could go on indefinitely enumer ating practical machinerv which could be introduced- but those pre a few. proving the benefits which might be derived from effort amongst the six nations, suitably applied to the particular stage of °dvancement of the individual We must not forget that these racial differences range

from the primitive New Guinea lad to the ultra-civilised Samoan and Fijian. * * * BULOLO Gold Dredging has gone into production again. No. 1 Dredge kicked off on its old job on February 20. There’s no doubt about this outfit —it goes about doing things the right way—and in a big way.

Here’s hoping many of the other mining concerns will soon be back in production again. ♦ * ♦ RECENTLY, a New Guinea lass was the “Smart Girl Comes to Town”, a regular feature of a Sydney after noon paper. She was Denise Judd daughter of the late Cliff Judd and Mrs.

Judd, of Toowoomba. Her aunt is Mrs.

Orton Townsend. Denise, who is 22, was visiting Sydney on her way to Melbourne when the cameraman caught up with her.

She is studying modelling. * * * 117EDDING BELLS: Clare Cooper, who Tt did so much for the New Guinea Women’*? Assn, in Melbourne, has married Dr. Frank Mav Another wedding of New Guinea interest was that of Marykowan, elder daughter of Mrs.

Allen Innes. She married Frank Blun dell, of Sydney, and a number of NG old-timers attended the reception at the Wentworth on March 1 A month previously lan Innes (Alice Innes’ only son) was married to Miss Gwendolyne O’Keefe, of Mosman Frank Furriiss, of Qantas Airways, was married on March 1 to Miss Joan Bull at St. Phil lips’, Church Hill. Sydney. They will make their home in Lae. * * ♦ LETTERS received since Gladys Baker’s death give some touching descrip tions of the work she did for •he rick and crippled natives around her plantation on Witu. right up to the time of her passing. The care of the long neglected sick natives was her first task when she arrived on the island, and she did not spare herself in this work. At her funeral there were reported to be over a thousand local natives present who. afterwards, carried out a customary wailing ceremony for their chiefs, which lasted all through the night. Vale Sin abada! * * ♦ CHINESE nurses are being sent down to Australia from Singapore for training. Why should not New Guinea follow this example and select a number of local-born Chinese lassies for training in Australia? They Droved to be excellent nurses at Namanula, in pre war days. * ♦ * DESPITE the fact that Rabaul is much “on the coat” —officially—the name is too deenlv engraved on the world’s mind to be lightly forgotten and, to the majority of Australians. Rabaul stand*? not onlv for that volcano-bomb-blasted township on the shores of Blanche Bav but for the whole of the Gazelle Pen insula, including the new “capital” at Kokono "r'he name Rabaul should be perpetuated.

It probably will be anvwav. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the announce ment about Kokono being selected for the capital, site of New Britain. There have been so many announcements about capitals in New Guinea, °nd, as a matter of fact, it was decided back in

1941 to make Takubar (just the other side of the Kiniqunan plantation) the administrative headquarters though commercial interests were not impressed and had decided to remain around the foreshores of Blance Bay. And that is just about what the position is to-day. * * ♦ IT’S difficult to reconcile Doc Evatt’s concern for “Pacific Security” with the dismantling of the gigantic (Continued on Next Page )

naval base at Manus by a private com mercial firm from the Philippines. Or is Pacific security already assured—with out bases? ♦ ♦ ♦ PROF. ELKIN (who has had no small say in New Guinea’s native “policy”) proposes that Australian abos. should receive a weekly wage of £2 13/1. Is this going to influence the pegged wage in New Guinea? * * * A THOUGHT for the South Pacific

A Commission:

■ Knowledge is a treasure; but prac tice is the key to it. * * * fTTHE Commonwealth National Library X at Canberra is seeking back numbers of the Army publication “Guinea Gold”. • The Librarian will be pleased to hear from parties having copies to dis pose of. * * * 4 USTRALIAN Minister for the Navy (Mr. Giordan) is planning a visit to New Guinea and other islands in June of this year. His report on Manus should be interesting. * if * ALTHOUGH trocus shell prices have not soared to any considerable ex tent, a friend of mine in Sydney re cently paid £4 for a dozen pearl-shell buttons. Who’s making the profit? Not the lowly lailai fisher. * * *

Congratulations : to Lieut-

Colonel L. N. Tribolet on collect ing an OBE for services in the SWPA; also to S/Sgt A. A. Smart for his BEM, and Major (Temp. Lieut-Col.) J. I.

Cromie for a MID. Native recipients of honours were WO 1 Tanwiga, with the DCM, and Cpl. Umbutu, an MM.

Dr. J. W. Burton has been appointed secretary of the Australian Department of External Affairs. He is the son of the Rev. Dr. J. W. Burton, President-General of the Australian Methodist Conference and a well-known leader of Pacific mis sion organisation.