Pacific islands monthly : PIM

Call Number
N 919 PAC
Created/Published
[Sydney : Pacific Publications, 1931-2000
Issue
Vol. 2 No. 2 (Sep. 25, 1931)
Images
18
View Catalogue

Contents

Pacific Islands Monthly 1
N.G. PLANTERS MEET Year’s Work Reviewed 1
Advertising 1
COPRA TAX Reduced to 7/6 per ton MORE RELIEF FOR N.G. PLANTERS 1
First Edie Greek Wedding 1
N.G. Patrol Attacked Near Morobe Goldfields 1
RUBBER’S FALL From 12/- to 3d. per lb. in 20 Years SERIOUS OVER-SUPPLY 1
NORFOLK ISLAND FARCE “Outing” Undesirables A BREWER WHO SPOKE FRENCH 1
PILOT TRIST Body Brought to Sydney 1
B.P. SERVICES Another Revision NEW GUINEA AND PAPUA AGAIN 1
Advertising 2
Dunkirk-Noumea Ships Adherence to Present Schedule Good News for Tahiti 2
THE CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO Scheme For Levuka 2
Advertising 2
BULOLO’S PROGRESS Shown on Films Mr. Waterhouse’s Enterprise 2
New Caledonia PARLIAMENT OPENED TONKINESE REPATRIATED LIGHT FOR NOUMEA 2
UNILEVER COMBINE And Prices of Raw Materials 2
Advertising 2
PAPUAN GOLD Some Promising Shows RESULT O F MISIMA CRUSHINGS 3
PIONEER MISSIONARY’S DEATH 3
Advertising 3
LONELY HILLTOP Historic Graves PLEA FOR A MEMORIAL 3
THE GRAVES ON ALBANY ISLAND 3
DAY DAWN’S GOLD Result of First Crushing 3
Advertising 3 , 4
FIJI CONDITIONS Lower Costs and Cheaper Labour EXCHANGE HELPS AUSTRALIAN EXPORTERS 4
THE NEW HEBRIDES EXCHANGE Planters’ Difficulties COIN MAY NOW BE SHIPPED 4
P.A.T. CO.’S NEW FOKKER 4
INFANT NATIVE WELFARE American Woman’s Fine Work In Fiji 4
Advertising 4
Legislative Council Sought for New Guinea ACTION REQUIRED 5
Advertising 5
GOLDFIELDS AERIAL SERVICE 5
BOTANIST’S WORK ON BOUGAINVILLE 5
PACIFIC ISLANDS YEAR BOOK READY NEXT MONTH 5
BULOLO’S PROGRESS Success of Plane Transport 5
Advertising 5 , 6
EASTERN POLYNESIA Visit of N.Z. Flagship—Raiatea’s Firewalkers 6
LOST FISHERMEN Cook Islands Incident 6
MRS. W. CADZOW Death of Estimable T.I. Resident 6
Advertising 6
COOK ISLANDS Shipping Movements for Month 7
Advertising 7
MARKHAM VALLEY Rich Undeveloped Agricultural Region in New Guinea 7
Advertising 7
Pacific Islands Monthly 8
SOUTH SEAS PIRATES 8
TROPICALITIES 8
TROCHUS SHELL Regulating the Industry 8
General Wisdom Report That He May Retire Difficult Post to Fill 8
SECTARIAN RIVALRY IN PAPUA 8
In and About the Islands 8
New Crops for the Islands Castor Seed’s Strong Claim INCREASING DEMAND FOR VALUABLE LUBRICANT 9
’FLU IN N.G. Heavy Toll on Goldfields WORK HELD UP 9
New Caledonian Cattle Numbers Increasing FREEZING OR CANNING? 9
SISAL HEMP Papuan Undertakings EARLY EXTENSION AT TAVAI 9
N.G. Stamps in Demand Sales Realise£20,000 9
DEVELOPMENT In New Caledonia IMMIGRATION FROM FRANCE LIKELY 9
SULLEN SAMOA But Not Hostile to General Hart Mau Prepares Another Petition 9
Advertising 10
TAMING PAPUA Slow But Steady Progress Tribes Mixing Freely Under White Protection 10
Death of Rev. H. H. Nolan 10
SAMOAN RACIAL PURITY Chinese and Melanesian Admixture A GROWING PROBLEM 10
T. I. SHIPPING Dearth of Passenger Steamers 10
Advertising 10
News from Norfolk Island Shipping Services and the Disappointing Tourist Traffic 11
Advertising 11
Murderer Returns Home Despite Administration’s Promise N.G.’S PROTEST 11
AFRICAN PALM OIL Mills Close Down 11
Advertising 11 , 12
SUCCESS OF JAVA RICE FACE POWDER 12
POSITION WANTED 12
NEW GUINEA NEWS Popular Returned Soldiers’ President—Mrs. Wisdom Leaves tor Sydney 12
Tung Oil Culture Success in New Zealand BRITISH FIRMS INTERESTED 12
SIX MORE MURDERS By Domara Natives Effect of Death Sentence Commutation ? 12
EXCHANGE Sterling Off Gold Standard WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SOUTH SEAS? 12
Advertising 12
T.I.'s Tourist Trade More “Boosting” Wanted 13
Administrative Changes in Cook Islands 13
Advertising 13
EXTINCTION OF WHALES Enormous Over-Production of Whale Oil Must Soon End 13
RATS WORRY PENRHYN 13
Advertising 13 , 14
English Vegetables Thrive in Torres Straits 14
GROWTH OF MOROBE Population Exceeds Madang and Kavieng IMPETUS OF GOLD MINING 14
THURSDAY IS. NOTES Electric Light This Month—Shell Industry Quiet 14
Advertising 14
PAPUAN NOTES All Industry Quiet—Experiments with Castor Seeds and Tobacco—Distress Among Natives 15
Advertising 15
Too Good to be True Millions for Papua Imperial Sugar Go.’s Great Plan 15
Advertising 15 , 16
NEWSLETTER FROM FIJI 16
Papuan Affairs Natives’ Realisation of Position 16
Broadcasts for Islands New A.W.A. Service 16
Advertising 16
PRODUCTS OF THE SOUTH SEAS Prospects of the Copra Market 17
Exchange Quotations 17
Advertising 17
Market Quotations Range of Prices 17
OTHER ISLANDS PRODUCE. 17
N.G. Goldfields Ltd. Progress for August ’Flu Hinders Work 17
Advertising 17
Shipping Services in The Pacific 18
Advertising 18
GOLD SEEKERS IN FIJI 18
ANZAC DESIRES PEN-FRIENDS 18
Advertising 18

Text

Pacific Islands  

Monthly  

THE ONLY JOURNAL CIRCULATING THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND TERRITORIES AND GROUPS  

OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH PACIFIC.  

Vol. 2—No. 2.  

Registered at G.P.O., Sydney, for  

transmission by Post as Newspaper  

SYDNEY; FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 193  

Subscriptiions  

Single Copy, Bd.  

Per Annum, pooled, 0/-.  

N.G. PLANTERS MEET  

Year’s Work Reviewed  

From Our Own Correspondent  

RABAUL, August 30.  

THE Council of the Planters and  

Traders’ Association of New  

Guinea held its annual general  

meeting last month, when very satis  

factory report was submitted.  

The Association was founded in 1927  

and now has membership of 84  

planters.  

The Council decided, in view of the  

unprecedented depression through  

which the copra industry is passing, to  

reduce the annual subscription to  

£3/3/-, and the entrance fee to £2/2/-.  

The Association continues to perform  

very useful work on behalf of the  

planting community, and has been in  

strumental in securing, in conjunction  

with the R.S.S.I.L.A., the suspension  

of payments on plantations purchased  

from the Custodian of Expropriated  

Properties.  

COPRA TAX  

Reduced to 7/6 per ton  

MORE RELIEF FOR N.G.  

PLANTERS  

IT was announced on September 22  

that the Federal Cabinet had ap  

proved of reduction of the Copra  

Export Tax in the Mandated Territory  

of New Guinea, from 15/- per ton to  

7/6 per ton.  

No further particulars are available.  

It is assumed, however, that the tax  

will remain at the lower figure so long  

as the European quotation for copra  

is at an unprofitable level—which, with  

the Australian exchange at 30 per cent.,  

is anything under £12 per ton c.i.f.  

There has been no indication as yet  

of how the New Guinea Administra  

tion proposes to compensate itself for  

this loss of revenue. The tax was for  

merly 25/- per ton; but during the past  

year, there were two reductions of 5/-  

each. The third fall, of 7/6 per ton,  

represents to the Administration loss  

of revenue equal to 17/6 per ton on all  

copra exported—a very important con  

sideration in the present difficult eco  

nomic conditions.  

It became known during the past  

month that the Administration offi  

cials had suggested to Canberra the  

refund of the export duty in necessit  

ous cases only. The purpose of the  

plan, no doubt, was praiseworthy; but  

when those primarily concerned got  

down to an examination of the meth  

ods to be employed, many serious  

objections arose. Who was to decide  

which were necessitous cases? Was  

the provident planter, who had built  

up reserve for rainy day, to be  

penalised by having to pay the tax  

while the improvident planter, who  

could be classed as “necessitous,” was  

given special relief? However, the Can  

berra authorities soon decided that  

discriminatory application of this form  

of relief was quite impracticable and  

the plan was abandoned.  

Both the Planters and Traders’ As  

sociation of New Guinea, and the Re  

turned Soldiers’ organisation, made  

very strong representations to the Fed  

eral Government. The matter was  

handled personally by Mr. Chifley, the  

Minister who assists the Prime Minis  

ter by attending to Pacific Islands  

affairs. Mr. Chifley has, during his  

period of office, dealt most sympath  

etically with requests from the Pacific  

Islands arising out of the present diffi  

cult economic conditions; and has  

displayed comprehensive knowledge  

of Pacific territories’ requirements  

generally. His prompt decision in re  

gard to the Export Tax will be much  

appreciated.  

First Edie Greek Wedding  

THE first wedding to be celebrated  

on Edie Creek, New Guinea gold  

fields, took place early in August  

when Mr. H. A. Bodger, accountant on  

the Edie Creek section, for New Guinea  

Goldfields Ltd., was married to Miss  

Edith Bennett, niece of Mr. V. L. New  

berry, manager of the Day Dawn mine.  

Rev. F. Hughes, of Rabaul, performed  

the ceremony.  

N.G. Patrol Attacked  

Near Morobe Goldfields  

REPORT has reached Canberra  

that New Guinea police patrol  

has been attacked by natives in  

the Upper Markham River district,  

which is near the Morobe goldfields  

The patrol officer, Mr. H. L. Downing,  

was wounded in the thigh by an arrow  

and native policeman was seriously  

wounded.  

Police reinforcements have been des  

patched to the locality.  

RUBBER’S FALL  

From 12/- to 3d. per lb. in  

20 Years  

SERIOUS OVER-SUPPLY  

Rubber, once regarded as the magic  

talisman to the wealth of the East, has  

been deprived of all its glamour. From  

price of 12/- per lb. in 1910, it has  

now reached the record low figure of  

3½d. per lb. for Para and 2½d. for plan  

tation smoked.  

This essential product has during the  

past 20 years fluctuated remarkably. At  

one time its cultivation was held to be  

means of quickly acquiring great  

wealth, and investment in reputable  

rubber companies was much sought  

after. The price, after reaching its  

peak in 1910, dropped during the  

war, and, after the war period, declined  

even more rapidly until crepe rubber  

fell to 6d. and Para to 6d. per lb. In  

1922, the average price was 6¾d. per lb.  

Then Lord Stevenson’s scheme, in  

volving voluntary restriction of out  

put, was agreed to by most of the  

growers in the British Empire. The  

price rose to 4/8 per lb. by 1925. The  

Stevenson scheme, however, had to be  

suddenly abandoned in 1928, owing to  

the Dutch expansion of planting and  

output. From that year the price has  

gradually declined to its present de  

pressed level.  

POSITION IN THE PACIFIC  

The main groups in the Pacific where  

rubber is being cultivated, are Papua  

—which has over 9,000 acres planted—  

Fiji, Western Samoa, and the British  

Solomons.  

When the price fell to 9½d. in London  

in 1929, it was officially stated in Fiji  

that it did not pay planters there to  

tap their trees.  

Nevertheless production continued in  

Fiji on small scale and, for 1929,  

6,855 lbs. »were exported. Exports for  

previous years were:  

1922 9,142 lbs.  

1923 89,753 lbs.  

1924 159,995 lbs.  

1925 144,313 lbs.  

1926 233.999 lbs.  

1927 221,238 lbs.  

1928 94,661 lbs.  

Exports from Western Samoa for  

1930 were 116 tons, valued at £9,655, as  

compared with 167 tons, valued at  

£17,268. for 1928.  

Papua’s annual production has re  

mained around 600 tons during the  

past five years. The exports, which  

in 1925 were valued at nearly £200,000,  

were last year worth only £50,000.  

Planters in the Territory seem to con  

sider 7d. per lb. almost sufficient to  

cover out of pocket expenses. There  

fore when the price continued its down  

ward trend past this figure, many con  

templated closing down.  

Towards the end of last year the  

Australian Government imposed duty  

of 4d. per lb. on all foreign rubber  

entering the Commonwealth. This,  

giving as it did definite preference  

to rubber produced in Papua, allowed  

tapping to continue there.  

The future of rubber remains ob  

scure. Restriction of output through  

out the world is undoubtedly necessary.  

As stated in London trade report  

couple of months ago, the only scheme  

of restriction that has chance of  

being of any use is an international  

one. It would have to adjust supply  

to demand and allow the price to  

adjust itself.  

It has been estimated that the world  

consumption of rubber for 1931 would  

show decrease of nearly 100,000 tons  

on the previous year.  

NORFOLK ISLAND  

FARCE  

“Outing” Undesirables  

BREWER WHO SPOKE  

FRENCH  

From Our Own Correspondent  

NORFOLK IS., August 20.  

WE have recently instituted new  

means of getting rid of undesir  

ables, of whom, naturally, we  

have our share.  

This method appears to be strictly  

legal, but leaves nasty, unsport  

ing flavour in our mouths. Frankly  

almost without exception this commun  

ity wishes that other steps might be  

taken when the deportation of British  

subjects from British territory is  

deemed necessary.  

month or two ago, gentleman  

with no financial resources, inspired  

with laudable desire not to come upon  

the parish, so to speak, brewed and  

sold mild, illicit beer; and was de  

clared an “undesirable” within the  

meaning of the Act.  

To facilitate his expulsion he was  

called before the headmaster of the  

local State School, who holds uni  

versity degrees, and required to pass  

language test in French. Unfortun  

ately, French appears to be more  

widely known among this class of de  

linquent than was imagined. The can  

didate passed with flying colours and  

is still upon the island, employed more  

honourably nowadays with mattock  

and hoe.  

Last week, another nominee for  

free passage westward was put through  

Danish test —he might have known  

French! —at the hands of Danish  

settler, with Government officials seated  

by to see foul play.  

This entrant naturally made no at  

tempt to cope with language that  

he was probably hearing for the first  

time in his life; and, with his wife  

and three children, he leaves us by this  

Sydney-bound Morinda. Two nights  

ago he was the guest of honour of  

hastily arranged public farewell at the  

Rawson Hall. All his friends attended.  

PILOT TRIST  

Body Brought to Sydney  

THE remains of Pilot L. J. Trist,  

who was killed when the aero  

plane he was flying crashed near  

Wampit, New Guinea goldfields, while  

engaged on the goldfields transport  

service, were brought to Sydney from  

Salamoa, by the Macdhui, on Septem  

ber 18.  

The funeral, which was largely  

attended, was held on the following  

day, at Waverley Cemetery.  

B.P. SERVICES  

Another Revision  

NEW GUINEA AND  

PAPUA AGAIN  

CONVERSATIONS have been  

proceeding during the whole of  

the past month, between the Federal  

Government and Messrs. Burns,  

Philp and Co. Ltd., contractors for  

the Pacific Islands mail and passen  

ger services, with reference to  

further rearrangements.  

general revision was brought into  

effect only recently; but the effects of  

the depression have been so severe that  

passenger and freight traffic has  

shrunk below even the most pessim  

istic forecast, and the shipping com  

pany’s earnings have suffered accord  

ingly. The position became so serious  

that, as indicated in last month’s issue,  

further revision has become necessary.  

The Federal Government has finally  

approved of the rearrangement of the  

Sydney-Norfoik Island-New Hebrides-  

Auckland service, carried out by the  

Morinda, and the new timetable is  

published on page 18 of this issue. It  

will be noted that the Morinda will  

leave Sydney every five weeks on the  

following schedule: Sydney-Norfoik  

Island-New Hebrides-Norfolk Island-  

Auckland-Norfolk Island-Sydney.  

It will be noted that an important  

development referred to in the August  

issue—namely, the inclusion of Noumea  

as port of call in this service—has  

not taken place. It appears that  

several considerations enter into this  

proposal, the effect of which has been  

that the company has decided to  

hasten slowly. It can be stated, how  

ever, that the Noumea extension is  

still under consideration and will  

almost certainly be included in the  

Morinda’s service when various difficul  

ties, which now present themselves,  

have been cleared away.  

The Federal authorities still have  

under consideration the rearrangement  

of the Papuan and New Guinea ser  

vices. These, at present, are carried  

out by three ships—the Macdhui, the  

Mataram and the Marsina. The traf  

fic has sadly decreased; and, at the  

same time, the residents of the various  

Territories are crying out for cheaper  

fares and freights, while the Federal  

Government wants to reduce the sub  

sidy.  

The company has pointed out that  

all this is impossible so long as it is  

necessary to carry on these services  

with three steamers, but it is under  

stood that the company has advised  

the Government that, if the New  

Guinea and Papuan services are com  

bined so as to permit the discontinu  

ance of one steamer, it may be pos  

sible to reduce fares and freights and  

carry on on smaller subsidy.  

There are very many points to be  

considered in connection with these  

services. If ships going to and from  

(New Guinea are also to work the  

Papuan ports, it means that two or  

three days will be added to the voy  

ages. That does not seem to matter  

very much to Papua, which will be the  

first Territory to be called at and the  

last to be left; but it does matter to  

the New Guinea Administration, which  

must make correspondingly larger pro  

vision for travelling expenses of its  

numerous officials between Sydney and  

the Territory. One objection from  

Papua is the fear that, under such an  

arrangement, New Guinea will get the  

best of the available accommodation.  

There is also difficulty about working  

the ports in the groups east of Papua,  

which have no medical officers to give  

pratique to through ships.  

These are some of the numerous  

points with which the Federal officials  

and Messrs. Burns,. Philp and Co. are  

now wrestling, in an attempt to re  

arrange the northern islands services,  

and at the same time maintain effi  

ciency.  

decision, it is expected, will be  

reached within the next few weeks.  

Native Rubber-tapper at work  

in Papua.  

IMPERIAL  

RESIDENTIAL HOTEL  

(No License)  

221 DARLINGHURST RD., KING’S CROSS  

SYDNEY, N.S.W.  

FULL BOARD AND RESIDENCE:  

Weekly, from 45/- to 63/-. Daily, 10/-  

Management Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Edwards  

Signora TOTI DAL MONTE  

The brilliant prime donna writes  

"It is with real pleasure that  

write to you of my preference for  

your creme 'mercolized.’ use it  

every day with real delight as it  

does so much to keep the complexion  

good.”  

Let the clear beauty ol your skin  

prove the worth of wonderful  

mercolized wax. Use daily. It doesn’t  

grow hair. 2/6 and 5/6, chemists  

and stores. Highly recommended  

tor sunburn and freckles.  

609  

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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-337686998

APA citation

(1931). Pacific islands monthly : PIM Retrieved January 25, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-337686998

MLA citation

Pacific islands monthly : PIM [Sydney: Pacific Publications, 1931. Web. 25 January 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-337686998>

Harvard/Australian citation

1931, Pacific islands monthly : PIM Pacific Publications, [Sydney viewed 25 January 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-337686998

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  |
  | title=Pacific islands monthly : PIM.
  | year=1931
  | section=v. : illustrations ; 28-42 cm.
  | issn=0030-8722
  | issue=Vol. 2 No. 2 (Sep. 25, 1931)
  | location=[Sydney
  | publisher=Pacific Publications
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-337686998
  | id=nla.obj-337686998
  | access-date=25 January 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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