What It Takes To Live In

N. Guinea To-Day

MRS. ALICE BOWRING, a well known resident of the New Guinea gold fields area who worked with the Americans in New Caledonia during the Pacific war, has now returned to New Guinea and writes thus from Edie Creek: “Well, here we are back in New Guinea with the old pioneering spirit aglow— but alas, desolation and discouragement the order of the day. Transportation is difficult owing to the roads being closed with landslides and even the Administra tion in this neck of the woods cannot get labour. If it were not so inconvenient it would perhaps be funny.

“Handling of cargo at Lae is bad —the custom’s shed there after the last Montoro was a shambles. Postal arrangements are also very poor. It usually takes three weeks to sort parcels mail at Lae after the arrival of each steamer.

“However, as the Yanks say: ‘With time, patience and perseverence, you can burn water!’ So here’s hoping,”

Two Cook Islands visitors —Mr. W. H.

Watson, of Rarotonga, and Mr. Julian Dashwood, of Mauke, —were in Auckland in February. Mr. Watson was making his annual business visit to the Dominion.

Mr. Dashwood in the face of official dif ficulties, was trying to organise a cabinet making industry for his Island.

The General Council of New Caledo nia has elected M. Henri Lafleur, one of its members, as New Caledonian repre sentative in Paris, where he will be a Councillor of the Republic An the new Parliament. M. Lafleur is a busy mining man in close touch with the Nickel Co. and Ballande interests which are pre dominant in the Colony.

Dr. Donald James Oldmeadow, MB, BS (Melbourne), DGO (Melbourne) has been registered as a medical practitioner in the Colony of Fiji.

The new Governor of New Caledonia, M. Parisot, arrived at Tontouta drome from USA on January 29. He received official and municipal welcomes at Noumea and placed a wreath on the war memorial.