Do You Remember ?

From PIM of 20 Years ago.

A DULL month in many respects,

June, 1933, although politically

it was interesting in that Ger many had renewed howls for the return of her former colonies. Ger many claimed that the League of Nations had power to return these to her, while the current holders of the territories in question said that the Treaty of Versailles had taken them from her finally and irrevoc

ably.

The demand did not make re sidents in such places as Western Samoa and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea happier—this was the beginning of the era of appease ment in Britain.

Some extracts from PIM of

June, 1933:

Fiji Airways (not to be confused with the present company of the same name) had its first mishap when a plane taking off from Suva Harbour was turned over on its back by a gust of wind. The pilot and two passengers escaped but the plane was considerably damaged during rescue operations by a PWD launch. The company’s planes, we reported, were mak ing it possible for people to travel between Sigatoka River and Suva in 60 minutes.

The trip between Suva and Levuka took 85 minutes and cost 36/-. * * * New Guinea copra planters had a new pest to contend with which was causing almost as much excitement as Rhino B. does now. It was a large tree locust, commonly called a grasshopper (Sexava sp. belonging to the tettigoniidae family).

At times the attacks were so severe that all the leaves but the central spear, which apparently was immune, were stripped.

The grasshopper was being attacked by tanglefoot mixtures placed on the trunks of the trees—to catch the grasshopper at the nymph or wingless stage; by trying to destroy the eggs before they could breed in the earth near the palms; and by picking the mature ’hopper out of the trees or, in extreme cases, burning or smoking it out with fires lit under the palms.

Mr. J. L. Froggart (of whom Tolala wrote in May PIM) was sent to Amboina, NEI, to get a particularly minute wasp which was said to feed on the grass hopper’s eggs.

(What happened to the grasshopper pest? Were Mr. Froggart’s wasps success ful or did the ’hopper just naturally be come discouraged?) * ♦ ♦ We reported: “When the Minister in Charge of Territories (Major Marr) passed through Port Moresby last month he made a slight tactical error when addressing a gathering—he warmly praised the Public Service of the Mandated Territory. In consequence. Port Moresby seethed. Within a few hours there was an unofficial meeting of the men of Papua and it was seriously proposed that the Public Service Assn, should have a special session to pass a formal resolution on the matter. Wiser counsels prevailed.” * * ♦ The Coconut Planters’ Union of Fiji asked the Fiji Government to take steps to induce the English manufacturers to discontinue the substitution of soya bean oil (“which is largely the product of Manchuria”) for coconut oil. * * * “Mr. O. F. Nelson has returned to Western Samoa after five years of exile.

He was accompanied by his family, Judge F. W. Gur r and Mr. G. Westbrook. Their welcome by the Mau was enthusiastic, but in accordance with a wish expressed by Mr. Nelson there were no demonstrations.

He was met at Apia by 3,000 members of the Women’s Mau, in uniform, and about 4,000 other Samoans and Europeans.” * * * An ADO of the Morobe District, New Guinea, Mr. lan Mack, died that month in Salamaua hospital from wounds re ceived in an encounter with natives in the Upper Ramu. * ♦ ♦ Fifteen New Guinea goldmining com panies were listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange. BGD shares were £4.5; Placer £l2. (Placer to-day are about £17.5 which made them definitely more valuable, in terms of real money, in 1933). * * » Some Sydney market quotes for that month: Coffee (Robusta), £46 per ton. (Arabica), £72; Java kapok, 5%d per pound; cocoa about £33.10 per ton.