Remember?

Do You Remember?

“ What now in New Guinea?” asked

“PIM” of June, 1939. “New Guinea

finances are such that there must

either he reduced Government ex

penditure or increased taxation. Is

there to be an increase in customs

duties—or an income tax?” Now, 20

years later, NG is about to get both.

Here are some more extracts from that issue: “PIM” was filled with photos of the official opening by Sir Harry Luke of Suva’s new Government Buildings, facing Albert Park. Very nice they looked—no dirty grey stains of the kind that spoil them these days. * He A young Tongan ex-clerk of the Tonga Treasury was in serious trouble for steal ing money from the Treasury, and for forgery. He was given 10 years, but not before Chief Justice Stuart had gravely censured the Treasurer, Hon. W. G. Bag nail, for failing to take proper measures to prevent the shortages.

Hs H* -f It was announced that New Caledonia would get a new Governor—M. Pierre Pages, who would be about the 20th Governor in about 10 to 15 years. * * * The Solomons was in the grip of “gold fever”—at least Melbourne Exchange was, with all kinds of companies speculating on gold on Guadalcanal, and a whole jumble of quotations. But the bubble soon burst.

One group of shares dropped suddenly from £26 to £l/10/-. * ❖ ❖ NG was having a labour shortage—in fact a crisis was approaching, said “PIM”.

The Administration was suffering as much as private planters and goldminers, and some employers were advocating intro duction of Asiatics.

Suva was working on “defence plans”, but wasn’t giving out any details. An official said Port Moresby was “foolishly” giving out every detail of her fortifications, but Fiji wasn’t that silly. But the Fiji Chamber of Commerce suggested it was possible to be too secretive, and the civilian population would like to be told how it could co-operate. * * * “PIM” reported that during a row in the US Congress about whether America should convert Guam into a big navy base, the State Department was asked what in formation it had about the Japanese man dated islands surrounding Guam. The De partment assured Congress that as far as it knew, Japan had not fortified the) islands. But a “PIM” Honolulu corres-j pondent reported that the US Navy knew a lot more about what was going on than the State Department apparently did. * * ♦ Canned beer—from Melbourne —appears to be a fashionable Islands drink these days. But canned beer isn’t new. “PIM” in the issue of 20 years ago advertised “Pabst Canned Beer—in genuine Keglined non-reflllable cans—in two-dozen cartons ( sold throughout the Pacific”.