Foreign Companies in

Ice Cream

Forebodings

Foreign Companies in West Samoa

FOUR Samoan members of the Executive Council will hold a public inquiry on July 5, in Apia, Western Samoa, as to whether or not the Tip Top Ice Cream Company of New Zealand will be permitted to operate a factory.

A great deal of local feeling appears to have been generated by the proposal that the company should operate—it is the only firm that has come near to breaking through the embargo on the estab lishment of “foreign” companies in Western Samoa.

For years all applications by over seas companies for a licence to operate have been turned down “as a matter of policy,” and last year the Legislative Assembly passed legislation stipulating that only local companies with local share holders can operate. However, some one in higher places must have had other thoughts because Tip Top’s application was accepted and re ferred to Executive Council.

Foreign companies are usually welcomed in most Pacific territories, but in Western Samoa, if the application of Tip Top is accepted, it will —according to a correspondent —be regarded as the thin edge of the wedge, “opening the door wide to overseas companies in NZ, Fiji, Australia, Japan and Germany, all Jag e r to establish branches in Samoa. Trade competition is already teen In the Territory and local in vests will be unable to compete.” (The Co. withdrew its application following the inquiry.)

f Qantas skipper John William Knowling—a veteran at 44—has reached an all-time high in flying hours for an Australian International pilot. He will log his 20,000 th hour somewhere over Canton Island on his next Trans- Pacific crossing. In his 24 years flymg he has covered more than 4 million miles—two years, five months, three weeks, one day, eight hours in the air. He began his flymg in Melbourne in 1932, using flimsy Gipsy Moths, then flew in the Northern Territory a year. For next two years he was a flying instructor at Melbourne’s Essendon airport, and in 1936 joined Holyman Airways (late ANA), flying DHB6’s and DC2’s and 3’s. Twelve years with ANA on domestic routes, then transfer to BCPA in 1948. He be-

came a Qantas skipper when BCPA merged with QEA in 1954. , + Jew of the original gold-miners Put New Guinea on the map a ™ stll L e J ga^' d in

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(Bill) Royal is another. He was one 0 f the Bix Six at Edie Creek, the richest goldfield ever discovered in the Territory—but that is about 30 years ago now. He and his wife have made at least one effort to live in retirement in Australia but gave it up and are still located “one hour in from Maprik,” in the Sepik District, still working gold. They emerged from their retreat briefly in June, Mrs. Royal to visit friends in Madang and Mr. Royal to visit Lae and Wau, renewing old friend ships.