Finschhafen News

Finschhafen. Feb. 28.

LAE police did smart work here re ently in arresting four men for break ing and entering a warehouse. The case will be heard at the Supreme Court, Lae, and is likely to have wide ramifica tions.

The accused are all young, post-war arrivals. In many instances, there is no real criminal intent, but war-time “scrounging” has created an appetite which will be hard to appease. When we see otherwise respectable citizens “lifting” anything they can lay their hands on and encroaching on other people’s preserves it certainly sets a bad example to others.

We are fast developing into a territory of kleptomaniacs, and, until every con ceivable item of abandoned war material is dumped far out at sea I can see no hope of reversion to our placid pre-war moral state. * * ♦ A DAUGHTER was born to the Rev. and Mrs. Keith Nagel, on February 3, at Lutheran Mission Hospital, Finschhafen. * * * A WELL-KNOWN Chinese trader of Madang, Mr. Leong Hop, died at the Lutheran Mission Hospital, Finsch hafen, on January 28. He had flown from Madang and passed away about 20 minutes after his arrival at the hospital.

He was 56, and had been in New Guinea 30 years. He leaves a family of five chil dren. ♦ * * MRS. G. L. Bugg, the charming wife of popular Gil. Bugg, head of the Department of Civil Aviation, has arrived to join her husband. * ♦ ♦ rpHIS correspondent tasted some really X good Arabica coffee recently—equally as good as Wilde’s famous Wau variety. It should have a ready sale in Australia. It grows at elevations above 2,000 feet, in some parts of the Finsch hafen hinterland, and was introduced by Lutheran missionaries before the war. Its exploitation seems warranted. * * * Finschhafen is now a “port” and henceforth all vessels calling here will have to pay for water and the customary harbour dues, wharfage, etc. • • • r seems certain that there is going to be a shortage of native “stick” to bacco. Local rumour has it that there is to be no further importations of plantation twist. I remember that back in 1932-33, Messrs. Money and Reynolds put on the local market a very fair type of twist suitable for natives, and though the imported type was more- popular with the natives then I think the boys will soon be only too pleased to rush this Siassi product should it open up again. * * * CARGO-CULT still has many adherents in the hinterland of Finschhafen.

They have neglected their gardens, and are waiting for canned food, planes, electric-lighting plants, etc., that will never come. They already have selected their “customs officers,” I believe.

The cost of the new 78-foot yacht be ing built in Brisbane for the Australian Board of Missions, has far exceeded the original estimates owing to the 40-hour week and increased cost of material. Al ready it has cost £lO,OOO. Owing to shor tage of materials the vessel is not expected to be launched until April next. It is named “Maclaren King,” and will re place an older one of the same name lost during the war. She will serve mission stations along 400 miles of the Papuan coast.