Papuan News

Copra Position Improves - Promising Sugar Crop

From Our Own Correspondent.

Port Moresby, April 16.

THERE is little to report in con nection with the Territory’s com merce. Rubber and copra remain about the same, though there is more activity in the sales of copra, owing to the favourable rate of exchange on London.

Planters and traders are sending in their available copra at every oppor tunity, and there is some activity and competition for freights from rival firms. Freight charges have been cut, and this has benefited the planters a little.

When possible, all copra is being shipped direct to European ports by steamers under the agency of Burns.

Philp & Co. The Parracombe arrived on March 29 and took a full comple ment of cargo. The storekeepers here arrange to give both to themselves and their customers the benefit of the rate of exchange, which seems to satisfy most of them, but not all.

Cultivation Of Sugar And

Coffee.

The cultivation of sugar is progress ing and further operations are well under way. The country is watching with interest the operations of the Sangara Sugar Co.

The Government has high hopes for the future of two new industries sugar and coffee. There will be plenty of opportunities in this territory when conditions become more normal for energetic enterprise in these two lines for it has been realised that to rely on rubber and copra entirely for ex ports is unsatisfactory.

Lady Murray Returns.

Lady Murray returned to Papua with His Excellency, Sir Hubert Murray, K.C.M.G., on the last Morinda, after an absence of several months, during wdiich time she has journeyed to Eng land and back.

Her reception by the ladies of Port Moresby was very warm and sincere, and many were down at the wharf as the Morinda drew alongside. The manner of the greetings, the flowers presented to her and the careful pre paration of Government House can leave no doubt in Lady Murray’s mind of the esteem with which she is re garded by the women of Papua, and the pleasure her return has given them.

Lady Murray will be accompanying His Excellency on a visit of inspection to Daru, along the west coast of Papua, and they will be leaving almost imme diately by the Laurabada, His Excel lency’s yacht.

Sporting Activities.

Cricketers and golfers cricketers especially are most enthusiastic at present. Every Saturday cricket matches are played on the Oval and prove quite a good afternoon’s enter tainment.

The golfing season and tournaments will be opening in May, and with the cooler weather there will be great activity on the links, which are im proving weekly. Many new members are rolling up.

Badminton is also very popular with both men and women in the town. It is played inside the Institute Hall, afternoons and evenings. A good deal of skill is needed in the game, and the mixed doubles tournaments in the evenings are quite worth watch ing.

To Badminton are added swimming and canoe racing. So it would appear that Port Moresby, on the whole, is not entirely backward in sports and pastimes.

Personal And Social.

A number of residents are away at present from the Territory. Amongst them are His Honour Mr. Justice Gore

and Mrs. Gore, who are absent on leave, and also the Hon. A. P. Lyons, Director of Public Works. Mr. G. M.

Turnbull, who has just returned, is relieving Mr. Lyons.

Mr. Ward Williams, the mining ex pert, who has been examining Papua’s prospects, has lately returned to Port Moresby from the mainland, beyond Yule Island.

In anticipation of cooler weather and brighter times a dance was held in the Institute Hall on March 28, and in spite of the heat and mosquitoes it was a considerable success, no doubt due to the excellent orchestra under the management of Mr. Hannam, the musical virtuoso of the town.