The Month In Moresby

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, Sept. 2.

A VOLUNTEER defence unit similar to the old New Guinea Volunteer Rifles may be formed in Papua-New Guinea. General Nimmo, GOC Northern Command, has been visiting the Terri tory to prepare the way for Major Hobbs, of Northern Command, who will organise the unit. Major Hobbs will address ex- AMF members at the Moresby RSL Club on September 8, as one of the first steps towards forming the unit. Port Moresby RSL is also urging the formation of a squadron of the Citizen Air Force in the Territory. ♦ ♦ * THE Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Lemmon, visited Manus during August and before returning to Aus tralia reassured the Administration that it would have first call on wartime build ings on the island. There were 1,000 steel framed and galvanised iron build ings to be dismantled at Manus, he sa He didn’t say anything, however, about the slowness of the salvage work there. * ♦ * SECRETARY General of the South Pacific Commission, Mr. W. D. For syth, is due to arrive in the Terri tory on a two or three weeks visit early in September. It is expected that he will attend some sessions of the District Officers’ conference, which starts at Moresby on September 14. The confer ence will discuss “general problems of the Administration.” ♦ ♦ * THE reaction of the Port Moresby firm of G. G. Smith & Co., to price con trol is to cease bread production in protest against the recent price drop.

The Deputy Prices Commissioner cut the price of a 2 lb. loaf from 1/4 to I/Oh, then raised it to 1/1. Steamships Trad ing Coy accepted the new price, but G.

G. Smith & Co. claims that it could not make a profit at this price. The Deputy Prices Commissioner claims that there is a good profit margin.

In principle, residents are backing the Prices Commissioner but bread is now in such short supply that they wonder whether it isn’t better to get bread at high prices than to get none at all. * * ♦

BISIANUMU plantation, near Sogeri,

is being turned into a livestock in troduction and breeding station and a rubber research station. The Admini stration recently bought the property from the Armstrongs and will use the rattle already there as a basis for its livestock activities.

Rubber budwood from Ceylon will be propogated on the station and distributed to planters in order to raise the quality and yield of their trees. ♦ * * HMAS Australia’s flag-showing cruise in Papua-New Guinea waters looks like being a dull one for the crew.

Measles and mumps have broken out on the ship and unless they clear up quickly the crew will be confined aboard for the entire cruise. Social activities planned oy Moresby folk to entertain them had t? be cancelled and if the Administra tion had not organised trips out to the ship on the Laurabada, residents would riot have even seen the crew, As it was, they were only able to circle the ship and wave.

THREE Europeans were fined heavily in the Moresby Court of Petty Sessions recently for supplying liquor to natives. Reahio William Taylor, of Stubbs’ Construction Company was fined £2O; Edward Biddle, of the Edu cation Department, was fined £25; and Hugh Clark Kennedy, of Works and Housing Department was fined £4O. Most people agree that this type of offence deserves strong punishment; but the Administration suspended Biddle, although Kennedy is still with the Department of Works and Housing. Apparently the Commonwealth is more forgiving than the Administration. ♦ ♦ * TENDERS are being called for the supply of fresh vegetables and fruit to the Administration in the Port Moresby area. The contract will be for two years from December 1, 1949, and tenders close on September 30. * * * ANEW, important-sounding post—that of Secretary for Planning and De velopment—has been created in the Administration and the Director of District Services, Mr. J. H. Jones, has got the job, on an acting basis. Mr. I.

F. Champion becomes Acting Director of District Services. Creation of the new position was recommended by the Com monwealth classification officers, Archer and Bland. One thing the Administra tion is not short of is plans, so Mr. Jones should be kept very busy. ♦ ♦ ♦ OFFICER in charge of Jackson’s Strip, Mr. Kelly, is being transferred to Madang as OIC of the Civil Aviation station there. Mr. Steve Hutch inson, formerly acting OIC, Madang, will return to Moresby. ♦ • * MR. LESTER SIMS, who successfully produced the three-act play, “Night of January 16th,” in Moresby, some months ago, is now working on Noel Coward’s “Private Lives.” In the cast are George Bardsley and Warren Steele, who both did well in the first production, with Tina Wright, Leila Steege and Dallas Baldwin. The show will be staged at the Papuan Theatre on October 18, 21 and 25 and proceeds, once again, will go to the Red Cross. * * *

Miss Nora Houston And Mr. Fred

Werrin, both of APC, are due to leave Moresby soon for Melbourne, where they will be married on October 1.

The bride’s uncle, the Reverend A. S.

Houston, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Victoria, will perform th,e ceremony. The couple will be return ing to Port Moresby to live. ♦ ♦ * AMONG those who left Moresby for Australia on the last “Bulolo” were Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Olsson, Mr. G.

Loudon, Mr. and Mrs. F. Edwards, Mrs.

C. G. Oneile, Mr. G. Hogarty, Mrs. A.

Parnell, Mr. and Mrs. J. Evans and Mr. and Mrs. D. Wilmott. * * * HIDDEN local talent was revealed at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition held by the Port Moresby RSL on August 19 and 20. The walls of the RSL Club were covered with paintings, drawings, photographs, etc., and the Club itself was crowded with people on both nights of the exhibition. Nearly £2OO was raised

to help RSL members who need financial assistance to give their children secondary education in Australia. A competition which created much interest was for a design for a Papua and New Guinea postage stamp. The winner was Miss Muriel McGowan. Her design and those of other entrants will be considered by the authorities for use when the Territory starts issuing its own stamps again. * * * DESPITE protests that “it’s too hot” and “the ground’s too hard,” Rugby League football has got under way in Moresby. Only two teams, Paga Hill and the Magani’s, have been formed so far but others are expected to be organ ised. A trip to Wau is being discussed at the moment. Officials of the Football Association are Mr. R. E. Grout (Presi dent), Mr. F. S. Lawn (Secretary), and Mr. Buckley (Treasurer).