The Editors' Mailbag

Soltwedel’s NG

Uranium

“ri TTO SOLTWEDEL, before w World War 11, insisted that he had located a valuable deposit of Uranium in New Guinea,” writes a Wau old-timer. ‘‘Did he ever dis close to anyone the locality of the ore?”

We think “Solty” took his secret with him to his grave in Germany.

Although he was seized in New Guinea, and interned in Australia for seven weary years, we never re garded Mr. Soltwedel as an enemy.

Scores of folk who knew him well during his 30 years in New Guinea held him in esteem; and many in terceded personally with the Aus tralian Government, seeking per mission for him to return to New Guinea in 1946-7. But the respon sible Minister—a Mr. Arthur Cal well, nowadays regarded as a peren nial political joke—would not accept any assurances, and the unfortun ate man was deported to a Germany which he had not seen since he was a youngster.

Early in 1950, the PIM learned that Mr. Soltwedel was living on “unemployed relief,” and we began an appeal to the new Menzies Gov ernment for permission to allow the old New Guinea-ite to return; but he died rather suddenly on Sep tember 3, 1950, before anything could be done.

Writing in that year to PIM, “Solty” described his eagerness to get back to the country where he had lived most of his life; and he said: “In 1947 I offered the Aus tralian Government my services in locating two deposits of Uranium (pitchblende-V3-08), of which I hold some professional and reliable information.” Certain high officials recommended that his offer be ac cepted. But the implacable set-up (Mr. Justice Simpson and Mr.

Cal well) shipped him away; and nothing about his Uranium deposits in New Guinea has since been heard.

That Mekeo Rice

A valued reader in Papua writes wryly of the rice project in the Mekeo area of Papua: It is amusing to see the fuss made in the press (including sometimes the PIM) about the wonderful re sults obtained by the introduction of rice in Mekeo.

Two points are always missed — (1) that rice was introduced in Mekeo 40 or 50 years ago by a Missionary; and (2) that with all the machinery put into the Mekeo, and with all the rice “experts” help, the natives succeeded in 1954 in producing a little more than they used to, pre-war, without any ex pense to the Australian taxpayers.

Pre-war, the Kairuku RM, or a patrol-officer, used to go around the villages to impress on the natives the necessity of planting rice to pay their tax, and the Mission used always to buy their crop when it was harvested. Here are a few figures: 1937. 70 tons (unhulled rice); 1938. 110 to 150 tons; 1939, 138 tons: 1940, 122 tons; 1942-46 all taken by the Army; 1947, 85 tons; 1948-49, no figures; 1950, for 3 villages only, 12 tons.

In 1950 and 1951, the mission bought most of the rice produced by DASF Experimental farm, at Epo, while they were issuing Aus tralian imported rice to their work ers, because a “vitamin expert” had found that the Mekeo rice was “un suitable for native consumption.”

Rare Old Book

CAPTAIN G. O. Gatehouse, who was speculating as to the value of his “Rovings in the Pacific” (December PIM, p. 14) will be in terested tp know that an Auckland specialist in rare Pacific books lists a copy of this two-volume work, in very good condition, at £lO/10/-.

The author’s name, as given in this catalogue, is E. Lucatt—not Lucett—but there is no information as to Mr. Lucatt’s exact connections with Tahiti.

Gamada Out—Tuba In!

A bright note from “Sanasi”: Gamada is, of course, the Papuans’ kava. At Daru. in Western Dis trict, I once had a police sergeant who was perpetually sozzled with the stuff.

When he ran out of supplies he would take a gang of prisoners and clean up the foreshore. The burn

ing rubbish was his SOS for n gamada.

I could do nothing about it, the old scoundrel was a bit o pet of Sir Hubert Murray, whc the Native Regulations si “Gamada is bad for natives drink and therefore they must prohibited from drinking it.”

To the writer, Wally Maidrr (now over 80) who has lived on D for over 50 years, sends the ) latest: “They now have what they tuba, made out of coconut ji tapped from new leaves at head, with added metho.

“I heard that some had what ourselves call additives: One ha] coconut shell of tapped tree-ju one ditto of metho.; a precent of tan-boot polish; and a little of soap.

“I asked: ‘Why the soap?’ an was told it was ‘to make it fizz “So, when Early Closing comes do not eke out the Sabbath misery!”

Wally Maidment is still sf wright, boatbuilder, trader s planter at Daru, and sen Seasonal Greetings to all the hands of the WD, in Queensh and elsewhere,

P-NG Befores in Brisbane

A note from Brisbane from S says: “Working in Brisbane operation ‘Comstat’ (Census of 19 are some well-known ex-Papus They are Syd. Chance, ex-RM; ] Holliday, who was Field Assist with the APC at Kariava; Ai Bayne, late of Beeps, in Mores Mrs. W. Haines, who used to mi age one of the hotels up there i a real “Before”: Ernie Hammo who went to Woodlark in 1911 i who afterwards, with Jack Ry well-known planter, enlisted

(Continued on Page 151)

4. Jack Ryan (seen around town v and again) went to Egypt, ; Ernie was one of the “Kan la” Boys who was sent to Rabaul. ,h Ryan and Hammond had ritorious service with the Light •se in all the Desert Campaigns.

neP Is New

ilander

Fot long ago, we said that nel”, our well-known contributor, > born in Fiji. A pointed note n Mrs. Rosella Price, of Savu u West, Fiji, says that is in *ect—she was born and educated Vlorrinsville, New Zealand, frs. Price should know—“Amel” er daughter Lema, now the wife a well-known official of the ns Philp organisation. “Amel” written a delightful book about life as a youngster on the ily plantation in Vanua Levu, it should be published this year.

j Beginning

Mcßirney

nr recent reference to veteran iam Mcßirney, of Rarotonga, hes off the memory of Mr. J. >nwestwood, of Wellington, NZ. 3 says that, about 1907, he was rested with W. G. N. Taylor, in c Islands fruit trade, and he responsible for the despatch to itonga of Mcßirney, his wife, or three children, and H. lur Mansfield, who was expected tarry one of the Mcßirney girls.

Mansfield returned to England afterwards; and Mcßirney ded along in fruit-farming—he a pioneer, if not the actual in icer, of tomato production for NZ market. my years afterwards a man wanted information about the :s was sent along to Nixonwest l, by then an official in NZ Commissioner’s office in lon, ou don’t need any data about tonga” said Nixonwestwood. i have been there.” The man id it. h, yes” said the official. “You \rthur Mansfield, and I myself iged your passage to the Cooks the Mcßirney family on the old ote.” still denied it; but later he ? and said he would like to n touch again with Mcßirney. awestwood supplied address, but Mansfield never was heard ;ain.

ting Pen Friends

e Pen Friends industry is shing and letters are in from 1 Australian youngsters, seeking spondents in the Islands, es and addresses:

Master D. Slade, 93 Stafford Road Kedron Brisbane, Queensland! wants to exchange letters with persons interested in stamp col lecting, on a reciprocal basis.

Master Allen Soule, Yarrowryah North, Victoria, aged 16, wants correspondents in the Solomons and in Samoa. Hobbies: stamp col lecting and handicrafts.

Miss Beverley Quinn. 12 Shackle ton St., Kedron, Brisbane, aged 10 interested in all kinds of games’ would like to exchange letters with children in the Islands.

NI: Terra Incognita!

An English reader called at Aus tralia House, London, to ask for guidance in sending a refrigerator to Norfolk Island. Australia House was completely blank—apparently had never heard of NI. Finally, after frantic flappings, it was persuaded that NI was an Aus tralian Territory, and dug deep into its records for data on import conditions. Its latest official advice was dated 1937!

Our correspondent quotes the kind of salaries paid to Australian House officials, and is bitter on the subject.