Events In Papua-New Guinea

P. Moresby’S Taxis

lACK in the early pre-war years, > Port Moresby’s taxi service was little more than a couple ’ humble jeeps, but now the town xs four taxi and hire car services, eluding the sleek black “money ) object” type, and the familiar m-tone jobs. The newest additions the Moresby scene are three new olden taxis, the first in the town be fitted with taxi meters.

Staff Change, Pngvr

Lt.-Colonel N. P. Maddern, Area unmander Papua and New Gui ia, and CO of F-NG Volunteer fles, leaves to become Assistant Ijutant-General in Victoria, and 11 be succeeded by Lt. Colonel T. . Young. Colonel Young is 39, a mtroon graduate and has served the Middle East, Britain and w Guinea.

Value Of Land

\ block of land, with a 60 ft. •ntage, in the heart of Moresby’s siness area, was put up for ction sale on March 21. It is xr the Papua Hotel, and extends m Mary to Douglas Street, with o shops on the Mary St. front i. It is owned by Mr. Arnie Hayes, to fixed his reserve at £12,000. Bids rted at £7,500 but stopped at ,600. It may be sold by private

negotiation, as there is a marked shortage of business sites.

Survey Of The Soil

The Agricultural Department, making a preliminary soil survey of the Brown River area, out from Port Moresby, is seeking an outline picture of the various types of country. The work is in charge of the Department’s Soil Survey Officer, Mr. C. K. Graham. Work ing with him are five trainee Native Soil Survey Assistants, who have just completed an initial three months’ course before going on to field work. All have attended the Sogeri Higher Training centre.

More young natives will be sought for training as Soil Survey Assis tants, and this work will be dove tailed with the general CSIRO Territory-wide soil survey project.

Planting Pine For Pine

Since November, 1952, the Bulolo Forestry Station has replanted 165 acres of logged-off land, and next year the replanting area will be increased to around 300. For the 165 acres the Station grew 100,000 young hoop pine trees, raised from seed collected from virgin stands in the district. Now 350,000 seedlings are being grown for the 1953-54 replanting programme.

At Keravat, in New Britain,

Forestry officials in this year have planted 85 acres of logged-off land with 45,000 trees. Of 245 acres, seedlings have been planted thus:— 85 acres with Kamarere; 140, Burma Teak; and 20 acres, as an experi ment, with Balsa.

Contract On Manus Salvage

A Melbourne firm, L. & M. New man Pty. Ltd., has got a contract

to collect all remaining unsold sur plus war materials at Manus. It is on a royalty basis, with a time limit of 12 months. This firm had a big interest in salvaging surplus war materials in the British Solomons.

Burns Philp In New Store

Burns Fhilp (New Guinea) Ltd. have moved their Port Moresby re tail trading operations to new shop premises in the new building erected in Musgrave St. for the BNG Trading Cos. This is a £60,000 three-storey structure of steel and concrete, built beside the old hotel premises at the lower end of Mus grave St., and opposite the old BP store. The basement section is being used for bulk storage, the main floor as shop premises, and the third storey for offices.

The old BP retail premises were erected in 1911. and came through the war years with no more dam age than destruction of the bulk section by a bomb.

Old Smelter From Bootless

The sale of the old smelting equip ment, which has been lying at Bootless Bay for around 30 years, revived memories of a once flourish ing copper-mining industry. The smelter, sold early this year by Mandated Alluvials to Mr. George Gay, was originally installed by New Guinea Copper Mines Limited

some time in the nineteen-twenties and for some years afterwards big exports of copper and gold were shipped from the Astrolabe leases.

The industry finally failed after a drastic fall in the overseas copper markets, and the company went into liquidation.

Public Works Control

The Administration has appointed Mr. W. R. Smith, from New South Wales, as Secretary for Works. He is aged 30, is a registered surveyor, has a civil engineering degree from Sydney University, and his experi ence includes service with the NSW

ain Roads Department, and as sistant Manager for Arcos Con duction Cos. of Sydney. He was th the RAAF during the war, and is a prisoner-of-war. He is irried and has four children. 3is duties are to control and •ect the Works Section of the ministration, and maintain liaison th the Federal Works Depart mt on Administration construc n jobs.

Bigger Allowances

rhe Administration Territorial )wance for married men has been

raised from £l7O to £250 a year.

The rate for single officers remains unchanged at £l5O a year.

Training An Islands

Regiment

The field exercises by the Pacific Islands Regiment during a 16-day period in March, were the largest peacetime military manoeuvres ever carried out in the Territory, and gave the 450 men a thorough test on all angles of field work. The area worked over extends from Jackson*’s airstrip, at Fort Moresby, to a point three days’ march along the Ko koda Trail.

Colonel H. L. Sabin said that the

PIR had learned a tremendous amount from the exercises, which would be put to good use in the future. His troops got through the manoeuvres in excellent physical condition and, incidentally, had thoroughly enjoyed them. There had been the usual crop of broken ri bs and several cases of snakebite, but this had in no way diminished the unit’s appreciation of active field duty, .. £ne PIR has now been estab hshed about two years and has a strength of around 600 (including one company of 123 stationed at Vanimo, on the north coast of New Guinea).

urning: from leave In March were to bottom):— and Mrs. M. Heise and son, return 1 w - Samoa per "Matua”. Mr. Heise ached to NZ Reparation Estates. and Mrs. H. A. Ragg, and Judy, ed to Suva, where Mr. Rage is aster. and Mrs. A. J. Elphick, with Judith eith, returned to Suva. Mr. Elphick Printer there.

Control Of Disease At

Border

The Dutch and Australian auth orities are introducing a join plant-quarantine system for Dutd and Australian New Guinea. Th

Territory Department of Agricul

ture can now make direct contac with Dutch officials at Holland! to safeguard both areas by join plant quarantine measures.

The Director (Mr. R. E. P. Dwyei also hopes to establish a joir pool of seed and planting materij in New Guinea to avoid wherevi possible the introduction of seec and planting material from oth( countries.

The Dutch authorities are sync pathetic to a suggestion for joir action on animal quarantine. A agreement on this may be reache shortly.

More Good Cattle

The Department of Agricultd continues the importation of catt of good breeds. Nankin landed ju over 200 head at Moresby on Marc 19, and another shipment left Sy< ney the same day for the Goven ment livestock stations in the Higl lands. The Nankin lot includl registered and grade breed f the Papuan breeding stations i Sogeri and Seven Mile—Aberde( Angus, Jersey and Red Polls.

The Public Service

Mr. “Rube” Brennan is the m President of the Public Service A sociation. Other officers elected 1 the Annual Meeting on March ] are: Senior Vice-President: J.

Millar.

Vice-Presidents: R. F. Barwij J. R. Foldi.

Secretary: W. E. Briskey.

Treasurer: M. Dali.

Field Officers’ Representative:!

Morris.

Clerical and Professional Office Representatives: L. F. Butler, A.j Rackemann and J. E. Ritchie.

Technical Officers’ represent tives: V. P. Bloink, C. H. Simkisl Women Officers’ representath Miss M. P. Weir.

Inspection Of Rubber J

Mr. W. Gosner, who has be associated with copra and rubl production in Papua for 15 yea has been appointed to the staff!

the Agricultural Department j

look into the practicability j Government inspection of rubft At present, the Administration not enforcing rubber inspectil but when new legislation becon effective, inspections will be ml at the plantations. This move f lows a request to the Minister Territories by Papuan rubl: growers.

Faliau Back In News

Paliau, who in the postwar years ured prominently as a native ,der in the Manus area, got back o the news in March when he ,s severely injured by another tive, as the result of a domestic {pute. Paliau is making a good jovery. He is Chairman of the luan Native Village Council.

First Flower Show

rhe first Flower Show ever held Port Moresby is to take place in 5 Red Cross Hall on Saturday, ne 13.