Girls Now

Calendar Girls Are Nice Girls Now

The old Papua-New Guinea con troversy on clothe s-making morals continues, and now extends to pin-up calendar girls, with which tired business-men amuse themselves at this time of the year. This year’s calendars are being censored in P NG, so they won’t put ideas into the natives’ heads.

Let’s hope the UN Soviet-Afro- Asian bloc doesn’t get to hear about it. It no doubt would take the view that it’s an old colonial trick to in terfere with the liberty of the sub ject; and that said subject should be permitted to look at pin-up girls if he wishes, and get ideas if he must.

In the meantime, this report from the Territory: Tom Hennessy, of Rabaul, NG, has had to put a sunsuit on his calendar girl for 1962.

Eighteen stone Hennessy, who describes himself as “the greatest bookmaker north of Sydney”, took New Guinea by storm with the calendar he issued at Rabaul 12 months ago.

It showed a bathing beauty wear ing a little piece of seaweed . . . and nothing else.

“A danger to native morals and a slur on white women in a black man’s country,” ruled members of the Rabaul Town Advisory Council.

Senior officials of the Administra tion listened to the complaints and announced later from Port Moresby that they would watch the situation.

For nine months now the public has forgotten the controversy, but the story apparently has not ended.

It was revived with the issue of Mr. Hennessy’s calendar girl for 1962 . . . and she has clothes on.

Mr. Matt Foley, another Rabaul man who was criticised over his choice of calendar girls, explained the background.

He said: “When the calendar salesman came around to see Tom and me recently he brought his usual sheet of samples.

“But all the whistle-catching pictures had been crossed out.

“He told us the Government in Port Moresby had checked his samples first —and that wasn’t all—when the calendars themselves arrived they had to be opened for inspection before we could take delivery.”