The Editor s' Maillag

at Shell

at Killed

he problem of the New Cale ian shell that killed ( PIM, June, 16) has been solved and some of Sydney experts may relax. The to that PIM published in Decem of the cone shell that killed a v Caledonian native was not us geographus but Conus striatus hich is just what Dr. D. F.

Michael, of the Australian leum, Sydney, and Mrs. Isobel , of Madang, New Guinea, said as. The experts were interested ase the striatus also turned out e a killer. r M Noumea correspondent Fred n reports that the cone shell was n to him for photographing by Assistant Fisheries Officer of the h Pacific Commission, Mr. Louis ambez. Mr. Devambez made one of those mistakes that some 5 occur when he handed over tus and not geographus.

Men Who Have

The Territories

lala’s comment in his “Terri »’ Talk Talk” of May about pulling of rank” (he noted that only one exception, the men arge in Papua and New Guinea the last 40 years had been of iry rank, and asked whether this he best type of professional man ace at the head of such an ad tration) has brought a com from ex-New Guinea man Eric Coast Watchers ) Feldt. . Feldt writes: “The inference at they were all professional rs. the Military Administration G between 1914 and 1921, the military officer was Adminis , naturally. It really would called for comment if he had a private. ? the subsequent holders of the Wisdom was a businessman politician, McNicoll was a 1-teacher, and only one, Grif- Tolala’s favourite (not mine), i professional soldier.

Papua, Sir Hubert Murray was yer, and, since the amalgama 1. K. Murray was a teacher of Itural science and Cleland a r. All were civilians who earned rank in war, and it can be held his service and experience out

side their own professions was a good qualification.

“To have served one’s country in war should not be held against a man, even if that service is not without distinction.”

Fascinating Facts

About Islands Fuel

Small paragraphs in PIM some times bring large sized reactions, and such a case was the few lines in the news columns of the May issue, re porting that work had started at Santo on bulk fuel storage installations for the Shell Company and that following their erection there was likely to be “a substantial reduction” in the local prices of petroleum products.

A bristling paragraph hit us this month from an esteemed Vila reader to the effect that the report was surely a bit optimistic.

Said our reader, “Here at Vila, the Vacuum Oil Company (Shell’s ‘com petitor’) has recently completed tank installations for bulk petrol and diesel fuel storage.

“Vila consumers gaily attended a cocktail party at the Hotel Rossi to celebrate the event and to enjoy the announcement of price reductions

(misplaced optimism),

“Vacuum’s visiting experts were airborne for Sydney when the broad shouldered local agent announced that the bulk supply of diesel fuel would go up from 3/4d a gallon to 4/4 id, and the pump supply of petrol would go down from 6/3d to 5/3d, but there would be no bulk! While the dazed inhabitants remain in a state of shock, Shell has now announced termination of its bulk fuel service, and now becomes a Vacuum client. So much for ‘sub stantial reductions’ promised us by the fuel monopoly.”

Our reader’s final word is the re minder that since diesel fuel is used extensively by plantations and small ship owners, the general economy of the New Hebrides would now be affected and locals could look forward to a big increase in freight rates.

We bailed up the Australian HO of both Shell and Vacuum over all this, and back came prompt answers.

Said Shell Islands manager, Mr.

S ’ n, alker: “ T he construction ot Shell s Santo installation is well under way, and when completed Shell will adhere to its announced intention to reduce its prices of petroleum (Continued next page)

products. Pending completion of tht new installation, and because of uni avoidable cancellation of Shell’l previous supply arrangements in thi New Hebrides area, Shell has mad| temporary alternative arrangements These will no longer be necessan with the completion of the Santi installation”.

Vacuum’s reply, received the sami day, was longer, but what it amount to is that since our reader wrote t( us, prices have now gone down , a of July 5. Vacuum said that the oh price of 3/4d a gallon for diese fuel (it is really distillate, sail Vacuum) was ex ship’s bunkers, am this was “a difficult way of gettim it”.

Vacuum was now landing the fue: and the more recent prices fc distillate are 3/6d a gallon in bull and 3/7d in drums. The old prio in drums, said Vacuum, was 5/2 for one drum and 5/Old for 11 drums or more.

New petrol prices in the Ne: Hebrides, said Vacuum, are 5/lid gallon from the pumps and 4/7d i drums. All the new lower prices ar made possible as a result of tH second shipment.

Casting our eye over these figure it seems that what they mean is thu Vacuum distillate will be 2d a ga!l6 dearer than the old price, but wr be easier to get at, and no douli cheaper in the long run because ( it, and that petrol will be l/Bdj gallon cheaper bought in drums I plantations buy it.

And furthermore, if we read M Walker correctly, there is a got* chance of prices coming down furthr when Shell gets going in the Ne.

They’re a fascinating set of fac for those Islands interested in fu —which is all of them!