New Guinea Items—

[ Continued From Previous Page

F More Planting Of Rice

Native rice plantings in the [ekeo region of Papua are expected > total 250 acres this year—7o tore than last.

An additional 50 acres may be anted if the ground dries out suf jiently to allow movement of achinery. The rains have handi ,pped planting this year—in one days’ period, 21 inches fell.

About half Mekeo’s native popula >n planted rice last year, and their ccess has influenced other villages.

Flying Doctor Service

Ihe Flying Doctor Service of Aus ilia has been discussing the pos

sibility of operating a base from Port Moresby, but no decision has been reached.

The executive thinks that some handicaps of isolation in the Terri tories could be eliminated by a mother station in Moresby. Many illnesses can be diagnosed by radio, and people can be treated by lay men, under radio directions from a doctor.

Possibly, Moresby would not be the best spot—there are other centres which could more adequately serve isolated areas. Recently Mr. Harry Bode suggested that Rabaul be used as a base for a flying ambulance, fitted with floats, to serve the Islands.

New Bridge Over Wahgi

Practically the whole European population of Western Highlands District, as well as several thousand natives, watched the official opening of a bridge across the Wahgi River on February 19. The bridge is be tween Nondugl and Minj, and gives cross-river access to the sub-district office at Minj. It was designed last year and built in a few months for the Administration, for under £2,000, by Joe Durbridge. The bridge is more than 200 ft long, 16 ft wide, erected as a single span-suspension type. fl Mrs. E. O’Brien, of Wau, New Guinea, has spent an extended holi day in Brisbane. Her son is a boarder at the Roman Catholic College, Downlands, at Toowoomba.

II Pastor J. W. Soloi, a Samoan, now visiting Australia, has spent the last six years in Papua as an LMS missionary. Before returning to Samoa, Pastor Soloi intends doing mission work in New South Wales and Victoria.