News From Santo

From Our Own Correspondent

Santo, Nh, Jan. 19.

A RECENT fire outbreak at the home of c\ Major Fregard, of Vila, completely destroyed the house and contents, tfajor Fregard came to the group six nonths ago. He was to have proceeded o the Solomons, but was diverted at the ast minute to the New Hebrides Condo ninium Government.

The high price for copra is causing local ilanters and traders to become very ac ive. At £95 (Australian) a ton, the price lets a new record and some of the older lands, while taking full advantage of the narket, do not quite like the “feel” of hings.

It is rumoured that France will be mable to supply shipping to remove the :opra from this Group. Never a strong naritime nation, France has many drains in her inadequate shipping owing to ighting in Indo-China. One pessimistic ilanter foresees the shipping position fold ng up within six months. However, ships :an still be chartered. One of the last lig copra ships to visit this Group—the Jam Hill—was operating under French barter. The hope is that copra will ontinue to be loaded at New Hebridean »orts with the regularity shown in the last.

Mr. Wilson will take over as Santo nanager for Burns Philp (NH) Ltd. in /larch. BP’s propose to erect a new store nd warehouse (this work is under way 10 w) and to construct three staff houses, idth a possibility of more in the future.

CHRISTMAS and New Year celebrations U went over with a bang here. Enter tainment for children is sadly lack ng and Maison Barrau are to be compli nented for their efforts in producing an .uthentic Father Christmas who handed ut presents to the kiddies from a taste ully decorated Christmas tree on Christ uas eve. Afterwards, the adults had heir treat in the shape of a champagne upper. Guests voted it “a wonderful ime.” It was the first time your corres iondent had seen six dozen quarts of hampagne assembled at the one time. n APT AIN SAVOIE recently returned U from NZ with the 285-ton steel ship II Retiro. It had been reported that the laptain and his associates were consider ng the purchase of MV Melva. El Re iro was built in 1901 and has been diesel onverted. It will carry inter-Group argo and make voyages to Sydney. rHE coconut telegraph tells us that the proposed scheme to bring Indonesian labour to the Group is definitely out. f this is correct, it is good news. It is understood that approximately 500 talians will shortly be brought to the jroup to ease the labour situation. r \UITE a few people are puzzled about qj the spurious and elusive “C. Jack son,” recently a correspondent to >IM. But there are a couple of clues -round and a few murky plans are being uade to snare the suspect.

RECENT' arrival was Mr. Frank Hen derson who came to assist his brother Herbert in his engineering msiness. Mr. Herb Henderson was due o take over the business operated by Mr. toy Gubbay, but a disastrous fire can died those plans. Mr. Henderson has >een fortunate enough to secure per nanently the premises he already occu >ied.

There has been an influx of young leople. They are here with their parents or the holidays after attending school in Noumea. Other than a small school for

young children run by the Nuns, Santo sadly lacks educational facilities, especially for older children. Vila, on the other hand, has quite a good school. Santo is more or less a boom town, therefore it will be some time before adequate school ing facilities are available here.

Fiji, like Sydney is having an onion famine. In December only 20 tons of onions were imported instead of a normal 100 tons. Prices ranged from lOd. to over 2/- per pound. NSW has had an onion famine since last June —due to failure of crops because of an abnormally wet season plus the fact that farmers are not interested in growing onions while the price is fixed—usually around sd. per

pound.