Letters

Air Melanesia

For the record I wish to correct your article “Good Start for Air Melanesia”, (PIM, Feb., p. 102).

Air Melanesia is a consortium between New Hebrides Airways and UTA’s wholly-owned subsidiary SFAH, not a Qantas/NHAL venture.

The confusion is probably caused by the fact that Qantas purchased a large shareholding in NHAL and provide management and advisers, BOAC and Burns Philp also have large shareholdings along with the original shareholders. The consortium is run by a joint management com mittee consisting of representatives from NHAL and UTA/SFAH, with joint chairmen Mr. C. D. Ritchie of Qantas and Mr. Guy Le Boles of

Uta.

In spite of its complicated and cosmopolitan structure it is a most cordial arrangement.

R. U. Paul,

Chairman of Directors NHAL.

Vila, New Hebrides.

Spc And The Forum

Congratulations on Up Front February PIM on the 25th anni versary of the South Pacific Com mission. It is a very fair statement; even the criticism could have been stronger. I like your acknowledge ment that it has stood its time test, whatever the short-comings, and I have been in a position to see them both first-hand and from outside.

In its doldrums and crises I also have pointed to the fact that it has survived because it has been needed.

You clearly see a future for it; so do I, perhaps in no very long time in some association with the forum as the latter grows more widely regional with the up-coming of full self-government or independence in other territories. I have written else where of the seminal role of your founder, Robbie.

Best regards to PIM.

W. D. Forsyth

Canberra.

Bronislaw Malinowski

I am engaged in working on a biography of my father, the late anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, and I wonder if any of your readers can help me.

I am looking for any letters or documents to or from Malinowski, or referring to him, at any time of

(Continued next page)

his life but especially during the period he was in Australia and doing his field work in Papua and the Trobriand Islands. The years in question are 1914-20. I would also like to hear from anyone who might have met him, or might have heard about him from others who new him personally.

Any papers entrusted to me would, of course, be kept carefully and returned by registered mail.

Helena Burke.

19 Wynnstay Gardens, Allen Street, London W.B.

The Soft Sell

PlM’s January story on Islands agent Charlie Sullivan prompted John Stephens of this town (uncle of the Jimmy Stephens of Nagriamel) to recall one of Charlie’s earliest selling techniques.

The old Polynesie, in which Charlie made frequent visits to the New Hebrides, kept an excellent table, and when at anchor in Segond Channel in Santo the ship was alive with planters enjoying the change of scenery. It was Charlie’s custom at table to send the fine French food away and have the steward bring up one of his sample tins of bully beef, which he would them proceed to eat in front of the assembled gathering with great

relish!

Ken Hutton.

Santo, New Hebrides.

Railway History

I am engaged in compiling a brief history of New Caledonia’s Noumea- Paita railway. 1 should be most pleased to hear from any person with information of this railway, includ ing in particular persons with photo graphs or personal recollections of it.

H. Rennie

Box 3467, Wellington, NZ.