Romulus Dethridge . . .

of the most capable citizens o British Solomons, he was born in U ville, Western Australia, and movedi his family to Victoria where he grew the timber trade around the central dis At the age of 26 he arrived in Vaniko work for the Kauri Timber Company, an mamed with it until the outbreak of w 1939. He enlisted in the AIF, trained Commando and served as Sergeant in th Army Troop Companies in Milne Bay and areas of New Guinea. In 1944 he transferred to the British Solomon II Defence Force, which was virtually a LI Corps, and in this role he built the ss at Buma on Malaita, for the Governmeir At the end of the war he was buj houses for the Government at Honiara, helping to ship out war disposal m* for them. In 1950 he joined the T Timber Syndicate to ship out logs Guadalcanal to Sydney. When this becai registered company he became man director for two years at Tenaru, and! has some interest in the firm, which hi to cease active production at the end ok year. His next venture was a copra plam at Dadali on Ysabel Island, but this dir come up to expectations. During the three years, 1954-55-56 he went aroum Group shooting crocodiles and exporting skins. He reduced the crocodile populatii the Solomons by exactly 4,225, and they take some years to build their number again.

His latest effort is the purchase of lease of llu Farm, near Tenaru, from Government, which had tried unsucces for many years to carry on the farm it took over from the American forces the war. The farm is of 160 acres, with 10 buildings of various kinds, and in vi stages of decay. The cash price was £T and the yearly rental £4O/15/-. During last six months the farm has been flooded by heavy rains, but the present growing are sorgum, cocoa, tomatoes groundnuts of the Virginia Bunch variety Dethridge hopes to export. The only crop so far has proved to be non-fl metal from the war-scrap scattered and M around the property, mostly brass shell and pieces of brass from stripped mao

Brett Hi

t The Commonwealth News and] formation film unit went to Guinea recently to make a 35 i colour film of the work of a pt< in the Southern Highlands.