Fuzzy-Wuzzies on the Boogie-Beat!

JIVE and jitter-bug can be expected to become the rage among the Hanua badans following the first Native Peoples’ Ball held in the village (near Port Moresby) recently.

The ball caused something of a stir in Moresby and in Australia where it was featured in evening newspapers. Some

European residents of Port Moresby dis approved of the whole thing; some were amused—evidently taking the cynical view that as the Administration is bent on emancipating the poor fuzzy-wuzzy with the least delay—why not a ball?

The ball was run by G. G. Smith and Co., as part of its efforts to attract native customers, and was held in their newly opened store at Hanuabada. The company already holds an annual sports meeting for natives and will follow up the ball with regular dances. It also plans to start roller skating at Hanuabada.

Music for the ball was provided by a European band and reports indicate that the natives and half-castes took to jazz as to the manner born.

Hundreds attended to try out the new dancing and partake of supper and soft drinks at 5/- a double ticket. Dressing appears to have been mixed. One Aus tralian newspaper reported two girls in petticoats and one in a pink silk night dress. But that might be just a news paper story.

Jazz, with its African jungle origin, has gone back to the jungle—in Papua.

Mr. Bruce Kerkham, of the Queensland Insurance Co., Ltd., recently arrived in Sydney, from Suva, Fiji, on transfer to the Company’s head office staff.

The British Government research ship Discovery II will leave Britain in May on a research voyage to the Australian, Indian and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. Main purpose is to round off a general oceonagraphical sur vey which was nearly finished when war broke out in 1939.