That Collection Box!

There Was £2,100 in That Collection Box!

In a large, high-roofed building, thatched with leaves, on May 23, in Roviana, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, hundreds of Melanesian people sat on the floor clutching little packets.

Patient and still, they sat there for 2\ hours, while six village leaders described the benefits New Georgia had derived from the Methodist Mission. Between speakers, village choirs sang, some in English.

Fifty-six years before, on that day, the Methodist Church estab

lished that mission station at Roviana. A little later there arrived the redoubtable John F. Goldie, to face up to some of the most un pleasant savages in the Western Pacific.

For nearly 50 years, undeterred by sorcery and filth, disease and discouragement, Christian Pioneer Goldie laboured in that unenticing vineyard. He is dead now; but if his sprit hovered over that place on May 23, he must have felt that his half-century of struggle and sick ness and heartbreak were not in vain.

When the anniversary celebra tions were over, and the long-dis tance native preaching finished, the

le of 30 villages filed through church, to deposit their gifts e Mission in little bowls, await ;hem there. less how much they subscribed d remember that these are ly Melanesian folk, with a sub nce economy. The total was 0. From its appearance, much le cash had been saved, penny penny, and painfully, over a time. e native leaders told the lodist visitors that they ned to wholly maintain the European mission workers in field by 1962. 1942, when the Japanese over the Solomons, they built an rtant airfield at Roviana La right alongside the Methodist ion Station—in fact, the sta buildings housed the Jap air- When the tide turned, the 'leans used every weapon they to blast the Japs out of that ;ld. There was not a vestige of

Mission station left when the battle of Munda was over.

The Methodists—still led by the redoubtable Goldie were back there long before the surrender in Tokio Bay; and —unlike May 23, 1902 —the eager natives came in hundreds to greet the missionaries.

New Zealand Methodists raised no less than £lOO,OOO for BSI mission rehabilitation.

After the gift of £2,100, there was dancing. Old hands noted that these were not Solomon dances — they were dances introduced long ago by the Tongan and Fijian teachers brought in by the Methodists.

There was feasting, and there was a concert that lasted four

hours. In that programme, there was a tableau, displaying the skill of native carpenters, motor mech anics, clerks, storekeepers, sailors, schoolboys.

Mission work in the primitive Islands often is tough and dis couraging but when the chance comes to review the work of 53 years, the worth-while reward comes more deary into sight.

Islanders Spread

Across NZ

So numerous are the people from Samoa, Rarotonga and Niue, now residing in New Zealand, that they provide a considerable section of

. Chalmers

s Appeal

thaniel Stuart Chalmers, 68, Fuly 4 won his appeal in the Supreme Court, against a mee of six months’ imprison - ;. Chalmers, who is president le Fiji Kisan Sangh, was sen ;d in Sigatoka Court in March laving fired at, and wounded ivina Lewatu, with intent to do previous harm. e appeal hearing lasted less an hour, compared with the days it took to hear the case le lower court. It became ap it early that the Chief Justice Lowe) did not think much of /rown case. made several remarks criticis he magistrate’s judgment, and .meed that he would give ns for his decision later. 3 remark was that the magis s judgment was “inadequate”, j conviction, and successful ap created wide interest in Fiji, ; Chalmers is well known as a rful character.

Big-Scale Rice

ving in P NG

investigation to determine ler Papua-New Guinea could re self-sufficient in rice pro >n was concluded in June by . S. Christian, an officer of the lonwealth Scientific Industrial rch Organisation, said the problem was corn ed by the need to find the combination of soil, climate water, for successful rice ig.

Christian toured almost all rice-growing areas in the ory and said it would be

many years before the Territory would be producing rice on a large commercial basis. He will report to the Minister for Territories (Mr.

Hasluck).

The Territory at present produces only 2,000 tons of rice, and imports 17,000 tons.

Surveying

the Solomons

The British Solomon Islands is the first territory in history to have a bathymetric and a magneto metric survey simultaneously. This was done by HMS Cook, the RN survey ship, which goes about its business with an experimental pro ton magnetometer towed 500 feet behind the ship. It was equipped with special gear by Mr. Fred Gray, in New Zealand last February.

A Gray magnetometer has been tried ashore on San Jorjge in the BSIP and has speeded up work by about six times. What is more, it can be operated by Solomon Island ers under supervision. (The details given by our corres pondent are technical and not al together clear to the layman except that a good job is being

done in the Solomons. He concludes by adding this note: “I see that the Russian ship that touched Aus tralia made a song and dance about its magnetic survey. It is high time that something be said about our own people, and the RN quietly doing its job up here.”)

Fiji Has a

Second Air Service

A Piper Super-Cub and a Cessna 180 amphibian will shortly form the basis of a new air charter and taxi service in Fiji.

Former Fiji Airways pilot Brian McCook is the boss, working with former Fleet Air Arm pilot Donald Nairn, who has been operating a similar service in New Zealand.

The two men have formed a new company, Air Viti, Ltd., which will use the aircraft for air charter work, aerial photography or flying instruction in any part of the Colony where work is to be had.

The Piper, a 1957 model, will carry the pilot and one passenger—the Cessna will carry three passengers (one next to the pilot) and their luggage.

Headquarters will be at Nausori airfield, where a hanger is now being built. The new service will begin operation as soon as it is completed.

Lots of people in Fiji have been making inquiries from McCook about flying instruction.

McCook is a qualified instructor, and Fiji has no flying club—but it seems many people want to learn.

Whether or not they take advan tage of the instruction remains to be seen—for many Islands terri tories have found before today that when it comes to the point they cannot support air taxi services.

The men who operate the aircraft have to keep them flying, and fly ing hours—not promises—make these services economic.

The Fiji tourist industry, includ ing some of the more popular hotels, say they have their eyes on the new venture, because every now and then Fiji is visited by a party of tourists richer than the average, who seek to charter an aircraft such as McCook’s—and find there is none available.

The test now will be —will there

R. PAUL (IEFT) Ieft Sydney for Tanna, in the New Hebrides group, with his wife, os "Tulagi". Their son, Bod, is a trader and planter there Although tanna is not a port of call, the "Tulagi" made a stop there to allow Mr. and Mrs. Paul to disembark. [?] D. MANN (centre) also sailed from Sydney on the June "Tulagi" for Santo, NH, after

[? r. Mann died.

S. E. SHEEHY (right) was bound for vila on her first trip to the Islands. She will visit Hamlyn Harris.

lough rich tourists to make it i McCook’s while? s of people in Fiji are hoping nd not the least of them is i McCook.

mg Value in

Grade Phosphate

en the Australian farmer 3 another ton of “super” he ’t think much where it comes and that some day it may )e available at all, does not his head. the end of the phosphate de t s on Ocean, Nauru and tmas Islands can be foreseen— t is a matter of decades, not ries. ire has been considerable by, therefore, in the Pacific in : years, around those islands low-grade forms of phos ' rock are known to exist or i good grade is present, but mtities hitherto believed corn

ally unimportant.

the scientific side there is also and new ways of treating asing the lower grade phos -3 are being investigated, sphatic deposits were found ellona Island, in the BSIP two years ago and de examination has shown that igh some of this is similar to )cean Island deposits, much is of a type containing oxides n and alumina which cannot

be treated with sulphuric acid and turned into the superphosphate that the man on the land neeus.

It is understood that Australia’s CSIRO is giving this phosphate its attention. Australia holds the prospecting licence covering the Bellona area—and is holding on to it, evidently in the expectation that its scientists will ultimately be able to perform the necessary miracle.

A couple of months ago, an Aus tralian party under Geologist W.

White, in the New Guinea vessel Kokoda, visited a number of small islands in the Solomons group—in cluding Santa Ana, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz, Gower and Ramos.

Better Cocoa

By Legislation

The much discussed, proposed Cocoa Ordinance had its preliminary airing* in the P-NG Legislative Council in June—and then was ad journed until the next sitting of Council, in September. The adjourn ment was to give Members time to study the bill thoroughly.

In its present form the proposed ordinance provides for the inspec tion and grading of cocoa beans be fore they leave the Territory—and a fine of £lOO if anyone tries to ex port them without having this little formality attended to.

The bill is designed to improve quality of NG cocoa beans, and was discussed at some length when cocoa producers and Australian manufacturers met in conference in Rabaul a few months ago.

The intention of the measure is, of course, admirable. But when an admirable intention gets translated into legalities the result is not always what every one washes—and

that, according to the experts, could be the fault with this piece of legis lation also.

It's No Green

Bay Tree, but—

The select committee of the Papua- New Guinea Legislative Council, which was set up and did a great deal of work a few years ago to pro duce a report which showed Authority how the Council could be improved, but which was com pletely ignored, must be delighted to know that one of the tiny seeds that it scattered in that barren soil has had a delayed germination and is showing a shoot of green.

A number of native observers will attend the next meeting of the Legislative Council. They will sit in the public galleries and be accom panied by interpreters, and gener ally “observe” how the Council functions—from the rear, as it were.

The Select Committee had some thing more advanced in mind. It

Miss J. Wilks married Mr. A. Stephenson at end of May, in Port Moresby. Photo shows them after their wedding which was in Taurama Chapel. —Papuan Prints Photo.

sted that the observers sit in cil and take part in debates lot vote. The Committee, in ig the suggestion, was no depressed by the little real ibution the three nominated members now actually make mncil deliberations, and sug l observers as an apprentice i purpose of the Legislative ;il is obscure enough to Euro observers at times. What i people will deduce from it, difficult to sayf. This new ie can therefore be regarded Dre than “a step in the right ion” —wherever that direction

ikeletons on

ly Henderson

human skeletons were found ly in a cave on the west coast iderson Island, by a party of •ners, who visit uninhabited rson every few months V appeared to be skeletons r men, one women and one -but they were so old that any r identification was not pos- No article of any kind was to give a clue to the history : people—who they were or ley got there. There were no )f foul play.

Fiji officials who are re )le for Henderson and Pit instructed that the skeletons led.

Pitcairners usually land on st coast—they had not visited st coast cave for 40 years.

alian Trade Now

illy in Fiji

is been pointed out in this on occasions in recent years tere should be an official rep tive in Fiji of the Australian ment of Trade. -alian Trade officials are ined in many places which enjoy one-half of the ex of goods and money that l between Australia and Fiji, •alia’s Trade Commissioner Zealand (Mr. H. C. Menzies) Fiji at the end of June, and ere announced that two ; of Qantas (the Common owned air service which has ught Fiji Airways), Messrs. = an and W. R. Clarke, would Tth act as official corre its of the Australian Depart f Trade. lenzies announced also that, ew Zealand, he would visit r times a year; and he said: pe to increase trade in both ns between Australia and id to encourage investment

MM fharfprc

iviiVi nidi ici a

Instead of Building

Making its first call at Sydney for Messageries Maritime, in July, was the 8,000 tons d.w. Melanesian.

On charter for an indefinite period from Italian owners, the vessel, carrying cargo and passengers from Marsailles through the Panama to French Oceania, Noumea and Sydney, will share the task with the two MM vessels, Tahitien and Caledonien.

MM announced last year that it was building a companion to Tahitien and Caledonien— but it is understood that this plan has been

temporary abandoned. Hence the introduction of the Italian vessel. .

*"NG Plan For

Native Fnrecterc ~,c,l,vc ruic^icib Papua and New Guinea hope to be training native forestry workers at Bulolo in 1960, according to an official statement.

Natives will be taken from schools throughout the Territory and will attend comprehensive courses which will include survey work, estimation of timber quant ities, identification of timber, silvi culture, supervision, staff re afforestation and logging, (Over)

was hoped to train about 15 res each year; and Bulolo was en because it is already the site i large timber industry, with estation. present, Papua and New ea have 750,000 acres of timber r control of the Forestry De nent, and it is hoped that in ears, 10 million acres will be dedicated forests.

ther New Industry

es) for Fiji

e manufacture of spun concrete was commenced by Hume stries (South Seas) Ltd., in , Fiji, on July 2; and it was :ted that the new factory i be fully in operation by July laking pipes of all dimensions 'iji and Islands trade generally.

cess to Stand

for Murder

June 15, Mrs. Veia Love Y, daughter of a Cook Islands ess, was committed to stand for the murder of her 8-year laughter, Blondie Takau, who in a Calgary, Canada, hospital Pril 7. (See Pacific Report.

Pim).

Moves for

aii-Tahiti Air Link

! Tahiti-Hawaii air link is being discussed, this time by iian Airlines, which hitherto sen interested only in domestic i in its own group. vaiian Airlines, which has

several aircraft but no rights to the Tahiti service, has had an offer to merge from South Pacific Air lines, which has the rights, but no aircraft. (SPA purchased Solents for the service, and after years of trouble had them passed by the US Civil Aviation authorities. Then came the UK take-over of Christmas Island for bomb tests, and SPA was out. Presumably it disposed of the Solents).

HAL has been operating in Hawaii for 29 years and at present owns four Convairs, eight DC3’s and one

Dc6B.

Negotiations are now going on between the two companies—and with the French—to see whether the service would be worthwhile.

A HAL DC6 has just made a quick visit to Fr. Oceania, loaded with company officials, to have a first-hand look.

Also aboard were the head of the French Tourist Office in San Francisco, Mr. Georges Teremel; the French Consul in Honolulu, Mr.

Max Pilliard; the Governor of Hawaii, William Quinn, and Mrs.

Quinn; three men interested in hotels in Tahiti, Mr. Spencer Weaver, Mr. Fletcher Kettle (rep resenting C. F. Rehnborg, who is also connected with some hotel schemes in Fiji), and Douglas Fraser (a millionaire in real estate).

Author James Mitchener and his wife went along, too (according to reports, Mr. Mitchener is interested in writing a book on Pacific naviga tion) .

What they saw, apparently they liked.

But the situation is not likely to clear for another month, for there are some problems to be solved yet—particularly problems of French finance, which are notori ously complicated these days.

Should the scheme work out, HAL is planning a weekly service with the DC6B between Honolulu and Borabora (which is big enough to take the aircraft).

The flight would take 10 hours, with 16 first-class seats and 60 tourist.

HAL is interested in the TEAL- Qantas deliberations over the

ure of South Pacific routes, be ise it would get a share of that rket, too—as well as feeding ;sengers through to Fiji, NZ 1 Australia. t would be a more interesting ursion for those with the extra h. [AL experts have, in fact, even to figuring out what it might > America-bound passengers who fer to get to Honolulu via Tahiti, ■ead of taking the dull run from li via barren Canton, he answer is $lO9 more.

los will be

stralian Shop Window

n Australian Trade Mission and ►lay ship will visit the Far East ards the end of this year to note Australia’s export trade, tie Australian Exporters’ Federa is sponsoring this “floating” iion and display which will be first of its kind to leave Aus :a. le Federation’s promotion is g undertaken with the co ation of the Swedish Principals le Australian-West Pacific Line,

Helsingborg, and

’ , Australian Agents, Wilh. lelmsen Agency Pty. Ltd. le Shipping Company is making table all passenger accomoda and space for trade and stnal exhibits on the MV ? during its normal voyage to Eastern Ports in the Philip - Hongkong, Japan, China, and

the Pacific Islands—leaving Aus tralia late October.

A selected group of leaders of commerce and industry will travel with the Delos. They will represent important export fields: iron and steel; heavy industries; hardware and metal processing; wool and wool processing; meat; dairy pro ducts; and other primary and secondary productions. Space will be available on the ship for the display of Australian export goods.

They Like Their

Beer Canned

Carlton & United Breweries Ltd., Melbourne, advise that more than two-thirds of its output of canned beer is being absorbed by interstate markets (principally North Queens land) and by the Pacific Islands trade.

Furthermore, interest has been aroused in this canned beer in overseas countries, and many enquiries have been received from areas where the company does not normally do business. A consign ment of 1,200 dozen cans of lager recently went to Hongkong.

A recent advertisement in South Pacific Post indicated that persons in New Guniea can buy “Victorian Bitter”, in carton lots, 1/9J per 13 oz can; whereas the same beer, in Melbourne, costs 2/- and in South Australia 2/5. In New Guinea, they can buy cartons (48 cans) for £4/4 6, and half-cartons for £2/3/3.

mid-May, moer than 140 guests attended the Silver Wedding anniversary party of Mr. ga. [?]illie" Watson, a prominent Rarotonga businesman, was an Island Council member for ears. He is a native of the county of Fife, scotland, and has lived for 30 years in k Islands. Sfter two years in Rarotonga he founded hid own trading company which he ed from humble beginnings into a maior concern. [?]it November, Mr. Watson's firm, Unirted Island Traders, suffered heavy loss through fire. [?]ices and store heve since beem built, and work is progressing on the main store building. [?]iee years ago, Marie Watson, who is part-Plynesian and part-French, met her french [?]for the first time during an extensive trip through Europe with her husband. to shows Mr. and Mrs. Watson, centre, with daughter jean (left) and husband john Smith; [?]ghter Bitty (right) with her husband, Leslie Bailey. Photo: F. M. Mackenzie.

They Came to See

Queensland's Marvels

Under an arrangement between the Papua-New Guinea Administra tion and the Queensland Chamber of Manufactures, 10 selected native teachers spent three weeks observ ing Australian life and ways in Queensland. Invited to comment, these were their remarks: Francis Iramau looked out of his Brisbane hotel window at the large buildings and “just could not believe they were built by men”.

G a i n a Babona: “Everybody seemed to be racing with time, for they walked and used their hands quickly”.

Aisea Taviai expressed his wonder at “such things as trams and trains that ran noisily along rails, and an incredible variety of traffic in the streets”.

'Metho'—The Mixture

As Before

“So the Rabaul boys have drunk 20,000 bottles of methylated spirits —in various mixtures—in six months? And the Brigadier has been instructed by the Minister to treat it like the noxious drugs

evil, and stamp it out? And there is to be a penalty of £lOO or a: year’s gaol, or both, for selling it to natives? I fear me that they have their problem in front of them,” writes “Papuan Old-Timer”?

“Addiction of the natives to ‘Lamp Mura-mura’ always has been a trouble. Heaven knows how it can be palatable, even with the addition of other liquids. But we cannot stofi the practice, here or elsewhere. I remember that in Liverpool, during World War I, they introduced a nauseating purple additive to prel vent the old women drinking metho.

“And I seem to remember e frantic Papuan Ordinance, of long ago, calling for a penalty of £2(H or two years in gaol for supplying metho to natives.”’

More Threat to

Fiji's Sugar

Fiji can expect more trouble ii the vital sugar industry in th( coming season, according to Mb B. D. Lakshman, who is regardei as the man behind at least tw; of the strikes at the Colonial Suga Refining Company’s mills last yeaj Mr. Lakshman has added I proviso that the trouble will unless the CSR Co. agrees, ii

ier measure, to the demands of Fiji Sugar Industry Employees’ nation. Lakshman, strange to is not a member of the union is not seeking office, is difficult to work out why anion wants to have anything ? with him, but apparently a irresponsibles are prepared to v him in applying the laws of lungle to industry. b union recently negotiated an ment with the CSR Co., which improved conditions. The i president, Mr. Nand Kishore, lan widely experienced in trial negotiation, has stated he will fight on for better tions. • Nand Kishore goes about irs the right way. He is a believer in the round table rence, and believes that he can easonable concessions through lation. & ! . Government probably is mg Mr. Lakshman closely and >e prepared to take action if arts to foment trouble. Fiji / cannot afford any more /rial dislocation.

The Government has a new industrial ordinance, with the emphasis on conciliation; but there are no “teeth” in it, to deter trouble makers. The framers of the law seem to have some naive idea that reasonable negotiation is possible with people who are prepared to stir up strife in industry.

Sputnik Weather

in BSIP

Honiara, BSIP, experienced the effects of an out-of-season cyclone on June 6.

Apart from the uprooting of

numerous trees, dislocation of tele phone communications and elec tricity supplies, damage was only slight.

All services were restored the following day. NW-N winds rose at times to 55 MPH, and 41 inches of rain were recorded.

The direction of the wind was “out of season” but only two boats were caught on the windward side of Point. Cruz.

One anchored close inshore was able to ride out the storm, but crocodile-shooter, Mr. D. Sharpe, was not so fortunate, his vessel being swept ashore by the high seas.

Damage was not as extensive as first expected. (Over)

Ands Travellers: Mr. E. Mcgarrity

was aboard the July "Malaita" when she ydney, bound for B ulolo, TNG, on a visit two years' absence. Mr. F. C. Kurton had iust returned to Sydney from a Goroka and his first visit to New Guinea.

AND MRS. GREIG left on the July ita for Samarai, Papua, after a pro holiday overseas. Mr. Greig is a well- Territorian with 33 years Islands resi- On the right, Miss Lilly Williams, Mrs. [?] sister.

Salk Vaccine-

El for Three Shots

One thousand doses of Salk Vaccine were imported into the BSI Protectorate following a mild out break of poliomyelitis in the Gilbertese village, of Titiania, near Gizo.

With the epidemics of 1948 and 1951 still remembered Solomon Islanders were only too eager to be treated, even though a charge of £1 was made for the series of three injections to be carried out over a period of nine months.

To fulfil the demand an additional supply is now on order.

Apart from the seven original

cases no further outbreak has been reported.

Carpenters' Ploughing

Problem in Fiji

Messrs. Carpenters, of Sydney, should be happy with their pur chase in 1956 of all the Ordinary Shares in Morris Hedstrom Ltd., of Fiji.

In the year ended March 31, the MH net profit was down by a matter of £lO,OOO, compared with the previous year; but it still provides 15 per cent, on £520,000 of Ordinary capital, and 6 per cent, on £219,200 of Preferences.

The profit was £141,609; the

dividend of 15 per cent, took £78,6 of it, while the preferences requii £13,152. This left £50,395 undisti buted which, added to the previa carry-forward, made £614,589.

In fixing the net profit figure, t Directors provided £63,161 1 depreciation and no less tq £130,640 for taxation of income.!

The trading companies control! by the Carpenter organisation Fiji seem to be all doing well. T Directors’ major problem there! not the making of profits, but In to usefully employ, for the good! the Colony and all concerned, t substantial funds withheld frf distribution.

It is, of course, the old probli of Fiji land. All wise Directors wf to plough back some of their profl but they cannot plough much! there is little or no land availai for ploughing.

I

Gold Romance Behind GGj

Bare Figures

There is fascinating early hist* of the Morobe Goldfield of Nj Guinea in the stark phrases fl figures of the 46th annual real of Guinea Gold, NL, of Adelai some weeks ago.

If it had not been for the en|( prise and courage of the men w originally formed Guinea Gold, f on May 11, 1926, and carried it I for three of four years in the ft of great difficulties, there mig* have been no Bulolo Gold Dredgl Ltd., Guinea Airways Ltd., CO)

Mrs. Via Wix (formerly a Miss Quintal) Norfolk Island—one of the visitors to Polynesian Association on a recent party nig —A Tele-Ph [?]

nwealth New Guir da Timber 1., and other money-makers, jecil J. Levien, a former NG strict Officer, pegged leases in ! Kaindi, Bulolo Gorge and 1010 flats country, and visualised dredging industry and the air nsport; and two fellow officers World War I, C. V. T. Wells and P. A. Lapthorne (they were led “The Three Musketeers”) nd the necessary capital and got ng with Guinea Gold NL. In >, they were joined early by »rge Jeffery and A. A. Scarfe. hey had troubles a-plenty, and e down to their last £5,000 when A. Freeman, a Sydney solicitor, ight Placer, a famous Canadian e-financing company, into the ure. fter that, Guinea Gold saw nomenal progress and enjoyed nomenal riches. svien died early, but his soul t marching on in Bulolo GD, Guinea Airways. Wells, Lap •ne, Scarfe and Jeffery carried Guinea Gold, for years, as a :ly holding company, and ently reported an amazing in e from their shares in the op ing companies. Their subscribed tal was only £50,000—£37,487 in , and £12,513 “otherwise”. Their profit in 1938 was £48,700 and ?39 £46,800. ar II interrupted proceedings a , but Guinea Gold always has a Bonanza. en in the year ended last Feb- V, with Guinea Airways gone (here and BGD Ltd. down to dredge (compared with eight •e the war), there was enough t to pay over 16 per cent, on old original £50,000 of capital, liter Jeffery died a good many 1 ago and C. V. T. Wells more itly. But W. P. A. Lapthorne, ast of the “Musketeers”, still mg strong and is Chairman of tors.