Bougainville Notes

Sohano, June 23.

MR. MAX BABBAGE, of Karoola Plan tation, Buka, has returned from a health and business trip to Aus tralia. He is the honorary secretary of the Bougainville Association and, while in the South, had several interviews with Mr. Spender and his Parliamentary Under Secretary (Mr. John Howse).

Mr. C. I. H. Campbell, of Raua Plan tation, Bougainville, is at present in England after a visit to the Continent taking in France, Belgium and Germany.

A recent visitor to these parts was that old timer, Mr. A. Richards (“Richie”), who is Inspector for the Custodian of Ex propriated Properties. He was going his rounds of inspection in Buka and Bou gainville having a look over the former German plantations now in the hands of returned soldiers from World War I.

Mr. and Mrs. Sid Paisley, of Baniu Plantation, are back again after furlough in New South Wales.

Mr. Gordon Wilson, in charge of Agri cultural activities in Buka, has now moved to his new residence up near Haheila, which is a much better position than Karkil —right on the Passage, where mosquitoes abound.

Mr. E. M. A. McKinnon, of the PHD, at Sohano, has been most energetic re cently in Medical Patrols around Buka and Northern Bougainville, and consider able benefits to native health and village sanitation are bound to result. Patrol Officer Jackson has also been conducting some patrols in the area which have been much appreciated by those—European and Native alike—who have matters to settle, and which can be done on the spot without a weary trip to the Passage and the District Office. Plantation people hope to see a lot more of this officer with his pleasant manner and desire to “get on with the job.”

T\ICK FERRIS, formerly of the PHD at I / Sohano, who left the Administra tion for plantation work, is now looking after Arigua Plantation, on the Bougainville east coast. , Our former medico, Dr. Ken Pike, is tackling his new job out in the Ninigos with gusto—the idea being to ascertain what particular vitamins the natives there are short of! When here, he had some young folk whom he put on “a balanced diet” and the progress which they made was really amazing. If the Doc. gains the confidence of the Ninigo people, as he did with the Buka and Bougainville conservative indigenes, he will achieve much. No more popular medico was ever in this area.

Mr. Mackay, the Executive Supervisor of the Directorate of Shipping at Sydney, is now making a tour of Buka and Bou gainville in the Mirigini, with the object of making himself familiar with our shipping problems. Mr. Geo. Hill, now in charge of the Papua-New Guinea Division of the Directorate, accompanies him, and they have been calling on many planters. This is a fine idea and much appreciated. Mr. Max Babbage, on behalf of the Bougainville Associa tion, made the round trip with the visi tors.

Mr. Miller, who bought out the Parer Bros, interests in the Torokina salvage business, is now at Torokina getting the rest of the saleable gear together, which is no light job. Mr. Miller got himself a nice launch, whilst over in Madang re cently, and had her slipped and done up in Rabaul. Like the Parer Bros., he is a Victorian. Mrs. Miller is also at Torokina.

During one of Eastern Australia’s recent innumerable storms, fears were expressed for the safety of the 450-tons vessel Awahou, which left Honiara, Solomon Islands, on June 14 with a cargo of wartime scrap. She was so severely battered that for days she could not use her radio; but she turned up, eventually.

She is owned by Carr Shipping and Trading Co., of Sydney. This is the little ship that was reported lost in a storm north of Fijfi last year. She evidently