The Editors' Mailbag

No Luck With

Our Gardener

The origin of the Pidgin word didimans, meaning gardener, has still not been solved. Mr. Hans Mannsfeld (who was in NG from 1912 to 1921 and again between 1928 and 1930) has written to say that he thinks we are on the wrong track. He says: I was amused to see from your April number of PIM that the word “didimans” is still in use in New Guinea.

I don’t think it has got anything to do with the name of a German gardener in prewar times. The two men in charge of the Botanical Gardens in Rabaul were Dr. Gehr mann (Director), and Herr Rudolf (master gardener).

If I remember rightly we pro nounced the word in the German time as “radidiman”. I always took it that “radi” is just an ab breviation of “radish”. To this came a reduplication of which the natives are so fond.

I shall pass your enquiry to the Hamburg Sudseestammtisch, the Club of the Oldtimers. Perhaps Consul H. R. Wahlen or Hermann Bolten can give some clue. (Mr. Mannsfeld’s address is: M. Gladbach-Rheindahlen 2, Post fach 28-14, Germany.)

The Bull Business

One of our “letters” during the month came in the form of the very attractive catalogue of the forth coming auction of Santa Gertrudis bulls by the King Ranch, at “Risdon,” near Warwick, Queens land.

Friday, November 16, is the date for the auction and this year 12 stud bulls will be offered, all of their names beginning with “B”

Risdon Banker, Risdon Broadcaster, Brilliant, Bandbox, etc. Last year all the bulls auctioned had names beginning with “A.”

The catalogue, in its way, is just as glossy a production as the bulls, and tells the story of King Ranch and its Santa Gertrudis cattle now distributed all over the world from the home range in Texas to the Highlands of New Guinea. These animals, bred to produce good beef in a variety of climates, including the tropics, are now doing well in Fiji and New Guinea. King Ranch Australia Pty. Ltd. commenced operations in Australia in 1952, with a consignment of high quality Santa Gertrudis cattle from the King Ranch in Texas. Enthusiastic breed ers are now scattered all over Aus tralia from Northern Queensland

to Southern Victoria, and ft NSW to Western Australia.

Pan American Airways, in < junction with Australian Nati(i Airways is organising a cattlemt tour of America to study Ss- Gertrudis on their home rang© May, 1957,

AAangaia is

Not Amused

The indefatigable Mr. Edwin G of Mangaia Island, in the 0 Group, has written to take ui task for what he thinks is a disgg ing story that appeared in An.

“Tropicalities.” It concerned s extraneous matter that, accon to the story, had been founo a can of meat. We think: threatens to sue us—although t it has to do with Mr. Gold we i not imagine.

He demands proof that theE cident ever took place.

Well, Mr. Gold, there is not; proof, because, so far as we knoc never really happened. It was f you might call a shaggy-dog s although perhaps the mention “dog” in connection with meat o also be taken amiss in Mangaia.. items that appear in “Tropical! are not meant to be taken very ously, and this particular pieo nonsense certainly was not.

As to the origin of the story seem to remember that O, H created the great-great-grand-dt of this one long years ago, wii can of meat from a Chicago wv

Status of

Polynesians

Fierce indignation is express© our old friend Oscar Nordmaii Tahiti, who writes about New land’s refusal to grant an entry\ mit to Mdlle Germaine Leharte Germaine, an attractive lass t is well known in Papeete In she went to New Zealand andfc employed in a clothing factor* Auckland. There she decide marry another resident of T 1 Mr. Harry Duane. They retu to Tahiti —Germaine in June 1 and Harry a little later; them Duane went back to New Zeai and Germaine was to follow hii that they might marry there..

But they planned without! officialdom. In a letter dated J tember 19 (HO 92,476), Gern was formally advised by the S 2 tary of Labour that “your cannot be approved.”

No reason is given. Germaimr acceptable to NZ in 1955; brc

she is non persona grata. Mr. nan knows of some queer folk Europe and Asia who have admitted to NZ under present laws, and he adds: should the residents of these is, who have so many contacts Mew Zealand, be treated in this If race comes into it, Ger ; is entitled to classification as ropean—she is three-quarters and one-quarter Polynesian.”

PIM has been trying for 25 to understand officialdom’s ng on these entry applications, no further forward. In fair ind justice, every resident of Pacific Island, from Fiji east to French Oceania, should the same status as Europeans plying for entry to Australia few Zealand—There should be crimination. But try to con ufficialdom of that! ing the first nine months of 719 motor vehicles were im into New Caledonia. This snts a value of 128 million (£A896,000).