News Items From Santo

By Vernon Wheatley

KING’S BIRTHDAY: This event was celebrated on the night of June 6-7 in the Cine Harris.

The British residents entertained a representative gathering of French resi dents. Major D. Fregard, local British District Agent proposed the health of the King. M. Rossi represented the French Delegation in the absence of the French Delegate, and the Ladies Committee pre pared an excellent supper from the many items donated by generous British planters. The ball carried on until dawn.

SHIPPING: This part of the New Heb rides will shortly see a host of new small ships. M. Graziani, en route from Sydney to Santo, was forced to delay at Noumea for major engine repairs. Ships pur chased by Mr. Roy Gubbay, Messrs. Lo Po and L. D. Cao are expected soon. Mr.

Pat Savage, in a 42-footer, is expected to leave Brisbane shortly. Mr. Joe Faucher’s small launch will come up on the next Morinda, as deck cargo.

Locally. Mr. John Smith’s newly ac quired Blue Hawk is undergoing a refit and is having a new diesel engine in stalled.

DEPARTING: Mr. Bill Love and M.

Guy Marty, both of BP’s. The former hopes to go to Suva while M. Marty’s objective is Manila, PI. Mr. Ron Baker, also of BP’s, will shortly return to Aus tralia.

RUMOUR DEPARTMENT: It is reliably rumoured that the gentleman who has been assiduously tramping over Espiritu Santo with a Geiger counter has dis covered gold bearing quartz.

There is no doubt that there is gold in them thar hills, but the big question is, is it a paying proposition? There is plenty of quartz on the west coast, and, as nobody has done anything about it

all these years, it would appear that it is not worth working. Back in the coastal hills there is plenty of gold in another form—millable timber.

Mr. Malcolm M. Brodie, of Suva, Fiji, has been spending a few weeks in Aus tralia. He is head of Pacific Biscuit Company and allied concerns.