One Plane, Twelve Horses

For Rg Mission

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, May 29.

A “CESSNA” monoplane has recently arrived in Rabaul from America. The plane is a gift to the Catholic Mis sion of New Britain from the United States and will be used in mission and medical work, mainly in the Admiralty Islands.

Three of the American priests at present engaged in mission work in the Rabaul Mission hold American and Aus tralian pilot’s licences.

The plane will at first be flown by Rev.

Father Charles Patrick, MSC, who is stationed at Manus Island.

The plane is an amphibian and as economical as a light car to operate— it goes 35 miles to the gallon.

About the same time the mission also imported 12 horses on the “River Fitzroy” (see page 31 for a planter’s comment on importing stock by sea).

The horses are to be used for out station work and missionaries will now be able to carry out a great deal of their bush patrol work on horseback.

The horses came from a police depot in Australia and reached Rabaul in excellent condition after their long sea journey.

There has been a great deal of local comment about the cost of these stock importations and, according to some, the 12 mission horses probably cost more than the plane to land here.

Mr. H. T. B. Hall, BVSc., a veterinary officer in the Department of Agriculture, Fiji, has been appointed Deputy Director of Agriculture (Veterinary Division), Jamaica, and expects to leave Fiji early in July. He has been in Fiji since 1938.