Norfolk Is. Notes

By Vernon Wheatley

PASSING THROUGH: Mrs., Miss and Master Melville, who have left Tonga and plan to reside in NSW.

Mr. A. G. Kirk, returning to Thursday Island after spending leave in New Zea land.

Mr. Badham, on his way home to Sydney, after a fruitless search in the Islands for a small free-hold plot of land. Seems there isn’t such a thing.

Gone, But Not Forgotten: The

intense type who dashed from the plane to his guest-house, tossed his gear into his room, rushed out into the roadway and asked the first passer-by: “Where’s the nearest pub?” Upon learning that there was no such institution, his con sternation and remarks can best be imagined. He soon settled down when the intricacies of the Bond Store were ex plained.

Recent Arrival: The Ss “Holm

burn,” from New Zealand. A few of the local stores availed themselves of the opportunity to replenish their perilously low stocks. The shelves of the stores looked about as uninspiring as a Labour Budget, but a few goods soon altered that.

The “Morinda” is due shortly, and we understand the “Muliama” is due ap proximately three weeks afterwards.

Some of the locals seem to think that the “Holmburn’s” visit may have some thing to do with this, particularly when the Holm Shipping Company have made it known that they will run a regular service if sufficient freight is offering.

GRUESOME: A cow wandered about here for about three weeks with a broken hind leg. It was broken just above the fetlock and bones were protruding through the skin. It has vanished now —perhaps it was finally shot when the amateur pastoralist who owned it decided it could not be saved, or perhaps it just merely folded up and died an unnatural death. This job would be worth three months’ hard either in NZ or Australia, and it is a great pity there is no RSPCA here. The hard part is that if someone came along and put it out of its misery the simple act of mercy would have caused charges—or accusations, I should say—of interfering with stock or even black-marketing in beef.

FARCICAL: The Labour Machine in NZ, although it is groaning and grinding to an inglorious halt, due to a complete lack of inspirational lubricant, is still capable of producing a bit of ridiculous nonsense at the drop of the hat. Latest petty restriction is this; Travellers have had their £7/10/- overseas cash allowance cut down to £5. Wouldn’t it?

WHY BRING THIS UP: As it is im possible to wheedle any cement in quantity (say six bags) out of the Ad ministration for essential work, three local people have had to import it from NZ. Out of a 120-bags consignment to the South Seas Whaling Company, NI, 10 bags went “missing;’" and so far they have failed to return to their base.

HERE’S HEALTH! The Administration also availed themselves of the “Holm burn’s” visit from New Zealand. They imported some hundreds of cases of liquor, to replenish the depleted Bond Store. One can scarcely blame them, as profits from the Store, plus the sale of postage stamps, constitute the Adminis tration’s main sources of revenue. I hear over the Xmas period, the Administration raked approximately £3,000 over the Bond Store counter. This is really a “roaring trade,” when you consider the population of the Island.

The Rev. and Mrs. W. A. Coates, of the Methodist Mission, Papua, were on leave in Sydney in February.