[?]urrent News Items From Our Correspondents

In Papua-New Guinea

Ps Wants Shorter Week,

More Pay

The first round in an arbitration ar in the Territory finished at the id of August when the Adminis ation lodged formal objection to ie Public Service Association’s iplication for a 5-days’ week.

The objection meant that the dis ite will now go before a Public jrvice Arbitrator who will be ipointed shortly by the Governor eneral.

The dispute will be the first heard r a Public Setvice Arbitrator in ipua-New Guinea and it follows ngthy efforts by the Public Ser ce Association to have the 5-day >ek granted by other processes.

Objection to the application aimed that the application took i cognisance of the requirements the community as a whole and )uld, if granted, have an adverse feet on the social and economic ivelopment of the Territory, im ising unreasonable burdens on the st of the community. It would ipose an added burden on the lances of the Territory, which was >t warranted.

The Administration’s formal tjection noted that it was not sat -sed that the majority of Public srvice members supported the As ciation’s claim and also said that ie claim was wrong in law, in at the arbitrator had no power amend the regulation as asked.

While the details of the Admin- Lration’s objection to the 5-days’ 3ek were being announced the übl i c Service Association, on agust 30, was making a second iplication to the court for an in ease of one-third in both the basic ige and cost-of-living allowance lid to Territory Public Servants.

The basic wage in the Territory a product of the mean basic wage lyable in all the Australian states, ir Public Servants a cost of liv g allowance of £l9B is added, plus opical allowance.

No separate basic wage has ever sen fixed for the Territory and the ssociation claims that an increase one-third to the present one, as ell as an increase in the cost of ring, would be more in keeping Lth the high costs in the Terri ry.

Museum Expedition In

Highlands

An expedition from the Aus alian Museum, Sydney, completed s work in the Highlands at the be nning of September.

During two months the expedi on collected about 800 specimens, id visited 5 main areas of the ighlands.

Some of the specimens will be returned to the Territory as part of the Territory Museum, when it finally gets started, and the Museum specimens will go towards giving Sydney Museum a chance to put on a display in some way equal to exhibits at overseas museums, which have for many /( years supplied Aus tralia with their own specimens.

Rabaul—On The Water Cart

After several months of dry weather, dusty old Rabaul was having its usual water troubles in August.

Vehicles of all types, equipped to carry water to dry domestic tanks daily lined up at the main water tank. On occasions they were ten deep.

The arrival of five big ships in the harbour during one week-end in August, when the dry spell was

at its peak, didn’t help matters, as it added to the drain on the water supply.

In Steps Of Champion And

Karius

A District Services patrol in Sep tember will go into the Upper Fly

ver and Star Mountains area, in astern Papua. It will be led by 3 ADO at Daru, Mr. J. W. Kent, will be away about 2 months.

Some of this area, which is rugged and difficult, was traversed by Champion and Karius in the late 20’s, and there have been few

patrols since. A party from the Sepik district of NG escaped through the area from the Japanese in 1942.

Interest In Wau

In addition to the American and German ambassadors, Wau visitors have recently included Professor M Titlev, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, who has been working at the Australian National University, Canberra. He was accompanied by his wife and son.

Mr. F. H. Reckliff, Department of Civil Aviation photographer, also visited Wau for several days for the purpose of taking films and photo graphs to make up a picture-story for Life Magazine and also the De partment’s records.

While in this district, Mr. Reckliff

[?] Auust 18 the Administrator of [?]pua and New Guinea, Brig. Cleland, [?]ned the new Rover Den at Boroka, a [?]urb of Port Moresby. Cost of the fine, [?]dern building was £1,100, the work [?]ng done by the Rover Crew themselves, [?]en from left to right in the photo are

Mr. Des Large, Brig. Cleland, Mrs. Cleland. the German Ambassador to Australia, tralia, Dr. Hess, who was visiting the Territory, and Scout Commissioner Groves. —Photo by Papuan Prints.

was able to photograph airlifts of vegetables and timber, and was im pressed with the special 6,000 lb lift of vegetables which is trans ported by DC3 to Manus Naval Base every fortnight from Wau. He also visited and made photographs of various farms and coffee plantations, as well as different aspects of the gold mining industry.

Mal Plane Crash

A Dragon aircraft owned by Man dated Airlines crashed and burnt out at Heyfield airstrip in the Sepik district on August 9. The aircraft was carrying a number of native passengers, and was piloted by Cap tain J. L. Davis; all escaped injury.

Increased Oil Co. Activity

The Australasian Petroleum Com pany is increasing its activities in its search for oil in Papua, and plans to extend its drilling areas.

APC will charter a Beaver air craft next year, equipped with floats, and will use it for operations along the Western rivers where the Cata lina cannot go. Qantas will own the aircraft.

APC intends also to take up the option on the Hanne Sven, the 900ton all-steel vessel which it has been operating under charter for some months. It will engage an Aus tralian crew and use it for trans porting materials to the Gulf dis trict.

New Bank Premises For

Moresby

After about 18 months, the Bank of NSW’s new building in Port Moresby is nearing completion.

The new bank premises contain modern staff quarters on the second floor, and the bank foyer includes

a travel section. The building needed badly to replace the tin si which has existed as combined ba chamber and staff quarters si the war.

The Commonwealth Bank is a progressing well on its new bui ing opposite. The ANZ in P

iresby has a modern new build f which was opened at the end last year.

Us Survey Of Nb

rhe first American vessel to take rt in the proposed survey of the w Guinea islands, arrived at haul on August 9 and left again start its work a few days later.

Die American vessel, of about l-tons, carried 24 US Army per mel and a crew of 37 Filipinos d is under the command of Cap n E. Harris.

Host of the men have had ex :ience in Japan. fhe vessel will be working in New itain waters for several months, er being joined by three other isels. party of two Australian officers 1 13 men from various Australian my commands are joining the vey. (The decision to employ the ipinos followed howls of rage in stralia when the Americans pro ;ed to use Japanese).

Wharf Wanted

rhe chaotic conditions in Rabaul rbour were emphasised one week i in the middle of August when 5 large vessels were in the har ir at the same time. ?hey were the Mangola, Citos, mbank, Taiwan and Soochow. ne were unloaded with the help lighters in mid-stream but when i Taiwan wished to come along e for water there was a general he as the ships were re-shuffled, labaul needs that new wharf.

Visiting Vlp’S

’robably the greatest impression :en back to Australia by the terican Ambassador—Mr. A. J. islee —after a short tour of lua-New Guinea in August was t the stone-age had given away the air-age. le thought this was especially so the Highlands, where he did a of travelling. )n the occasions he travelled in American Navy DC3 which

brought him to New Guinea, he was not accompanied by his wife, who had to travel by private aircraft.

This procedure created interest in the Territory, for it was the result of American Navy regulations which forbid American civilians travelling in service aircraft.

It did not apply to Australian civilians apparently, for one senior DCA official travelled with Mr.

Peaslee in the service aircraft.

The American Ambassador was welcomed everywhere in the Terri tory, where he took a genuine in terest in what was going on.

Shortly after the American Am bassador concluded his tour, the German Ambassador, Dr. Walter Hess, arrived to begin his.

The PIR formed a guard-of honour at Jackson’s airport.

Dr. Hess said he was interested in seeing everything in his 17 days’ visit, and the itinerary was designed to show him just that.

Dr. Walter Hess said at the end of his 2-weeks’ tour on September 3, that he had been interested to find there was still an appreciation of work done by Germans in the Trust Territory. There seemed to be a special appreciation of coconut plantations started by German planters.

Dr. Hess said his tour had given him a general idea of the problems affecting the economic development of the Territory, and two of them

Mrs. A. J. Peaslee, wife of the United [?]tes Ambassador, with Judge Bignold the Hockey Ball held in the PNGVR [?] on August 13. —Photo by Papuan Prints.

appeared to be labour and la There was a shortage of both some areas; however, they w matters, he said, which needed p found study before any adequ comment could be made, especis by anyone making only a fortnigl visit.

Jap Urge To Visit Rabau

For the second time in a f weeks, a Japanese fishing vessel j in at Rabaul in August. On 1 first occasion, the Japanese co: plained of damage to the hull a asked for repairs, and incidenta sailed away with a few hundi pounds worth of stores, which ma Rabaul people can be forgiven ; assuming were all they came for the first place.

The trouble with the hull v that it was a pretty old hull, a not in very good condition for sa ing anywhere.

The second vessel, the Ken Maru, put in because it had a si crew member, who was later operat on for appendicitis. The Jap ves; left him there, to call back about 10 days.

Match—Fire—3 Months

A Rigo native named Obem was sentenced to 3 months’ gaol the Port Moresby Court of Nati Matters on August 17 for havi carelessly started a grass fire wi a discarded match.

The native admitted throwing t match in the grass in the Pc Moresby area after he had used to light his cigarette.

Unfortunately for him, the f was seen by the District Magistra Mr. Sansom, who questioned hin The Administration has be worried about the incidence of gra fires in the Territory, especially the Port Moresby area, and t courts have been handing c sentences of one month to offende

Meat

Thousands of cases of a braj of meat loaf were tied up in t Territory in August after the Heal Department had made a stateme saying that two batches were H lieved contaminated.

The Department asked stores a. others not to use the tinned me loaf. An executive of the firm co; cerned flew to NG. On August the Health Dept, declared one batj (marked “Ex 205, brand G 4”) Tom Piper corned meat loaf un for human consumption.

Speed

The Territory increased its spe limits on motor traffic on August The limit for cars was raised fro 25 mph to 30 mph in the town ares and for trucks from 15 mph to mph.

The speed limit for motor cs in the Territory has been 25 mi since the war.

However, as one citizen has k marked, the new speed limits me; that “those who have been drivti normally at 35 mph will now dri at 40.’’

Sw Premises For Scouts

■he Administrator, Brigadier D.

Cleland, who is president of the f Scouts’ Association, officially ned a new Rover Den at Boroko Port Moresby on August 21. he Rovers built it themselves r 12 months at a cost of £l,lOO, ot of the credit going to the istant District Commissioner of Scouting movement, Mr. Des re. who is a contractor. :el nut leads to brawl n argument over the price of 1 nut started a brawl among ves in Port Moresby on Sunday, ust 22. Forty police eventually ;e it up, several hours later, after ad involved about 200 natives, iveral police were injured itly and a number of natives sted and charged, le original trouble was over the ; of betel nut being sold at a ; at Koki, but this was only an ise, and old differences flared iter in the week, an Education artment spokesman over the ve People’s Session of 9PA took natives to task for their be our, saying there had been re -5 that the fight would continue following week-end. He advised i to forget it, or else. . .

Sunderstanding About

Elections

cording to some members of ;ral District Advisory Council, meeting held in Port Moresby ugust, the lack of publicity for Territory elections resulted in eat number of people not en ig as electors by the time the closed. le council passed a resolution ;ing the matter to the notice le Government Secretary. •. E. A. James said he realised Administration was not respon for making citizens understand law, but he considered more s could have been devoted to ipaper advertising.

Police Commissioner

Returns

e PNG Police Commissioner, tael J. S. Grimshaw, returned to in Port Moresby on August 25, about 9 months’ leave in Aus a. During his absence Super ident Normoyle acted as Police missioner.

Jld Like To Encourage

Tourists

its August meeting, the Port ;sby Town Advisory Council ved a report which included re nendations for publicising PNG neral, and Port Moresby in par ar. e report was presented by a al tourist committee set up to ; recommendations on the visit le tourist vessel Orion in Sep er, and kindred subjects of [city. The report suggested that

a Chamber of Commerce should be started in Port Moresby and that the chamber should have a tourist section which could explore ways of attracting tourists to the Terri tory.

The committee suggested that tourist bureaus should be set up in Australia, an information bureau could be established on the Port Moresby wharf and arrangements made with tourist agencies for more visits, by ships and aircraft.

The first annual PNGVR Ball, held in the Memorial Hall, Samarai, Papua, on July 21, was enjoyed by a large attendance of local residents.

Guests of Honour were the Dis trict Commissioner and Mrs. M. J.

Healv and although tbp Commanding Officer Lt.-Col T W Young, was unable to attend he was represented by Captain Lofts others in the official party were Lt. F. G. Hoeter, OC PI, Lt Graham and the president of the RSL, Mr. R. J. Paul.