The Captain Charges In

Problems of the Red Cros The Captain Charges In

The Madang, New Guinea, be of the Australian Red Cross S« was on the verge of dissolutio late September because of lao support from the local people am refusal of Port Moresby diviii headquarters to allow the brand buy a “Humidicrib” for the Mr hospital with its own funds.

The president of the Mj branch, Captain J. H. (“Frog”) I told PIM on September 18 that I tended to resign at the brs monthly meeting on the 24th, ano. he expected “the remaining members of the branch” to i also. Captain Evans is Mao colourful harbourmaster.

Captain Evans told PIM ; “ really surprising just how many\ dents of Madang have so many ' mitments when Red Cross is tioned. It seems impossible to across to the public that Red Cn a sort of international insut against disaster.

“Sometimes I pray for a tidal to lift some of the younger the under forties—off their postal and leave them with only a wet ss The captain said this year’s an appeal and a games night had J

‘“flops” and that the flag day had I only £ll. Nine collection boxes t various stores held a total of £2/9/3 after three months, ptain Evans said the Madang h had been very successful at as the organisation was “also [, with a very senior officer of administration as a starter.” its initial appeal for funds about years ago, it soon raised more £l,OOO, and even Port Moresby to continue its appeal for some to catch up. he organisation being interna -1,” Captain Evans said, “our i were naturally spirited away for bution to the poor and needy ie parent body. But this was not i understood by Madang resi , and from that day on the slump i and has remained. The remarks now hears at the mention of the Cross movement are most dis ening. ome of the replies I have had i I have asked for help include: it’s it done for us?’ ‘not in ted’, ‘haven’t we given enough?’ others, when I have asked them to the movement, have even said: down and relax, have a drink forget it.’ it the risk of becoming a ‘dipso’ ve sometimes had that drink and her in the hope of talking, and flattering, some of Madang’s ecus wives into joining Red Cross, all I’ve got out of it was a belly of peanuts, the odd stuffed olive a hangover. t is my constant wish now that new general secretary in Port

Moresby will visit Madang soon with a big stick or a packet of lollies or promises of social entertainment and recognition, and spend long enough here to reorganise this branch.

“I hope he will be able to stir up

££ = like myttf

to relax after the arduous duties of the day yet still assist in a small way to help keep the Red Cross flag fly- Mn Mnrp Fnn DplJrariPQ NO more tgg ueiicacies Fnr Honiara'* Chinatown tor nomara s uimarown Gloom has come to Chinatown in Honiara, BSIP, following the introduction of legislation prohibiting the importation of live or uncooked

poultry and eggs from all countries except Australia and New Zealand, Formerly, every ship from Hong kong and Eastern ports used to bring a Chinese delicacy—matured eggs. an lYefMEor period? Duck eggs -e preferred as they are bigger and e Jhe MV Milos will bring the i as t b h that can be landed le gally.

After that a „ imported e ggs from the East will be destroyed.

The legislation is to prevent the entry of Newcastle disease into the Protectorate. It is rather difficult to explain this to Chinese importers and the general feeling in Chinatown is that the Government is again trying to make things hard for the com munity, reports PlM’s Honiara cor respondent.

Pago Coconut Factory

In Operation Soon

The Pacific Coconut Proc* Corporation’s factory at Pago American Samoa, would be wo next year and would probably ploy up to 150 people, the proi of the corporation, Mr. Tun told PIM in Apia recently.

The factory will be part o: Public Works Department’s pi workshops which the corporatioi leased for 30 years for $360,000 PWD has six months to vacati property.

The corporation, the first to t up under the Industrial Incei Bill, has a fully paid up capit $H million. The Tongan Go ment is a major shareholder.

Mr. Turnbull said the fa would probably process 90 mi coconuts a year besides other produce, including breadfruit.

Hundreds of acres of high coi in Tutuila were being planted citrus for processing at the fact: Western Samoa would almost! tainly be supplying coconuts andl haps breadfruit.

Investigation was now going a how to transport breadfruit Apia to Pago without deteriorat!

“Recent research has shown coconut water has unusual prop* in promoting and accelerating cel velopment and this has exciting pects in cancer research,” Mr. 1 bull said.

“Furthermore, two years’ rese in the United States shows over I marketable items that can be duced from the coconut.

“I believe coconut producers at the dawn of a new era.”

Mr. Turnbull said an impot product would be charcoal prodt from the husk and shell of the o nut.

Special mobile burners would be operating in Tonga and Wes Samoa producing a high quality o coal which would be shipped to I Pago for packing and distribir overseas, mainly on the Amei; market.

Trouble Over Fiji

Cement Settled

A public wrangle about the i nesia content of Fiji-made cen ended late in August when the j Government announced that oveie tests had proved the cement satisfactory. The Government tK upon announced that it would J

irt any more Portland cement type produced in Fiji), le wrangle started when the local iany recently found it was ile to produce cement which con led to the previously existing Fiji lard, based on British standard ifications, with a maximum of er cent, magnesia content. The »nt company has been operating [ a short time. tiere was an uproar in the build trade, when it was pointed out building contracts specified ish standards, then became necessary for the lernment to relax the specifica l which has now been set at a limum of 5 per cent. The new limum is the standard accepted big cement producing countries, I as the United States and Japan.

Pnlltiral Frluratinn fmircp political taucation Lourse For P-NG Ipadprs ror r nu Leaaers Thirteen Papua-New Guinea native leaders were due to fly to Australia on September 29 for a three-week educational course in Canberra on Parliamentary and Government procedure. The party will return to Port Moresby on October 21.

Every district except New Britain and the Southern Highlands is reprpspnted The 'travellers will be accompanied by the P-NG Information Director, Mr. L. R. Newby, and a patrol officer, Mr. P. J. Walsh.

Plans for the visit—intended as the first of a series of p olitica i education tours—were announced on August 31 by the Territories Minister, Mr. Paul H " asluck when he arrived in Port Moresby to addreS s the Public Ser yice Association G f P-NG. „ , , •, i PQr i^r« Hasluck said l he would be shown, and government at all 1 evelis. They would see the progress o P blll > how v C j bm^ W ° bp nut in ters worked, and would be put in touch with the various political parties at Canberra.

There would be sessions with the officers of the House of Representa

is so the Papuans and New means could see how bills were : ted, and they would be shown f electoral machinery was pre id. During their stay they would . Shire Councils to see how those ncils worked.

ather Link Opened in

; Road to NG Highlands

mother mile-stone in the long imed of road from the coast into centre of New Guinea has been ;ed with the official opening of Leron River bridge. This is the d bridge to be built in the Mark i Valley—the others are at Erap Maniang—and only one more Ige, over the Umi, remains to be t before the Markham stretch s up with the existing road in the hlands. It will then be possible Irive in all weathers from Lae, on coast, over 300 miles into the ;re of New Guinea, as far west Wabag and Laiagam. he Leron bridge, which is the est of its kind in the Territory designed by the Commonwealth •artment of Works and built by ta Construction Ltd. Its total ;th is 425 feet with a central steel i of 168 feet, an eleven foot wide Crete decked roadway, and a k-way of two feet six inches on i side.

IG's First Tea Factory

sns Near Lae

he liking of Australians for tea id help build another valuable lary industry in Papua-New nea, the Administrator, Sir laid Cleland, said late in August n he opened the Territory’s first factory at Garaina, in the Waria ;r Valley, near Lae. [e said a share of Australia’s ,000,000 tea imports could be a lift to P-NG. he local production could also cut Territories’ import bill for tea — iresent £117,000 a year, ea-growing in the area was

started 15 years ago. Since then the Department of Agriculture has built up a plantation of 300 acres of which 100 are Producing Thes tea factory tas nnn 8e< * mountain y ’ £4j,ouu.

Sir Donald said there was a lot of conjecture on whether New Guineans could be trained as tea pluckers.

However, native women were making very good progress and already were plucking nearly as much leaf in a day as the average picker in Ceylon and India.

The output of the factory would show in time whether tea would diversify the Territories’ primary production.

Not so long ago, Sir Donald said, it was not certain that the Territory could produce coffee and cocoa to meet and compete with other growing countries. Now increasing quantides of high quality cocoa and coffee were being exported.

Duk-DukISITI WomeS

. , NG Missionaries Considered dormant until lately New Britain’s secret society of Duk- Duks is enjoying a rebirth of ac tivity - s not now rare f or a mo torist tQ come U p o n a wildly prancing ta b uan or Duk-Duk, dressed roly poiy f as bion [ n a costume of leaves w j t j l a sky-reaching mask, making his way on f oot f o b owe( j by a crowd of natives.

Duk-Dukism, a secret Tolai society somewhat similar in structure to Masonry, is for males only and has its own rites, ceremonials, initiation ceremonies and special dances, It is, according to Catholic mis sionanes, a society built upon super stition, sorcery and supernatural powers and is used as an instrument to ferment fear and discontent among its Tolai members. (Over)

The new tea factory at Garaina.

Above is part of the 300-acre tea plantation at Garaina. Below: Native women pickers at work on the plantation.

fethodists, upon whose territory ;-Duks now blatantly parade, • a more complacent view and rd the recent appearance of the >Duks as a revival of “certain itional customs”. [ronghold of the Duk-Duks and r spirit men, the Tabuans, is in area encompassed by Raluana tthodist Mission centre) through Navuneram, Reimber, Pila Pila Tavui—areas which in the past 2 given trouble. Raluanas have lutely refused to join native local ;rnment councils or to pay taxes; uneram and Pila Pila men were »ng those involved in last year’s narine cult activities and it is sus ;ed men from these areas were active during last year’s Rabaul 5. ast month a grand gathering of :-Duks took place on the edge of pson Harbour when no less than of the leaf-garbed anonymous men attracted a crowd of thou 1s about them for a sing-sing and athering of tambu. he ceremony embraced eight or ; villages in the Davaun-Raluana i and culminated in a gigantic t prepared by hundreds of native nen who were denied the privilege matching the ceremonials, eason for this gathering was n as a tribute to a Duk-Duk nber who had died before the . Part of the rites included pranc about his grave while a Duk-Duk nmer made weird music on a ially made drum, randishing elaborate sceptres the cers danced about the dusty grave 1 one thrust a sceptre into the md. The man who subsequently ed the sceptre free thereupon t on the responsibility for staging next sing sing, a few years hence, lances, feasting and the exacting tambu go on from two days to eek once the Duk-Duks get going, ile it lasts gardens are neglected,

work is forgotten, and tambu is col lected by the mile.

Reverend lan Pardon of Rabaul’s Methodist Mission said following the Duk-Duk’s latest sing-sing that he be lieved a strong reversion to tribalism was the cause of the upsurge.

“Old natives are saying if we won’t teach the younger men the tra ditional culture of their race, who will?

“They fear these things will be come lost as the result of their young blood being schooled in the manner of the white man.

“As a result I believe a strong nationalistic movement is likely amongst older Tolai men.”

Catholics are roundly condemna tory of the entire Duk-Duk society, which they say strikes at the very heart of mission work.

Acting Bishop, Fr. J. Reischl of Vunapope Catholic Mission, said, “It is in the same category as the age old Iniid belief and is only different in degree.

“Each branch or lodge has a head who never appears in public. It is his duty to collect tambu, ostensibly for the next sing-sing, but more likely for himself.

“The society is based on sorcery and supernatural powers and is against all church teachings.”

Rabaul Does Something

For the Europeans

Residents of Rabaul who have long complained “everything that is done is done for the natives” have long grouched about the state of their patched-up post-war hospital sited on Namanula Hill above the town.

If matters go as outlined by Regional Medical Officer Dr. Charles Haszler their reason for grouching will be no more within 12 months.

By that time Namanula will have been transferred to newer, more commodious, certainly more hygienic premises at Nonga.

It is the intention of the Adminis tration, Dr. Haszler told a Town Advisory Council meeting, to make the move gradually and with a view to giving the people “who will even tually be running the country” a

HAPPY: NG Medical Assistant Bill Race, smiling here before his departure for well earned leave in Hamburg, Germany, is the man Gasmata natives revere. Gasmata Island, off New Britain's south coast, now has a full-fledged hospital largely through Bill's efforts. Before his departure and the handing over of the hospital to Suva trained Medical Assistant Leslie Atui, Bill was accorded the honour of a big sing sing.

New Look: In

Honiara, capital of the British Solomon Island Protectorate, new and modern buildings are rising from the skeletons of wartime quonset and native-style thatched huts. This building is the new Secretariat and Administrative headquarters in the township. It replaces a jumble of tarred paper and timber quarters.

Photo: Rob Wright.

modern, equipped and economi sound hospital. Thus moves tc corporate the European or Nama Hospital into Nonga would be n m steps, costing in the first fina year (1962) £3,500, next and the third year figures excee this.

With the aid of a map showing Nonga Base Hospital layout Haszler, who was attending his TAC meeting since returning 1 leave, showed how extensions w. be made to take in Euroi patients.

A new full nursing ward woull built opposite the present buil performing this duty. This c building would be converted in paying wing with 40 beds; air-cc tioning would be installed in labour ward; new nurses and sis quarters would be built; X-ray

pathology buildings would be

tended; there would eventually three theatres, air-conditioned, a ture room and library in the ministration block.

Checking off points which n the Nonga site more acceptable, Haszler told councillors pat; would receive greater care, atten and privacy there than at Namai where tarpaper walls, rusted ri and rotting floors made nursing caring for the sick a hazard constant budget worry, t “Moreover,” said Dr. Has Nonga is considered safe from came eruption. Namanula is not

Soldier Settler Cocoa

Growers Need More Money

The Ex-Servicemen’s Credit Sch for Land Settlement in P-NG made a “sizeable contribution to( development and stability of the ritory,” according to the latest am report of the RSL (Australia) w was responsible, through its I Guinea Branch, for getting scheme started.

However, PIM understands soldier settlers who took up co land in the Popondetta area are 1 ing the maximum £25,000 alloc under the scheme to develop t places will probably be about years, or £lO,OOO, short of reqi] ments.

At the time they got their 100 only inconclusive figures were ai able to them on how much it w»\ cost and consequently some of tJ have bitten off more than they chew.

They estimate now that it will £35,000 to establish an economic of cocoa—and after it comes production they then have 25 yearn pay off the loan and interest.

oldier settlers who went for coco and coffee had more statistics lable to guide them and they i*eted accordingly and are keeping in the maximum loan. Some »nut places were, of course, partly ing when they took them over this helped.

G Queues To Buy

t Dutch Stamps

he Dutch made a final gesture to stamp collectors of the world on iday, September 17, when they ed four new stamps —the last that bear the words “Netherlands uw-Guinea”. When the United ions takes over on October 1, it rprinted existing stamps. [ollandia residents formed up six 3 around the post office before it aed at the usual 8 a.m. on the day and came away with sheets he new stamps. First day covers been printed in Holland and had a snapped up by local residents y before the 17th. Visitors and *r outsiders —such as UN per nel—were left lamenting.

The new stamps all depict New Guinea crustaceans and all bear a sur charge as a social benefit tax.

Denominations are 5c plus the special tax of sc; 25c plus 10c; 30c plus 10c; and 10c plus sc.

The five cent stamp has a

en background and a crab irpillius maculatus ) in natural Dur; the 25c stamp has a :juoise background and a strange king shell fish whose Latin name Panulirus verisocolor; the 30c np has a scarlet background I what looks to be a variety crayfish ( Macrobrachium ) lar ibr). and the 10 cent stamp, a low background with what in Aus lia might be taken for a blue ibbie” or fresh water prawn herax Communis holthuis ), jal ►ugh it could be something quite ferent.

Phe stamps are attractive in spite [their unusual theme. They might ;n become valuable in time, along th most of the other stamp issues the departing regime.

Meeting Will Discuss Plans

For US Trust Territory

The first meeting of the US Trust Territory’s Council of Melanesia within its own borders will be held at Koror, in the Palau District, from September 29 to October 5. The US Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands comprises the Caroline, Marshall and

Mariana Islands, which are divided into seven districts.

The council meeting at Koror will also be the first at which the majority of delegates have been elected by popular vote in their districts. Pre viously, the delegates had been elected by district legislative bodies.

The emphasis of the meeting will be on political development. A political sub-committee will present its recommendations on the next steps needed to turn the council into a territorial legislative body, and the council is expected to devote much of the week’s session to this.

Other political items will be the selection of a territorial flag and dis cussion on areas of legislation and taxation. Economic development is also expected to be thoroughly dis cussed, particularly the new Economic Development Loan Fund which has been set up to encourage small scale local investment. The $4 million special supplement for the Accelerated Education Programme will also be discussed.

A special flight of the Trust Terri tory’s DC4 will carry the High Com missioner, Mr. M. W. Coding, and delegates from the Marshalls, Ponape, Truk, Yap and the Marianas to Koror.

The High Commissioner’s head quarters are on Guam, which is not part of the Trust Territory.

FROM THE ISLANDS: This representative group of Islands people was seen at a recent social gathering of the Polynesian Association, of Sydney. From left: Elizabeth Chang, of Suva, who is now in England furthering her nursing studies; Audrey Moronay, a young Maori from Auckland; Lawrence Little of Lautoka, Fiji, Mrs. Mona Little, of Ba and Suva; Joanne Pamamatau, of Mauke, Cook Islands; and Adi Samanunu Cakobau of Fiji. Reg Wendt from Suva is in front.

i Methodist

tel for Rabaul

.cilities to accommodate 50 girl boy school boarders are pro l in the new Methodist Mission el recently opened at Malaguna,

Lui.

the words of Reverend lan on who assisted at the opening nony which was performed by Mission’s Acting Chairman, Tend J. Sharp, the hostel pro i a “Christian home for boys and of all races and creeds.” i Administration loan plus gener public donation helped build Imposing new hostel on the site he pre-war Methodist Mission tese School. Many prominent icse businessmen of Rabaul who ved their schooling at the old ol assisted in the new building, le original schoolmaster, Mr. mas Mow, has his name per ated in a dining-room of the new el, and a bullet-marked stone i the old school’s gateway has i preserved as a monument at the ance to the hostel. was discovered after the war ngst the shattered remains of the school. One of the last duties etiring Methodist Mission Chair i, Rev. W. Lutton, was the setting i commemorative plaque on the e.

ve to Increase New

arides Copra Production

I. Manciot, an agricultural en er employed by the Institut pour Recherche des Huiles et Oleagi jx, a French organisation specialis in oilseed cultivation and pro tion, arrived in the New Hebrides August to establish a coconut re ch station at Santo, he station will conduct research i methods of improving the yield New Hebrides coconut plantations nly by means of plant selection

and the use of fertilisers. A similar IRHO station already exists at Ran giroa in French Polynesia.

M. Manciot was formerly stationed in the Ivory Coast, West Africa where he conducted similar work for the IRHO.

The day after M. Manciot’s arrival, the SS Winner left Santo for Vene zuela with 3,000 of New Hebrides copra. The copra was worth £A44/10/- a ton to producers de livered at Santo.

Announcement Soon on

Lord Howe's Aviation Future

An announcement is expected in the next two months on whether Lord Howe Island, 436 miles north east of Sydney, is to have an airstrip which may change the island’s whole atmosphere.

An Australian Department of Civil Aviation survey team has reported on four possible sites for an airstrip, and has recommended one particular site.

All the sites would involve using part of the Lord Howe lagoon, which is at present used as a flying-boat alighting area for the twice-weekly service between Sydney and the

island. The service, using Sandring hams, is run by Airlines of NSW.

The flying-boats have restricted take off and landing hours because they can operate only at high water in the lagoon.

Lord Howe Island, which is part of the Australian electorate, is a popular tourist resort —especially for honeymooners—and one of its strongest features is its “get-away from-it-all charm”, made possible by the fact that contact with the main land is restricted to the flying-boats.

Many Lord Howe Islanders believe that if the flying-boats are replaced by land-based aircraft, Lord Howe would lose its greatest attraction.

However, other considerations apply —one of the main ones being that flying-boats are on the way out, and Australia wants to close its Rose Bay base from which the Lord Howe planes operate.

Nevertheless Captain S. C. Middle miss, general manager of Airlines of NSW, said in September that the Sandringhams could be maintained and kept on the run for “at least another 16 years”. Lord Howe has a population of 250 and it depends on tourist money for its income. Tourists are taxed to help pay for the upkeep of the island.

The new hostel at Rabaul.

NEW STORE- When the Cook Islands Trading Company opened its ultra-modern store at Avarua, Rarotonga, recently, hundreds of people including members of the Legislative Assembly were present. Mr. N. Mortimer, general manager of the company, is seen above addressing the crowd. Lower picture shows the interior of the new store. For about a week before the store was opened a 9 ft. diameter, helium-filled balloon anchored by a nylon rope had supported the letters CITC in the wind 340 ft. above the store. Photos: C. Russell.

Fingers Burnt in

Honiara Smokes War

Chinese merchants in Honiara, BSIP, have been undercutting each other so much in selling cigarettes that now they are waving their arms about and complaining that they can’t make a profit on them, says PlM’s Honiara Correspondent.

The same thing happened recently over the retail price of kerosene until bedrock was reached and the buying and selling prices were the same.

The other day, someone finally complained to the BSIP Chamber of Commerce that cartons of 200 cigarettes were selling for £l/6/-, despite an agreement by Chinese merchants at the chamber 12 months ago that the price should be £l/10/-.

The result was that the chamber called a meeting, and the chairman, Mr. A. J. Blum, reminded members of their agreement. Mr. E .V. Lawson said that without a price agreement business was likely to “disintegrate”.

However, one storekeeper said he was not anxious to put his price back to £l/10/- because his regular customers offered him only £l/7/6, and if he did not agree to that price, he lost a lot of other trade.

The meeting then agreed that the head of the Chinese community, Mr.

Lae Yuen Wo, should call a meeting of all storekeepers to discuss whether the price should not be set at £l/10/-. But the indications were that customers and merchants would continue to please themselves.

Western Samoa Has

"Too Many Ministers"

An eagerly-awaited report oi administration of Western Samo; recommended a reduction in number of Government mini from nine to six.

The report was prepared by H. C. Elvins at the invitation o Western Samoa Government an the recommendation of Mr. I Spence, regional representative: South-east Asia of the U Nations Technical Assistance Bo The report says the functionii the present nine ministerial de ments is unrealistic and costli view of Western Samoa’s ecoj and that “a more economical compact administrative machin practicable without loss of efficie The six portfolios recommend* the report are: Prime Min Minister of Finance, Ministei Economic Development, Ministe Public Works and Communicat Minister of Education and Min of Health.

This would eliminate the pr portfolios of Lands, Agriculture: Justice; the present separate port

and Telegraphs would be id Communications and would be Dined with the Works portfolio; the portfolio of Economic De- Dment would be created, le report says the Ministry of lomic Development should func independently of the Ministry of nee “to provide greater scope in inistration in planning a ime and in carrying it out.” mother important recommenda in the report is that secondary :ation should be developed as a priority “to provide the Samoan inistrators and technicians of the re”. lr. Elvins says his general impres is that the standard of the Pub- Service is poor, mainly because ials have insufficient education lack supervision. [e says it will be impracticable to i Samoans for executive positions as technicians in the Public Ser until boys and girls completing full secondary school course are liable.

w Guinea Company

auilds in Rabaul

ffter the removal of 600 tons of Crete from the site of their former ngo Avenue retail store, Rabaul’s v Guinea Company branch has / begun building a new £240,000 k store, display rooms and show ms.

'he buildings will replace the re store which was burned down December, 1961, and will occupy render site in the town’s shopping a. [he company has announced it has intention of re-entering the retail le. Disappointed citizens claim haul has plenty of room for a d major retail store, iarly in August 13 long wooden es of 22 gauge galvanised iron p-Lok roofing arrived by ship for new store.

In lengths of 62 and 69 ft, the cases posed a problem of delivery from the wharf to the building site, but it was ingeniously solved by the New Britain Transport Service which used a train of wharf trolleys, and a Ferguson tractor to make the shift.

Later, when the roof supports went up to their full height, workmen erected a banana palm in the roof— following an old tradition of erecting a tree when a roof goes to its full height.

Nauruan Basic

Wage Goes Up

A substantial increase in the basic wage on Nauru was announced in September, The wage will rise from £6/4/7 a week to £9/6/6 and be paid retrospective to June. In addition there will be dependants’ allowances for school-age childen of 10/- a week for the first two, and 15/- for the third and subsequent.

The increase follows a basic wage inquiry earlier this year before a Commissioner, Mr. W. Wilson. The Nauruans asked for a weekly basic wage of £ll/4/7, plus a dependants’ allowance of 30/- a week for the third and subsequent child (and nothing for the first two).

The new wage is the one recom mended by the Commissioner, who said that the dependants’ allowance should be paid as a form of social services by the Administration. Mr.

Wilson also proposed that wages should be reviewed regularly—the next review being in three years (the last review had been in 1953).

The Nauruan basic wage, while technically fixed for Administration staff, in reality sets the standard on the island. The Nauruan Workers Organisation brought a union advocate, Mr. W. A. Baker, from Australia to present its case.

Gusap Joins the

Racing Fraternity

Thirty-five horses, the largest num ber ever gathered for a New Guinea race meeting, were at Gusap in Sep tember for the first annual Gusap Picnic Race Meeting, at the Gusap airstrip.

There was a nine-race programme, and nine horses started in the Gusap Cup, the main race of the day. The horses were drawn from Gusap, Dumpu and Arona.

Seven DC3’s from Port Moresby, Madang, Lae, Kainantu and Goroka, and many cars, brought about 400 visitors to the race meeting.

[?]rkmen prepare to on the roofing of New Guinea [?]mpany's new store Rabaul. Note the

[?]ana palm—an old

tradition.

There were plenty of curious onlookers and almost a traffic jam in Rabaul's Mango Avenue when this load of Klip-Lok roofing material jinkered its way to the New Guinea Company's building site.