The Editors' Mailbag

Roll-0N Ships

Sir, —We have read with interest March PIM (p. 107) referring to the proposed bow-loading roll-on-roll-off vessel for service in Papua-New Guinea.

We wish to inform you that the bow-loading vessel MV King Islander has been in operation in the Bass Strait trade for 32 months, and is the first vessel of her kind to operate on the Australian coast.

We understand that the Australian Ship Building Board made plans of King Islander available to Karlander Line in order that they could follow the design for the vessel they now propose for the New Guinea coast.

A. M. Johnson,

Manager.

R. H. Houfe and Co. Pty. Ltd,, Melbourne, Vic.

Recollections After

"Queen Emma"

Sir, —I have read R. W. Robson’s book Queen Emma [published by Pacific Publications, $A3.75] right through, staying up until 3 a.m. (with refreshments, of course). Reading it took my memory back a long way, to the three months I spent in Rabaul in early 1928, waiting for a ship to take four of us to Vanikoro, in the Solomons, which is quite a story in itself!

I had travelled up to Rabaul on the old Marsina with some rather distinguished passengers Walter Carpenter, before he became Sir Walter, a Judge Shillenboom (who died in Rabaul later), and Bert Moody the aviator, with Sgt. Ward as his mechanic (the latter was with Ross Smith on his flight from Eng land), who had their plane on board.

There was also an elderly Samoan lady who impressed everyone with her charm, heavily built like most Samoans, and with all her fingers covered with beautiful diamond rings. She could perhaps have been one of Queen Emma’s sisters. Also on board was a very nice young lad about 18, Bertig Parkinson, Later on he took us down to meet his mother on their plantation along the Kokopo Road.

She was a tall, elegant woman, with an Eton bob, and an 18 in. cigarette holder. She entertained us new chums royally, but the interest ing part was that she showed me

those famous books that her father, Dr. Parkinson, had written. There were several volumes, bound in calf, and all in German of course.

I stayed in old Ching King’s hotel in Rabaul, and on the opposite corner was Ah Chee’s well-known pub. Both gone when Rabaul was wiped out during the last war.

There were quite a lot of characters around there in those days. I remember a very fat German named Parsch, who stood about five feet tall and weighed some 300 lb. He had an old car, one of the two in Rabaul at that time, and when he stepped on the running board to get in the thing would give a dismal groan and sink to the roadway.

It all comes back—with many other memories—after reading Queen Emma.

Doug Askew

Samarai, Papua

Fanning Island £1 Note

Sir, —Your story on p. 55 of the February PIM about the Fanning Islands Plantations Ltd. £1 note was of particular interest to me.

A friend in the United States has sent me a list of the owners of specimens of this note and there are about 20 in the US collections. Also, Mr. Palmer, of Fanning Island, has a couple.

The two you mention have now been added to my records. I have a coloured slide of a specimen but do not have the note.

I hope to publish a catalogue of Australian notes, 1910-1966, and would like to illustrate the note be cause of its interesting connection with Australian issues.

S. V. Hagley

20 Garden Avenue, Beaumont, South Australia

Decimal Currency

Sir, —I was interested to read in your March issue (p. 12) that six South Pacific territories, including the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, had adopted decimal currency on February 14, simultaneously with Australia.

This, however, is not the first time that decimal currency has been used in the Gilberts, for during the period that I was trading there as super cargo for Burns Philp & Co, Ltd., viz, 1902-1914, all business, with the

exception of that done with the Resident Commissioner and his staff, was done in terms of dollars and cents.

Four shillings were accepted as one dollar. It was simplicity itself. One shilling equalled 25c, 2/- was 50c and 4/- equalled one dollar. At my personal request the company obtained for me some hundreds of pounds in 4/- pieces, or double florins.

While talking about money, it might also interest readers to know that the Australian New Hebrides Company had their own bank notes and postage stamps. Burns Philp bought the ANH Co. in, I think, 1901. Burns Philp also had their own £5 and £1 notes, and they were sent to the Gilbert & Ellice Group when sovereigns were withdrawn from circulation in 1914, in the early part of World War I.

Neville Chatfield

Killara, NSW

Discrimination In Bsip

Sir, —The article “New Cash, New Owners, But The Same Old Policy for Honiara’s Mendana” {PIM, March, p. 125) was read with great interest not only by myself, but by many others who are deeply con cerned with this problem. [The article outlined the views of the managing director of the Hotel Mendana, Mr.

Ken Dalrymple-Hay, who won’t allow Solomon Islanders to drink in the hotel’s lounge or have accom modation]. We refer particularly to the comment of the New Guinea people who say, “Thank God you have enough guts to keep out the rabble!”

We wish to go on record as say ing that this policy does not reflect the opinion of the majority of the people of Honiara. Many here are dedicated to developing the Solomon Islanders to first-class citizenship and do not consider them as rabble.

If any of the Islanders come to Honiara, including the Nauruans, there will be a place for them. “The earth is one country and mankind its citizens”.

Alvin J. Blum

Honiara, BSIP.

Kingsmill Islands

Sir, —As you probably know, the southern islands in the group now known as the Gilbert Islands were once lumped together under the name of Kingsmill Islands. Why?

Despite a lot of research, all I have managed to learn is that the name goes back to the early days of last century. Can anyone help?

J. G. Peters

Parramatta, NSW.