Rabaul News.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Rabaul, July 30.

New Plant For Cordial

Factory.

MR. GILBERT RENTON, a progres sive business man in Rabaul, and our local cordial manufacturer, has just completed the installation of a new, modern plant, at a cost of approxi mately £1,000. Mr. Renton proposes to make for the Territory many of the aerated waters and cordials now im ported from south at heavy cost. An electrically-driven bottling machine will turn out 100 dozen bottles per hour.

Westralia to be Oil Store.

The old s.s. Westralia, once the pride of the Australian shipping service, which has been utilised as a coal hulk in the Rabaul Harbour for some years by Messrs. W. R. Carpenter & Co., Ltd., is now to be put to a new and further use.

A contract has been let in Rabaul for the manufacture of 20 tanks, each of 2,000 gallons capacity, in connection with a bulk oil storage scheme for the new inter-island vessels now under con struction in Australia for Messrs, W. R.

Carpenter & Co., Ltd. Mr. Gilbert Ren ton, of Rabaul, is to manufacture and instal the new tanks on the Westralia.

The Vacuum Oil Co.

Mr. J. H. Ahearn arrived recently to take over the management of the Vacuum Oil Company, Ltd., in this Ter ritory, and to act as its attorney in the British Solomons and Papua. Mr.

Ahearn has had over twelve years’ ser vice with the company, mainly on the sales executive staff. He is very well known throughout the Northern Ter ritory of Australia and Northern Queensland, and has been attached to the company’s offices at Sydney, Bris bane and Townsville. This is the first occasion on which this company has sent a trained commercial traveller to represent it in the management of its business in this Territory.

Personal.

The Crown Law Officer, Mr. Gerald Hogan, accompanied by Mrs. Hogan, has returned and resumed duty after some four months’ leave spent in Aus tralia, during which time he visited Canberra on official business. During the absence of Mr. Hogan from the Ter ritory, his assistant, Mr. G. V. Maunsell Turner, a well-known Sydney barrister, acted as Crown Law Officer, Mr. P. Coote, general manager for Messrs. Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., in this Territory, accompanied by Mrs.

Coote and two children, arrived back from furlough by the July Macdhui.

During the three months’ absence of Mr. Coote, Mr. W. Dupain, manager at Port Moresby, has been acting manager at Rabaul.

Mr. H. Cardew, Commissioner for Native Affairs, proceeded to Australia on furlough by the s.s. Nankin on July 13. Mr. Cardew’s small daughter Betty accompanied him.

Mr. J. Merrylees, Assistant District Officer, Wau, in the Morobe district, has gone on long leave to England, where he is expected to remain about nine months. Mr. Merrylees left the Terri tory by the s.s. Wirral, which will go direct to England.

Jump In N.G. G. Shares.

The snares of New Guinea Goldfields, Ltd. increased phenomenally in value during - the past few weeks. On July 4 they were quoted in Sydney, b. 5/1, s. 5/3. On August 23, they were b. 8/1, s. 8/2.