The Edirors' Maillag

Jews: No Future

sour note from a reader in \a: lote what PIM says about the bility of introducing income in this Territory. It does not rise me. Some years ago a man me that this country was no and there was no future in it use there were no Jews here, aid, and proved it to me, that always were in places where ‘ was a profitable future.

es Murdoch Died

Years Ago

m an official in the Gilbert Ellice Islands Colony: e lady concerning whom there an inquiry (Agnes Murdoch, ght e r of the late George loch, of Abemama, G & E ly), and whose correct name Mrs. Agnes Tokatake, died on oer 10, 1951. an article in the May issue of there were references to s Murdoch, She was the half irtese daughter of George loch; she was well-educated in ;d States; and was a charming attractive young woman when named the heir to the Kuria lama king-ship, some 50 years Her son reigned briefly as nount chief in Abemama.

Cost of 'Buying

sh' 11-known Sydney merchant, \es Sullivan, refers to an article ne “PIM” (p. 14), “Nadi Face wherein the contractors for irport enlargement stated their tion of using only British-made ines. He comments: ly apparently are making a :e of necessity, as they have ternative. chines of foreign origin would to pay extra duty (I think, r cent.) and the dollar short en top of this, would put the s right out —even though the it tyro knows that the Yanks the world in this type of inery. s 25 per cent, penalty in Fiji ) many foreign goods makes dearer and harder for the residents (as it does for the itants of other British colonies) s doubtless largely responsible ecent breakaways, just as it :or the “Boston Tea Party.” yy will never learn, the latest trade figures I have

for United Kingdom show that their principal supplier for 1953-54-55 was the USA, the 1955 figures being, imports from USA, 421 millions Sterling and exports thereto 183.1 millions.

Australia, of course, unlike the USA, always buys more from Britain than she sells there, despite our im port restrictions.

I note in the latest statistics that for the ten months dated April, 1958, our imports from England were £272 millions, while our exports thereto were only £lB4 millions; and some of our exports, such as dairy products, meat, etc., are heavily subsidised and show us a handsome loss, including about £l2 millions on butter alone, while much that we import from England could be purchased more cheaply elsewhere.

Profligates, aren’t we!

Canada is so different and so much more adult than we are. They don’t keep sterling balances in England, nor appeal to the Privy Council, or even recommend any of their citizens for Imperial titles; and grateful Britain always buys far more from Canada than she sells to Canada. Canadians are obvi ously much better patriots than we are, even if they did in 1955 (my latest statistics) buy nearly nine times as much from the USA as they did from Britain.

BP Ships Lost

in World War II

From an executive of Messrs.

Burns Philp & Co. Ltd., com menting on “There Was History In These Old Pacific Ships,” in June

“Pim”:

That very interesting survey ended with the internment of the Indvna during World War I. In addition, there was the Matunga, captured by the Germans between Sydney and Rabaul.

It is worth recording that in World War 11, Burns Philp lost the Macdhui, Neptuna, Tulagi, Lakatoi, Mamutu and Matafele; and the Malaita was torpedoed but man aged to reach port and was laid up for the rest of the war.

The Mangola went ashore in Torres Straits and was afterwards towed off, over several hundred yards of reef (where she was high and dry) by an American salvage shin.

The two vessels of special in terest were the Tulagi and Mamutu.

The Tulagi was torpedoed south of Colombo, and only two rafts, with seven men each, got away. One floated for from 50 to 60 days be

fore it was washed ashore in the Seychelles. The other raft was never seen again.

There were a great many lives lost on Mamutu and (if I remember rightly), only one survivor, who was seen in the water from a ’plane which came over after the SOS had been sent out. This man gave a very good description of the attack on the vessel, and the sinking of the boats which con tained any survivors.

There is a very descriptive account of the sinking of the Tulagi in Sydney Sun of the 7/8/44. The three European survivors were Chief Engineer R. T. Ward, 2nd Officer T.

Charles, and Purser D. S. Jacobs.

Also, there is the rather interest ing episode on the loss of the Malabar. It was supposed to have been wrecked because, when approaching Sydney in a dense fog, the captain gave the order “2 points to starboard”, and the man at the wheel by mistake put the vessel 2 points to port—at least this is the story that was told to Burns Philp.

However, where the vessel went ashore the name of the locality was changed and to-day it is known as Malabar, a suburb of Sydney.

That Old Colonial

Magic

A note from Stuart Inder, who is doing a stint on the Fiji Times : Here they are all wondering about the new Governor, and what he will be like. And with some the an ticipations are not too optimistic.

But others say that they have heard that he is “charming”, and a “gentle man”.

Others can’t get over the fact that his hobby is walking. They think it’s a pity that it isn’t just fishing, like Sir Ronald Garvey.