Solomon Islands

Copra Price Is Now £46A Per Ton

From Our Own Correspondent HONIARA, April 2. price per ton at main shipping J ports in the British Solomon Islands has been increased to £46 Australian as from April 1, 1950, consequent on a recent rise in the price paid by the Ministry of Food for Solomon Islands copra.

Ministry of Food price is now £6O/12/6 Australian, Out of this comes a Copra Export Tax of £9/2/- per ton and an Agency Fee for handling, shipping, etc., of £4/18/-, bringing the net amount to £46/12/6. Of this, 12/6 is retained by the Copra Board as a contingency provision, leaving a net amount of £46, the new buying price at main ports.

More People Coming In

BIG influx into the Solomon Islands occurred early this year, with new appointments, and people returning from leave. Passenger list for May Mtorinda was expected to include Mr. E.

S. Cook (Accountant, Public Works De partment) and Mrs. Cook, Mr. R. p.

Calvert (Wireless Officer) and Mrs. Cal vert and daughter, and Mr. F. G. Eades (Mechanical Engineer PWD) —all return ing from leave in Australia or New Zea land. Mrs. Eades accompanied her son on a visit to Honiara, Mr. F. Lambert, new headmaster for the BSI Government School for Solomon Islanders at Auki, Malaita, arrived by Qantas plane on April 3, accompanied by his wife and four children.

The Chief Magistrate and Legal Ad viser, Mr. W. T. Charles, with Mrs.

Charles and two children, are due back from leave early in May. Three new Cadet Administrative Officers, Mr. A.' A.

Mac Keith, with Mrs. Mac Keith,, Mr. M.

B. Hamilton, with Mrs. Hamilton, and Mr. H. G. Wallington, arrived from the UK recently.

Mr. Cole, Civil Engineer for the Public Works Department, arrived by April Qantas, and another new PWD employee is expected shortly.

Planters’ Organisation

SECOND post-war meeting of the BSIP Planters’ and Commercial As sociation was held at Honiara on March 27.

There is a growing demand among planters and businessmen in the BSIP for an active body representative of their in terests. The objects of the Association, as recorded in the Minutes, are “to re present and protect the interests of

planters and commercial resources in BSIP and to ensure prooer liaison and co-operation with the Government in matters of importance to the welfare of all residents of the Protectorate,”

All members of the Association who are producers or purchasers of copra will pay a levy of 2/6 per ton on all copra pro duced or purchased, and private indi viduals and commercial companies not engaged in copra production will pay an annual subscription, to provide the As sociation with necessary funds.

Business was confined mainly to pre liminary reorganisation of the Associa tion including election of office-bearers for the current year. Mr. R. c. Symes was elected president. Committee mem bers for the year are Messrs. J. C. Ham

mett, L. F. Gill, O. Bergin, J. A. John stone, K. H. D. Hay and Father Palmer.

Mr. R. G. Hodge, of Guadalcanal Planta tion and Trading Co., was elected Honor ary Secretary and Treasurer.

The Southern Cross

THE Melanesian Mission ship Southern Cross left Honiara on March 26 for New Zealand, via the Reef Islands and the New Hebrides. The voyage, which will include visits to various Mission headquarters en route, is expected to take at least six weeks.

Messrs. Bruno and Oscar Schwarz, both of whom were well and favourably known in New Guinea before World War 11, but who, as German citizens, were in terned in Australia during the war, are now working a mining enterprise in the Armidale district of New South Wales, where they produce antimony, scheelite and gold. These two old miners, however, are eager to return to New Guinea, and it is probable that they will be seen in the Territory before long. The brothers secured naturalisation as British citizens about two years ago.