New Guinea News

Much Building Activity Round of Social Functions

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rabaul, June 4.

AFTER a period of slackness there appears to be fresh activity loom ing in the near future for build ing in and about Rabaul.

The Public Works Department are proceeding with their plans and speci fications for the native labour houses and other essential buildings in con nection with the proposed native lab our compound at Rapindik.

It is hoped that the Treasurer will be able to make sufficient money avail able to carry out this eminently desir able scheme.

New Premises For Rabaul

Club.

The Bay Loo Co. Ltd., the contrac tors for the new clubrooms for the Rabaul Club are pushing this work ahead rapidly and expect to have the work completed in about six weeks’ time.

The president and committee expect to hold their next annual meeting in the new rooms during June.

The cost of the new club rooms is nearly £4,000.

Other New Works.

There seems to be a consolidation and good grouping of buildings and proposed works taking place amongst the various business interests here, in stead of the scattered methods of the past. The Bay Loo Co. Ltd. have just completed a very fine bungalow as quarters for one of the married staff of the Vacuum Oil Co. Ltd. at their depot in Malaguna Road. In the past the Vacuum Oil Co.’s office was in por tion of the manager’s residence, and to give better control and supervision of the depot, complete new offices are being built. This company is also hav ing a new oil drum store built near the present depot.

Last year, owing to rapidly increas ing business in this territory, Messrs.

W. R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd. secured six hectares of land at Toboi, about 21 miles from Rabaul and on the other side of the harbour. This firm, at a cost of over £30,000, built their own wharf, which has a depth of 30 feet of water at low tide at the pier head.

A copra shed was built with a stor age capacity of 3,750 tons of copra, and 200 tons of fresh water is stored in tanks built alongside the shed. A new bungalow was built for the chief steve dore and concrete roads and ap proaches were put in.

A contract has now been let to ex tend the copra wharf an additional 40 feet, with two new dolphins. Two na tive labour houses, each capable of housing 100 boys, are also included in the new contract, and we understand the contract price for these additions is about £4,000. These new labour houses will be another step towards minimising the risk of assaults by na tives on white women, as it will mean another 200 natives removed from the town area of Rabaul.

Copra Exports.

Social Items.

On Friday, May 8, the Rabaul Swimming Club held a very successful first annual ball at the Rabaul Hotel.

His Honour, the Administrator, was present and presented trophies to the winners of events at the recent Championship Carnival.

A very enjoyable evening was spent and the guests did not disperse until the small hours of the morning.

On May 15 Mr. and Mrs. Cardew loaned their home for a dance, held to finance a new organ for the Church of England. This home particularly lends itself to a function of this nature, and the grounds had been tastefuly decorated and lighted. Great credit is due to Mrs. Cardew and her many lady friends for the organisation of such a successful function. His Honour the Adminis trator attended.

On Saturday, May 16. at the residence of His Honour Judge Phillips the old boys of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria held their third annual boat race dinner. His Honour the Administrator, His Honour Chief

Judge Wanliss, and Judge Phillips were pre sent. During the evening Judge Phillips spoke of the late Mr. E. V. Hayes, who had assisted so ably in the formation of the annual function, and those present joined in a tribute of respect to his memory. Mr. W.

L. Heron, as representative of the Melbourne Grammar School, hung his school badge on a pair of miniature oars, where it will re main until next year.

About nineteen of the bachelors of Rabaul gave a very brilliant ball on May 29 in the Regent Theatre, to which about 100 guests had been Invited. A most enjoyable evening was spent.

Namanula was very gay on the night of May 29, when a dinner party was given at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Savage to celebrate the debut of their daughter, Miss Anne Savage, at the bachelors’ ball. Among the guests were Dr. and Mrs. T. C. Backhouse, Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Hogan, Mrs. E. T. Bren nan, Messrs. G. H. Roberts, H. D. Morton, R. P. Bell and P. A. George. After dinner the party proceeded to the Regent Theatre. Miss Savage wore a charming ankle length frock of white ninon, and a shell pink chiffon velvet wrap, trimmed with white fox fur. She carried an early Victorian posy of pink roses, frangipanni and gardenias. Mrs. Savage was gowned in a very distinctive frock of jade green chiffon velvet.

The staff of Messrs. W. R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd gave a complimentary dinner at the Rabaul Hotel on April 15 to Mr. and Mrs.

W. R. Carpenter and Mr. J. A. Carpenter, after which an adjournment was made for dancing to the recently opened W.R.C. club rooms. The usual toasts were honoured, and Messrs. W. R. and J. A. Carpenter proposed the health of their staff.

In an address to the staff Mr. J. A. Car penter made a very able speech on the neces sity of loyalty and team work in any large organisation, and made mention of the fact that in spite of the present conditions pre vailing throughout the world, it was the de clared policy of the firm that there should be no reductions in the salaries of their em ployees.

Mr. Holmes, the popular store manager re sponded.

1930. 1931, January . . . 7,937 tons; 5,882 tons February .. . .. 2,263 tons; 4,908 tons March . . . 2,263 tons; 5,528 tons Anril . .. 5.476 tons; 2,871 tons May .. , 6,702 tons; 2,250 tons