Canberra Still Discussing

P-NG Soldier Settlement

A LTHOUGH it is seven years after Cl the end of the war, it may be hat land for soldier settlement will ret become available in Papua-New juinea.

The Australian Government is ow investigating the possibilities of war-service settlement scheme long the following lines:— • War Settlement Land Settle lent Division to provide funds and ertain plant and equipment; • the Administration to acquire, evelop and subdivide land and give tchnical advice; • a credit authority to be set up > administer advances to soldier jttlers; • Territories Department to de rmine policy.

It was originally intended that igibility be limited to ex-servicemen ready resident in P-NG but this iay be widened if supply of land iceeds demand. There would, how ler, be greater problems involved settling mainland Australians in e Territory on agricultural blocks an there would in settling men who id some knowledge of the country.

The scheme is still in the talking age; nonetheless it is a step for ard after the hesitation of the pre ding years.

Soldier-settlement (or any scheme r alienation of land) has been tterly opposed by some of the issions of New Guinea, and by the :-Administrator, Colonel J. K. urray. Colonel Murray’s opposition is been successfully disposed of; can be taken as certain that the ission voice will be heard again, acre is no indication as to the cality or extent of the land that e Government had in mind for e settlement scheme.

isuring Against Hurricanes

''HE desirability (or otherwise) of in surance against hurricanes (and tier natural disasters) is to be studied a committee recently set up in Fiji, ic Committee is as follows; Mr. W. G. Johnson (chairman), Mr. E.

Bevington, Ravuama Vunivalu, Mr. C.

Craigie, Mr. J, F. Drury, Mr. K. B. igh, OBE, and Mr. S. H. Wilson, MBE. fhe terms of reference include sug stions as to how such a fund should raised and its control and disburse nt.