Thursday Island Notes

House Accommodation Scarce

From Our Own Correspondent

Thursday Is., Sept 28.

FOR some considerable time there has been a shortage in house ac commodation on the island.

Various officials and public servants have, found it difficult to obtain a suitable house, and there are usually several applicants, whenever there is rumour of a house being vacated.

Some new dwellings have been erected during the past year, but the call for houses seems to be, as great as ever.

The Wireless Company is converting one of its concrete buildings into suit able quarters for the manager; they considered some time ago the question of erecting new houses for the various members of their staff, but so far this has not been proceeded with.

Costs of building are very high; freight charges eat tip a good deal and a house that costs say £800 down south runs into about twice the amount here.

It was thought at one time that in the erection of new houses in the town consideration might be given to buildings of more permanent material than is usually employed; but this is still a dream of the future. There is plenty of stone and sand available for concrete building; when better times come perhaps we shall see an advance in that direction.

New Memento For Quetta

Cathedral.

The Quetta Memorial Cathedral, which commemorates the tragedy of the sinking of the British India liner, “Quetta.” just outside Thursday Island, in 18 90, and which contains many relics and memorials, has just had another interesting memento presented. It is an enlargement of a photograph of the steamer itself, framed in timber taken from part of the wheelhouse of the “Quetta.” The picture has been hung on the Cathed ral walls.

The “Kamo Maru,” which called in on the 5th, took away about 35 tons of trochus shell for Japan The A. and O. steamer, Taiping,” on her run from China this week, brought the lightest cargo to Thurs day Island that she has carried for a long while —merely a few hundred weight. She took on over 20 passen gers for South from here.