News In Brief
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
MR. A. A. CONLON has succeeded Mr, John Kerr as Principal of the Aus tralian School of Tropical Adminis tration. The first Principal was Professor Jack K. Murray, who was appointed Ad ministrator of Papua-New Guinea He was followed by Mr. Kerr, a barrister, who has now returned to his practice in Sydney.
Mr. Conlon became known to the Pacific Territories when, with the rank of Colonel he was prominent in an Army Research Council, which gave advice to Australian Ministers, including Mr. Ward, concerning Pacific Territories affairs, during the war and post-war period. * * * Because it was dissatisfied with wharf age in Port Moresby, and for other reasons, the KPM company has cancelled the arrangements that a Dutch liner should call regularly at Port Moresby, when en route between East Indies and Australia. * * * The appeal of two Chinese against im prisonment imposed upon them by Mr.
Justice Phillips for assaulting a native at Manus, NG, has been heard by the Aus tralian High Court. Decision reserved. * * * A committee of three is now re-classify ing the Papua-New Guinea public service, where there is acute discomfort owing to high cost of living. (It costs a married man with two children not less than £65 per month to live in Moresby). * * * Mr. Ward has refused an application by Enterprise of NG Gold and Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd. for a petroleum prospecting permit. * * ♦ A. E. Downey and A. L. le Boutillier were committed for trial in Port Moresby on a charge of killing a native police men in Misima in March, 1942. * * * The “Morinda,” in October, picked up 600 tons of copra at Kukum and Yandina, BSI, for Sydney, Henceforth, on every alternate trip to New Hebrides, “Morinda” is expected to cut out Norfolk Island and extend her run to the Solomons. She also loaded, in BSI, 60 tons of brass (war time scrap), worth £9O per ton in Sydney. * * * Papua-New Guinea Administrator, Colonel Murray, has been recently in Lae and Rabaul, where he has had a series of cordial meetings with Europeans. ♦ * ♦ A party representing NZ Government and Union Manufacturing and Export Co. (NZ) has been recently in New Guinea inspecting large quantities of war-salvage goods (especially steel) which have been purchased.