Giant Snails

Still a Problem in Northern N. Guinea

IWAS interested in Jack Read’s re port that the giant snails, released by the Japs, are now dying out in New Ireland,” writes Mr. E. J. Wauchope, of Madang, New Guinea.

“I wish that were the case here, at Hansa Bay. Certainly, they are dying here by the million—but for every one that passes out, hundreds more appear —the reproduction ratio appears to be enormous. •‘The only consoling feature that I can see is that there now is no housing pro blem in Hansa Bay for the Kuka dand crab). Snail-shells now provide him with countless ready-made houses. ‘Mr. Mark Pitt —ADO at Bogia—has the right idea. He is using his police boys to educate the natives in methods of eradication, by burning on the line of the snails advance. The natives seem to co operate willingly, as they realise the danger to their gardens.

“Good-bye to the Queensland cane fields if ever these things get across to Australia!

“I find that I can kill the snails quickly by using a Jap fly-spray in a hand-spray: but one cannot spray over square miles of country.”

Malaita Is Welcome

Cairns, July 7.

THE “Malaita” berthed at Cairns on June 25 for the first time in four years, and loaded 24,000 super feet of timber and 100 tons of personal effects (including two cars) for Port Moresby, Samarai and Rabaul. Seven passengers also joined the ship to take up residence in New Guinea.

The “Malaita” cleared all cargo at Cairns, for which the residents of Papua and New Guinea had long been wait ing.

Various small craft have passed through Cairns lately, headed for the Territories.

Catholic Mission’s 300-ton vessel “Stella Maris,” which sailed on June 19 with steel rails, timber and livestock for Alexishafen Mission, met veyy bad weather and returned on the 21st. After repairs, it left again on June 27.

The "EMR," flying the French flag, and going to a Lutheran mission at Lae, left on June 6 in company with the ‘Win berra,” chartered by New Guinea Gold fields Ltd, The latter, also for Lae. had been here three weeks with oil trouble.

Ng Women S Club Of

Sydney

I\HE annual general meeting of the . Sydney-New Guinea Women’s Club will be held this year on Friday, July 18, at 7.30 p.m.

Meeting place will be. as usual, at the Feminist Club, 77 King Street.

During May. the club held a games’ night at the club-rooms, and also held a theatre party, proceeds of which went to club funds.

On the morning of July 1, on the fifth anniversary of the sinking of the “Monte video Maru,” the widows, friends and relatives of men who were lost on that occasion met in Martin Place, Sydney, and placed wreaths on the Cenotaph. iAionseigneur Bresson. Catholic Bishop in New Caledonia, announced that he would leave by Pan-American plane for Rome late in June.