Recurrent News Items From Our Correspondents

In Papua-New Guinea

Mission Jubilee

HE Mission of the Sacred Heart [this month celebrated the Golden [jubilee of its establishment in I Fuiji district of Papua, lore than 2,000 Fuiji and Goilala lives took part in the four days celebrations.

Ifty years ago, when the Sacred irt Missionaries went into the I the Fuiji people were among [fiercest warriors in Papua. In L a Catholic Mission Station was iblished in the area at Nambu, the Reverend Father Fastre. ather Fastre died only three jths ago. He was noted, apart m establishing the Mission iion, for introducing coffee and bona to the area, tiis year’s celebrations were con ;ed by Bishop Sorin, of Papua.

Freak Accident

1,000 to 1 chance accident in [ Moresby in late September Ited in a Dept, of Civil |ion typist spending a day in Ital. The typist—Miss Majella ftbe —was knocked down and in- I by a car while she was work si her office at the DCA build ie accident occurred when the es of a DCA vehicle failed and :ar crashed through the wall of [ McCabe’s office. She was ed for cuts and bruises.

Papuan Girl Sits For

Leaving

[ the first time, candidates for year’s Leaving certificate in ralia will include a Papuan— Maniana, of Kwato. ss Maniana hopes to study nurs tfter she has matriculated. She present at the Firbank Church hgland Girls’ School in Vic

To Provide Uni.

Education For Papuans

was announced in late Sep sr that the first two scholar > for Papuans, provided by the )r Walter Strong, will be avail in 1959. i scholarships will pay for the ;rsity education of Papuan nts for 5 years.

Strong died shortly after the far and left more than £250,000 pdney University in a Trust • the interest from which will ?d for the University education igible Papuan students. (Dr. g was a former Chief Medical r in Papua; he retired in the

Papuans As Rivals Of The

Japs

Coastal natives in the Western districts of Papua are reported to be anxious to work in the Thursday Island pearling fleets.

A new member of the Western District Advisory Council, the Rev.

Mr. Price, of the LMS, told the Sep tember meeting of the Council that a delegation of local natives had asked that their request be con sidered.

The Council decided that the Minister for Territories, Mr. Paul Hasluck, be asked to make a de cision on the matter.

Salvationists For The

Territory?

The familiar uniform of the Salva tion Army was seen in Papua-New Guinea late September.

Two senior officers of the Army’s Headquarters in Australia toured the Territory to look into the oos sibility of extending the Army’s Mission Work to Papua and New Guinea.

The Officers were the Army’s Field Secretary for New South Wales and Queensland, Lieutenant Colonel Scotney, and a New South Wales

ith Director, Captain Carpenter, ir tour lasted about 10 days, efore returning to Australia, tain Carpenter said that the de

cision whether or not to include the Territory in the Salvation Army’s Mission Field would probably be made at an international level.

He and Colonel Scotney would prepare a written report for sub mission to the Australian Head quarters. (It was always said in pre-war New Guinea that if the Salvation Army—with its uniforms brass-bands and bright music—ever entered the NG mission field the rest of the missions would have a tough time keeping their adherents It was understood that the Army

Modernising New Caledonia's Capital . . .

This fine new building has recently been completed in Noumea, New Caledonia. It will e th e automatic exchange which is expected to be in operation in the early [?]hs of 1956. Equipment is at present being installed. Photo by F. E Dunn

was officially discouraged from estab lishing itself in the Territory, although it functions in Asian countries to Australia’s north. But there are so many different brands of Christianity being hawked in P-NG these days, one might well ask: Why not the Army, too?)

Real Territorian Admitted

To P-Ng Bar

The son of a former Port Moresby business man was admitted to the Bar of the Territory Supreme Court at a short ceremony in Port Moresby late September.

The Barrister and Solicitor is Peter Jefferson Clay, a son of the late Mr. J. R. Clay. Mr. Peter Clay, who was born in the Territory, will be associated with Mr. J. I. Cromie.

Labour Shortage In

Highlands Now

Concern is growing in the New Guinea Highlands over the number of natives leaving the area for work on the Coast.

The Chairman of the District Advisory Council, Mr. lan Downs, told a recent meeting that about 8,000 natives were away from their villages in the Highlands. The majority of them came from the Chimbu Valley which had a popula tion of about 80,000.

Mr. Downs suggested that recruit ment from the Highlands could be reduced if employers on the Coast

got natives to offer for work on a day-to-day basis, particularly where the natives lived close to the planta tions which were now using High land labour. Mr. George Greathead said that the time was fast approach ing when the labour demand within the Highlands would exceed the availability. This applied to the

Western Highlands as well asaj Eastern Highlands.

He pointed out that coffee gro in the area had had consider trouble in the past few monthsa ting sufficient labour to carry < Later in the discussions, the CIC man told the Council that the n lem of effectively encouraging coo

abour was vital to the Territory. le suggested that the Administra tor! should liberalise the employ ment of natives not under indenture.

Mr. Downs also suggested that he minimum wage of 6/- a day for lay-labourers be reduced to 4/- or Employers should then offer lore work to day labourers.

Administration Satisfied

I With Rabaul Roads

A direct appeal to the Admin itrator was made by Mr. Don larrett this week for funds to seal ie town roads in Rabaul. He said e believed much of the current ickness in Rabaul was due to the locking state of the town roads, mst was the main problem.

The Administrator replied some hat tersely to Mr. Barrett the same ay. He said that it was a pity Mr. arrett did not ascertain the facts jfore making public statements, lat funds were in fact available, id the Department of Works had sen asked to prepare estimates for ,e work to be done with the money.

He went on to say that there ipeared to be a lot of confused linking in the Territory as to what instituted the Territory’s Three- Bar Plan (of Development). It is, he explained, the collation of e most pressing needs of the Terri fy for balanced development which was considered could be under ken over a period of three years.

It was obviously impracticable to itiate in the first year all the rious works included in the Three jars Programme.

The Administrator said, however, at a selection had been made of i work to be undertaken this year, id meanwhile, the necessary in stigations, surveys and designs

Maned Pr se P cond vear" 0 * t 0 be srartea me secona year w^ r nr? a^H«fi^H Pll6 i>V. la^ r was not satisfied with the answer, and would take up the matter again at the next meeting of the Rabaul Town Advisory Council y

Apprenticeship Scheme In

Operation

it is expected that more than 100 Territory natives will be engaged in the first year of the P-NG Native

Apprenticeship Scheme. This num ber should increase to 500 within five years, and about half of the apprentices will be indentured to private employers.

The Chairman of the Native Apprenticeship Board, Mr. J. Hohnen. said in October that the natives were showing a particular prefer ence for the building and general construction trades, fitting and turning, motor-mechanics and boat

he wedding of Miss Maxine Beck, resident [?]ort Moresby for some years, and Mr. Kevin gleaner took place at the St. John's Church England, Port Moresby, on October 14 Gallaher is on the staff of the Department Works PHOTO: Papuan Prints.

lilding. There was also a consider-- He interest in mining, printing id in qualifying as driver fechanics and marine engine erators.

Mr. Hohnen added that about 50

suitable applications had so far been received from employers.

After attending a meeting of the Board this week, the P-NG Admin istrator, Brigadier D. M. Cleland, said he was extremely pleased with

the progress that had been made.

The way was now clear, he said, for the full implementation of the apprenticeship scheme. The Admin istration regards the Scheme as a matter of high priority both for the

I The Public Service Institute was officially opened in Port Moresby on October 18 by the administrator Brigadier D. M. Cleland. Professor E. C. Ringrose, of the University of Queensland, edited Moresby for the occasion. In the photograph (left to right) are: Mr. Brian Essai (in [?]uctor), Mr. T. Huxley, Professor Ringrose, Brigadier Cleland, Mr. D. Glastonbury (principal), [?]L. Butler (Chief Public Service Inspector) and Mr. F. A. Negri. [?]The Institute was established in the Territory about a year ago and has built up a library over 3,000 books, pamphlets and documents. Its purpose is to afford public servants the means improving their professional status. Subjects available for study include Law, Arts, Economics general education.

Photo: Papuan Prints.

progress of the native peoples and the development of the Territory.

Sepik Road Stimulates

Rice Planting

Mrs. S. Elliott-Srnith, wife of the Sepik District Commissioner, be came in October the first woman to have travelled by motor vehicle over the new Wewak-Maprik Road.

She accompanied her husband on a trip from Wewak to Yangoru, a distance of 73 road miles.

The DC made the trip to test the road for rapid transit under the pre sent dry weather conditions in the area. He also inspected the im provements that have been carried out on the road since it was opened last April by the then DC, Mr. J. B.

White, who took a party through to Maprik during the wet season.

The road, constructed by natives under Administraton supervision, is now being improved by heavy equip ment.

Mr. and Mrs. Elliott-Smith left Wewak by Land Rover at 6 am and reached Yangoru Patrol Post, 73 miles away at 4 pm. They flew back to Wewak the same evening.

Later, the DC said he was pleased wth the considerable progress that had been made on the road and also on the extensive native rice plant ing which had appeared along the route since its opening.

Lae-Goroka By Road

Becomes Commonplace

The Morobe District Officer, Mr.

H. P. Seale, this week pulled up outside the District Office at Lae after an 11-hour drive from Goroka.

Several passengers accompanied him on the 370-mile drive to the

coast from the New Guinea HI lands.

Mr. Seale said later that the r was good most of the way and i he had little difficulty fording i Umi River, the widest of sew rivers that had to be crossed.

Mr. Seale made the trip in a Lai rover. (Continued on page

)Nour For Gilmores And

Madang

legacy has honoured Madang by iding a representative from Aus ilia to its Sepik headquarters to rsonally congratulate Mr. and s. Jack Gilmore on their efforts

in raising money for Legacy.

Their contributions have made possible the adoption of two Legacy orphans. The Gilmores have been the driving force behind raising money in Madang.

Madang and Bulolo have collected

more money for Legacy than any other town in Australia or its Terri tories.

In thanking the Legacy represent ative (Dr. Brown), Mrs. Gilmore said Madang people had been most generous, and she felt sure they could be counted on for continued support.

Mr. Mccolm Says Yes,

Mr. Hasluck Says No

A Liberal Member of the House of Representatives suggested in October that the time had come to appoint a Lieutenant-Governor for Papua and New Guinea.

The member, Mr. Malcolm, McColm, Queensland, said that the position of Lieutenant-Governor should be separate from that of Administrator, and that such an appointment would free the Admin istrator for the real work of admin istration.

The proposal to elevate the head of the P-NG administration to a Governor has been made several times—most recently by Mr. E. A.

James, MLC, in the Legislative Council. The proposal has been frowned upon by Territories Min ister Hasluck, who says no to a P-NG representative in Canberra, also. He says that Territorians will have to show more interest in P-NG Legco before they can hope to have a representative in Canberra.

Officers of the Pacific Islands Regiment formed a guard-of-honour when Miss Heather McKay [?]ied Captain E. Boyd, at Taurama Barracks Chapel, Port Moresby, on October 1.

Photo: Papuan Prints.

Not Guilty Of

Manslaugh'i

The Supreme Court in Rabau.

October acquitted a native d:f charged with manslaughter.

The native, Rayman Martin,, charged following a fatal accii; on Kokopo Road on August 18young European schoolboy returr from a picnic on the truck Ms] was driving was killed instantl; the accident.

Mr, Justice Kelly, in summinf after evidence, said that althu Martin was driving slightly om wrong side of the road, he was< isfied it was an error in judgrn There was not sufficient evidence a conviction.

Papua Turf Club Back

Business

The first move was taken in .

Moresby in October towards e juvenating the Papua Turf < which went out of business 25 : ago.

A meeting of seven member the old-time Club resolved that Papua Turf Club resume its as ities.”

The Club has never been j banded although its last : meeting was conducted in 193 S what is now Jackson’s Ain Moresby international airport..

A provisional committee appointed at the meeting to: • Plan future activities. • Prepare and recommend! amendments to the constitute • Admit members. • When thought another meeting.

The provisional committee sists of the President of the Mr. P. J. McDonald (Chairn Mrs. Ruth Sefton, Mr. E. J. F:' i Mr. E. A. James, Mr. E, T. and Mr. L. A. Willis.

New Guinea Welcomes

Citizen

A large crowd attended a mony at Kokopo in Octobex which Mrs. Ilsa Randmae, wit Dr. George Randmae, becan.

British subject.

The naturalisation ceremony held at the Kokopo Court H and conducted by the ADO. Mr. Flower.

Dr. Randmae later entertr about 50 guests at the Kokopo c

Moresby Sportsmen

“Shocking” was an apt woro this week by the Secretary o Port Moresby Cricket Assoo (Mr. Don McCauley) to descrilx condition of Moresby’s main ing Oval, the Ela Beach Ovali He said that its condition axs sent gave little encouragem©j sporting organisations to tJ publicise the town’s progress 1 viting outside sporting team visit Port Moresby.

Mr. McCauley added:

fears to be no excuse for the liner in which the Authorities berned (a committee of the lesby Town Advisory Council) e allowed the Oval to de- Drate. If no action is taken 1 representations will be made ave control of the Oval vested in bmmittee of the various sport

[organisations.”

Dwa At Work In P-Ng

r ork started in October on the itruction of a Country Women’s iciation Rest-house for Mothers Children at Sohano, on Bougain inber for the building arrived titly from Mabiri. [ correspondent at Bougainville [Chinese women on the Island now beginning to take an in (t in the CWA there, le Chinese woman is on the tnittee at Sohano, while the i Sub-branch recently received donation from Mrs. Leslie Lep.

Training Parents In

Moresby

I unique offer was made at a School conference in Port ;sby recently. Mr. Stan Pearsall, he Boroka Committee, offered rganise a “Father’s Night’’ for nale parents of children attend ee Moresby Centres. ■. Pearsall said he felt that ;rs were not closely enough titled with the work of pre- Dl. They worked on committees irery few had seen a pre-school peration.

'. Pearsall said he thought there Id be some form of parent ing, and if this were done, he

believed that parents would take more interest in these centres.

Mr. E. A. James, MLC. in his opening address at the Third Annual conference of the Associations in Port Moresby, also mentioned the matter of parent-participation in pre-school activities. He believed that the training of parents was even more important than the training of the children.

P-Ng Delegates To Spc

Conference In Suva

Approval has been given by the Minister for Territories for the Papua and New Guinea delegation to the forthcoming 3rd South Pacific Conference in Suva, to con sist of 8 delegates and 3 advisers.

The conference will take place about March, 1956.

Selection of the P-NG delegates and advisers is expected to be final ised before the end of this year.

Helicopter Operators Do

Well

World Wide Air Services—the

Company operating commercial

helicopters in P-NG—in October announced a £125,000 expansion programme.

The company will purchase two Catalina flying-boats which will be used mainly for work for Austral asian Petroleum Company but will also be available for a limited amount of private charter work.

The Managing Director of World

and Mrs. P. Powell, who were married Roman Catholic Church, Port Moresby, October 8. The bride was formerly Miss Dade.

Photo: Papuan Prints.

[de, Mr. Arni L. Sumarlidason, [ American resident of Port Iresby, said this week that the st of the Catalinas would arrive ! the Territory from the United ites in December. The second me would follow a few months er.

TVorld Wide Air Service’s four licopters are now logging 3,500 ing hours a year in P-NG. The mpany started two years ago der the name of Bahama Heli >ters with a 100 per cent. Ameri i staff. To-day, 80 per cent, of i staff are Australians.

Abaul-Kokopo Shake-Up

[ severe earth tremor—the most ere for years—rocked the Rabaul kopo area shortly before 7 pm October 10. ’he tremor in Rabaul was of ength 5 and lasted about one lute. At Kokopo, it was more ere. ater, Mr. Arthur Cresswell, of haul, reported the stra n g e inomena of water running into, bead of out of, Sulphur Creek, said that this occurred also in 7 (the year of the disastrous laul eruptions) and indicated t the activity was centred out sea. femors of lesser intensity were » recorded in the Rabaul and :opo areas during the early rs of October 11. he Administration announced r that the tremors originated ; of Rabaul at an estimated ance of 40 to 50 miles. Land es blocked the Rabaul-Kokopo

Buildings For Lae

;w people in Lae were sorry hear the announcement in iber by the Morobe District imissioner (Mr. H. Niall) that had asked for a new Post ;e, Courthouse and Police ion for Lae. r. Niall told a District Ad ry Council meeting that Ad istration policy had been that 1 the new Lae Hospital was other buildings would have vait. »r that reason, they were de l from the estimates each

Will This Help?

Another small step apparently directed towards improving Port Moresby’s hopelessly poor water supply was announced in the Government Gazette recently.

It is a new by-law written into the Moresby Water Supply Ordin ance providing £2O fine for anyone (unauthorised) deliberately inter fering with the water supply.

Some people who go without water for days on end in the cap ital of Papua-New Guinea, say they would willingly give £2O for the chance to get a little water. t Mr. George Newman, a Brisbane man, has been appointed one of the two Government directors of Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd. He had been assistant manager of Gibbs, Bright & Co. managing director of Oxley Ply wood Co. Ltd., and deputy chairman of the Queensland Plywood Board.

CNGT is owned jointly by the Commonwealth Government and Bulolo Gold Dredging. t The largest single shipment of bananas ever sent from Fiji to New Zealand was loaded on October 27, when the Navua took 26,000 cases (previous record 22,000 cases last December). On the same day the Matua loaded another 1,000 cases.

t Forty-three European artisans who have been on the “temporary” staff of the P-NG Department of Works for a number of years were rewarded for long service in Oc tober by permanent appointment to Department. It is the first time . e Minister for Territories has given approval for the permanent appointment of artisans.

New Insurance

Co. for P-NG

Mr. David Killeen, who has been appointed manager of The United Insurance Co., Ltd., P NG Branch, which has recently opened at Lae.

He previously was manager of the com pany's branch at Rockhampton.