Moresby

The Month In

From a Special Correspondent

Port Moresby, April 5.

rpHE Administrator (Colonel J. K. Mur- X ray) has returned from his three weeks’ visit to Australia, but the gen eral public is as much “in the dark’’ as ever about developments ifi Canberra, and plans for the Territory’s future.

Apart from an ABC news item which stated that the Minister hoped to have the new Bill ready before the present Parliamentary session ends in May, no one seems to have any idea just who is planning what.

There has not been so much as a mur mur from official sources about the vari ous matters which have lately been agitating the locals. “Marginal increases” in public service salaries seem to have been forgotten—if indeed, they were ever contemplated. Protests over the newly imposed electricity charges have not vet been acknowledged from Canberra. The cost of living is still climbing heaven wards. And Canberra has now com menced its second year of complete silence in response to persistent requests by the Administration, and by local parents, for financial assistance to per sons whose children have to go to Aus tralia for secondary education. * * * A CROWD of over 100 watched the final of the local table tennis competi tion, which was held in the RSL Clubrooms recently. A team from the Australasian Petroleum Company won comfortably from a Commonwealth Bank foursome. After the matches various trophies, including a competition shield donated by Mr. Reg. Eginton, were presented. A. Ashton and G. Crouch, winner and runner-up respectively in a Singles Championship held earlier this year, also received their prizes. * * * MR D. PULLEN has replaced Mr. L.

Clout as the Public Service Asso ciation representative on the Gov ernment Housing Committee. The scheme allowing officers a grant to build their own houses has been reopened, and the foundations are at present being excavated in the Lawes Road area for a group of prefabricated houses which are shortly to be erected. The Housing- Committee is therefore busy at the moment. ♦ ♦ * MR. R. MONSON, of the Sydney “Telegraph,” has been in Moresby on the last stage of a tour of the Territory, during which he has been col lecting material for a new magazine which the “Te’igraph” plans to put out shortly. Mr. Monson also started a minor international crisis, for it was he who first gave the Australian press the story of strife between Australians and Chinese at Manus.

At first it was reported that Chinese at Manus had attacked natives and then, armed with machine-guns, had defied Australian administrative officers. On the Saturday night Mr. Ward announced that the Territory’s Superintendent of Police (Mr. J. S. Grimshaw) had left for Manus, and that an early report from him was expected. Mr. Grimshaw was seen in Moresby on the following Monday and Tuesday, and had apparently not been to Manus. He did get away later that week, however, and two Chinese were arrested. No machine-guns misbehaved, and the incident was not revived by the press.

THE town-planners have moved in and are installed in the Lands Depart ment office. It is understood that they have already commenced the job of dreaming up a better and brighter Moresby. The Lawes Road area ap pears to have received attention. The Anglican Mission was about to subdivide an estate in that part of the town for building blocks when they were informed that their plans conflicted with those of the planners. They have had to post pone the subdivision. On the whole, however, Moresby certainly needs expert planning if it is to serve as the per manent capital, and it is pleasing to hear that the work is being handled. * * * AT the annual meeting of the Parents’

Association of the local European school, held last month, Mr. J.

Lyons and Mrs. Price were elected presi dent and secretary respectively. At the meeting there was considerable discus

sion about the constitution of the Asso ciation; no final constitution has yet been adopted. * * * DR. and Mrs. Washington Gray have left. Dr. Gray, who has been chief geologist with the Australasian Petroleum Company, will take up an executive position with the firm’s Lon don office. They will be missed. * * * THE vegetable markets run by the Agriculture Department every Friday

are now being handled by G. G.

Smith and Co., a firm which continues to show commendable enterprise in meeting the public’s needs. It is understood that this firm plans to provide bootrepairing facilities in the near future.

The greater part of Moresby’s citizenry have been literally down-at-heel since the war. * * *

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HE Malaita brought a small quantity of sugar last week. Private pantries have been right out of sugar for some time, and housewives want to know

why this consignment was delivered to the “lolly water” factory, * * * A orri , , T AST week brought another anomaly . bgnt. A local lad has been wait or c °Pies of the Melbourne ‘ A S® reach the !ocal public library 80 that he could discover how he fared in last year’s university exams. Think ing that the papers would arrive by the first surface mail, he did not bother to ask any friends to check up on his result, He still doesn’t know them, as the latest “Age” available at the library is dated

January 19. There been four surface mails since then.

The explanation given is that news papers are purchased through Govern ment Stores as freight, and are subject to the usual lag in Administration cargoes. We would have thought that the library could have papers posted to it, like anyone else. A recent surface mail brought southern newspapers up to March 20 to private citizens.