Awarded US Decoration

A highly-prized award of the ..United States Government, the Medal of Freedom, has been conferred on Mr.

Hugh H. Hickling, of the Cook Islands.

The award recognises meritorious service by a civilian to the United States Gov ernment.

Mr. Hickling is now a teacher in the Cook Islands, and is on leave in New Zealand (where the United States Min ister, Mr. R. M. Scotten. formally in vested him with the medal). During the critical war years, he was Government Agent at Aitutaki, where the Americans built an important air base, and where Mr. Hickling was able to render con sistently useful service to our Allies.

The Rt. Rev. S. G. Coulton, Bishop of Melanesia, returned to New Z-ealand from the United Kingdom, where he had at tended the Lambeth Conference, at the end of November. He will return to his headquarters in the British Solomon Islands on the “Southern Cross” in late December.

Mr. Percy McConnell has sold his three Taveuni (Fiji) estates of Waitavala (529 acres), Gila (333 acres) and Mount Ver non (1,260 acres). The first has been bought by Mr. W. Halstead and the other two by Mr. W. Pearce. After spending much of his life in the copra industry, Mr. McConnell intends to retire to Suva.

Mr. H. H. Hickling.