Sandalwood Trade

Is Not Yet Dead

MENTION of sandalwood conjures up pictures of blackbirding and the Pacific’s lawless past, but the sandalwood trade is not altogether dead, as the New Caledonia Economic Report for 1954, just published, shows. [ Looking back, the report shows that the sandalwood trade suddenly pollapsed in 1926, but came to life again in 1950, since when the

tonnages shipped annually have been 31 74 n 16 and 55 Last y ear the export value of this storied timber was about £A94 a to Another no less exotic trade of the past, beche-de-mer, or sea slugs, b as collapsed completely since 1950, j n go f ar as jsj ew Caledonia is con cerned, though a Chinese merchant j n Sydney told PIM recently that he imported some from Fiji last year, For the right vari e t i e s—and there’s the rub—the price of the commodity is still good.

Guides’ Association in New Gmnca is in desperate need of trainers, according to Mrs.

A y . G. Price, who has been at Sydney on vacation with her w!? a r?’ P r ‘ Price - Mrs - Price has been Guide Commissioner in New Guinea for the past five years

Invitation to

Tonga

Prince Tungi of Tonga, while at Pago Pago on his way home from Britain and America, invited District Governor Lei'ato of Eastern Samoa (pictured on the Prince's right) to visit Tonga to study the Kingdom's govern mental procedure.

Prince Tungi, with the District Governor and his wife, travelled to Tonga in the "Hifofua".

Photo by Pan American Prints.