Big Scheme For Native

First Aid Training

THE first certificates of the St.

John Ambulance Association ever issued to Islands natives were sent from Sydney recently They will be given to some of the 2,000 natives being trained in first aid in the South-West Pacific, and they represent the early results of a campaign launched by the Seventh Day Adventist Mission in collaboration with the Australian Priory of the St. John Ambulance Association.

The basis of the campaign was f® 4 by Mlss M - Higgins, secretary of the NSW St. John Ambulance, and Pastor R. E. Hare, former general secretary of the Australian division of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission.

Both say the natives are apt pupils, and are absorbing their first-aid training faster and more thoroughly than the average Euro pean.

It was decided 12 months ago to use mission stations as initial training centres, with the mission aries, who are trained in first aid doing the instruction. Classes have been started at what are considered strategic centres, such as Batikama on Guadalcanal, Kinailibissi on Malaiti Island, Batuna in New Georgia, and in Bougainville, Wabag and Mt. Hagen in New Guinea.

Pastor Hare envisages a training scheme covering the 12,000,000 square miles supervised by the Australian division of the Mission.

If Mr R, O. Ramage, CMG, accom panied by stenographer Miss O.

Reeves, arrived at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, in June to investigate Public Service salaries.

W Mr. and Mrs. H. R. R. L. Coop* returned from Christmas Island i Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, recentll Mr. Cooper had been acting Dis. trict Officer, Line Islands, and man ager of Christmas Island Plants tions. He has been replaced thei by Mr. P. G. Roberts. Mr. Coope now takes up a position as an As sistant DO in the Gilberts.