Speaker, Name Change For Legco

From Judy Tudor in Port Moresby The Papua-New Guinea Legislative Council should have its name changed to House of Assembly following the new Council elections in 1964. The new legislature should have an elected Speaker instead of the P-NG Administrator as ex-efficio president, as at present.

THESE are some of the recom mendations made in a second interim report tabled in the P-NG Legislative Council on February 27 by the Select Committee on Political Development. The committee was set up last year. The recommendations for political development it made then have already been accepted by the Commonwealth Government.

The committee’s report delineates 44 open electorates and 10 reserved electorates for the 1964 elections.

Voting age would be 18 and over, voting would be by secret ballot, and elections held every four years, the report proposes.

Reserved electorates (for non indigenous members) would be West Papua, Port Moresby, East Papua, the Northern Markham, Madang- Sepik, the Highlands, New Guinea Islands, New Britain, and Rabaul.

The Council accepted the report, which will be sent to the Miinster.

A Night at the Ballet

Not often do islanders have the opportunity of being entertained by a prima ballerina of world fame in their home town, but Rabaul, New Guinea, in February enjoyed watching Miss Elaine Fifield, formerly of Sadlers Wells, in scenes from ballet. Miss Fifield is a Territorian —wife of planter Les Farley of Cape Rodney, Papua. She appeared in a concert at Rabaul's new RSL hall to raise funds for the P-NG Girl Guides Association. Here she is shown after a scene from "Les Sylphides" with Geoff Absalom, who at another stage played Dr. Coppelius to her Coppelia.—Photo: C. H. Meen.