Remember?

Do You Remember?

‘‘Pacific Islands Monthly” of 20

years ago reflected the times. On

one hand were reports of moves by

America and Pacific territories to

defend themselves against the in

evitable southwards drive of Japan,

and on the other, reports of events

of only passing consequence—such

as the Pacific epidemic of cruising

European canoeists, and the racket

of smuggling Indian hemp into Fiji

through the post, in thick magazines

whose pages had been hollowed out.

Here are other items from the issue of July. 1939: With a big splash of publicity, BP’s new motor vessel “Tulagi” entered the central Pacific service. Unfortunately she didn’t last long. She was sunk soon after the beginning of the Pacific war. * * * PO Nell Elliott and a native constable were killed by natives while on patrol about 40 miles south-east of Altape, NG.

He was the third patrol officer to be killed by natives in two years—the others being Colin Macdonald and Tom Hough. * * * “PIM” reported that there were “extra ordinary scenes” in the High Court at Apia, Western Samoa, when 34 Chinese labourers employed by the NZ Reparation Estates and 34 Samoan women were lined up and convicted of the offence of co habitating—under the law which said that Samoan women must not live with Chinese coolies on European plantations. The Chinese were ordered to come up for sentence within two months and the women, many of whom had small children, were sentenced to three days in prison, after which they were to be sent back to their villages. * * * The Suva Medical School was warmly praised at a meeting in Sydney, but there was criticism as to why Australia had so far refused to co-operate with the school, and had sent no trainees from Australian territories. Nobody was able to give the answer. (Australia was less aloof after the war.) * * * Tonga’s current boxing champion.

Soakai, became hero for a day when he captured a young armed Tongan criminal who had escaped from Nukualofa prison a month earlier, and had since led police a merry chase. Soakai tracked the criminal down, and knocked him out with a terrific straight left to the jaw. * * * Reports were still coming in of the earthquake and tidal wave in the Solo mons on April 30. It turned out that they had been more serious than first reported —and at least 10 lives had been lost on Guadalcanal coast. Lavoro Estate had been practically wiped out. * * * In Rabaul, NG. 45 natives refused to accept payment of compensation for land which the Government had taken for a native hospital at Rabaul. and insisted before the Compensation Court that they would rather have the land than the money. But they lost out, after the Court decided that the compensation proposed was fair and equitable. (Now 20 years later, in Port Moresby, there are complaints that natives are having land re sumed by the Government against their will).

The Changing Face of Port Moresby

Nothing changes the face of an Islands territory more than a building boom -and Papua-New Guinea has been having one lately. These photographs show some of the results in one area-Port Moresby. Top is the big new paint factory just opened in Lawes Road, opposite the "South Pacific Post", for Walpamur.

Centre is a new native theatre erected by Pacific Entertainments to help fill the wide open spaces at Boroko. And lower photograph shows some of the finishing touches being put to the big new trade store just erected at Koki by Steam ships Trading Company. It's on a first-class site, right on the corner opposite the native market.

Photos: Papuan Prints.