Mr. W. J. Bloomfield

Mr. William John Bloomfield, member of the Papua-New Guinea House of Assembly for Kaindi Open Electorate, died in a Brisbane hospital on February 12. A widower, Mr.

Bloomfield was 53.

Mr. Bloomfield was born in the Cooktown district of Queensland. He worked as a driller in many mining areas of Australia before making his home in the Morobe District of New Guinea where he became a well-known personality.

He worked for several years at Wau as a driller and tester and was a former representative of the Wau branch of the Public Service Associa tion.

Bill Bloomfield—he was never known as William—was a shrewd politician, with a great regard for the New Guineans of his area, who fre quently turned to “Masta Bill” for advice.

He campaigned for the 1964 elections on the basis that he could not be elected on a straight count but would win on the preferences.

He campaigned widely with the aid of tape recordings of speeches in English and Pidgin. At a village meeting a local interpreter would translate the tape into the local language.

In the House, Bill Bloomfield spoke infrequently but always to the point, and could be depended upon to take a strong view on what he regarded as matters of principle.

He was a defender of the under dog, and gathered around him in the House a growing group of New Guinean members who saw in him experienced and wise leadership during the formative years of the House. The problems the House will have to face will be made more difficult for the remainder of this session because of the untimely death of Bill Bloomfield after almost 20 years in the Territory.

A by-election for Kaindi will be held in July.

Mr. H. E. Snell Mr. Harold Emley Snell, chairman of Morris Hedstrom Ltd., Fiji, and a director of W. R. Carpenter Hold ings Ltd., died on February 24, aged 78.

He had a noted career in both the Fiji Civil Service and the com mercial life of the Colony, Mr. Snell graduated as Bachelor of Arts from Wadham College, Oxford, before joining the Colonial Service in Fiji shortly before World

War I. While in that service he became a District Commissioner (Western) and a magistrate.

He entered private enterprise in 1921 as a branch inspector for Morris Hedstrom; became secretary of that firm in 1925; and in 1937 was appointed general manager and secretary. Ten years later, in 1947, he became managing director.

Morris Hedstrom’s made steady progress under his guidance, and in 1956 he saw that firm accept an offer, then worth 5A5.4 million on the market, from W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd.

Mr. Snell remained at the helm of Morris Hedstrom’s after the take over, and joined the Carpenter board. In 1957, when W. R.

Carpenter Holdings Ltd. came into existence, he became a member of the board of that company.

Between the takeover and his death Mr. Snell piloted Morris Hedstrom’s in a big expansion move in Suva, and he also saw a new store built at Ba to replace one destroyed by fire.

There was also expansion in other areas of Fiji and in Samoa and Tonga.

He is survived by two sons—John 8., London; and Harold, a student at King’s College, Otahuhu, New Zealand.

Rev. Father Boileau The death occurred in Noumea in mid-February after a long illness of the Rev. Father Boileau, who was in charge of Noumea cathedral for many years.

He was born in France in 1874 and took his vows in 1899. As Father Boileau he arrived in New Caledonia in 1901, and served the Catholic Church in many capacities for 57 years.

Captain C. A. Stokes Captain C. A. Stokes, Supervisor of Fiji’s Coconut Pests and Diseases Board, died in Suva recently. He was in charge of the campaign against the rhinoceros beetle.

Captain Stokes, who was 71. studied languages at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, later went to Sandhurst and subsequently joined British Intelligence. He served in Persia, was in Russia during the revolution and was a major in the Bengal Lancers. He was mentioned in dispatches several times and was invalided out of the Army with the substantive rank of captain after being injured.

He moved to Fiji shortly after World War I.

Mr. E. Twysden Forbes Mr. E. Twysden Forbes, a well known Norfolk Island resident, died on February 9, at the age of 63.

Misieli Ramacake Misieli Ramacake, one of the first Fijians to play Rugby football, died at Tamavua, near Suva, in February, aged 74.

His daughter. Ana Ramacake. is one of the outstanding athletes in the South Pacific.

Mr. L. Palmer Mr. Len Palmer, formerly in charge of the Overseas Tele communications Commission in Rabaul, died in Leura, NSW. late in January, aged 65, He was in the Territory for 17 years, and retired in March. 1965.

Vani Aditukana Vani Aditukana, who died in Fiji on February 2, was the widow of Methodist missionary. the Rev.

Aminisitai Tora.

They started their ministry work together in 1913 and retired in 1941.

The Rev. Aminisitai died in 1949, after which his widow carried on the church work they had done together.

Mr. L. Lyndon Mr. Laurie Lyndon, trader in the Chimbu district, New Guinea, died early in February, aged 69.

He lived in the Highlands for many years, and was associated with the construction of the road between Goroka and Kundiawa, and also many of the roads in the Chimbu district.

He leaves a widow and a daughter.

Mr. H. Tennant Mr. Harry Tennant, who lived in Fiji from 1951 to 1965, died in New Zealand in February, aged 59.

He went to Fiji as chief inspector for the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd., and in 1959 he set up business in Suva as a com mission agent.

Mr. Tennant leaves a widow and a son.

Mr. J. S. L Bell Mr. John Selwyn Lyndon Bell, who was in Fiji for two terms with the Bank of New Zealand, died at Martinborough, NZ, on February 23 after a heart attack.

On his first tour of duty he was at Suva, from 1938, till just after World War 11.

He returned to the Colony in 1952 as manager of the Bank of NZ at Labasa, and he went back to NZ in 1956.