New Guinea Notes,

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, Dec. 7.

THE N.D.L. steamer “Friderun” arrived at Rabaul from Hongkong, via ports, on November 21, to take up her run in the New Guinea-Hongkong service, which she will share with the “Bremer haven.” Captain Engels is in charge of the new steamer and entertained repre sentatives of the Administration and commercial interests at a dinner on board on the evening of November 23.

The “Friderun” is a vessel of 2327 tons and has accommodation for twenty saloon passengers and forty steerage.

A quiet wedding was celebrated on November 23 by the Rev, Father Madi gan, when Miss Helen Rogers was mar ried to our popular Director of Agricul ture, Mr. G. H. Murray, who has but recently returned from a world-tour. It was during his travels abroad that Mr.

Murray met his bride, who comes from Western Australia.

Old residents are sad to learn of the death of Mrs. R. Sumner; better known as Sister Curtain, of the Namanula Hos pital staff, where she worked so ener getically from 1918 to 1926. Deceased passed away at Gosford, N.S.W., where the funeral arrangements were in charge of the local branch of the Returned Sol diers’ Association.

Mr. P. J. Martin, the Eastern importer with headquarters in Kavieng, recently returned from a business trip to Hong kong and Japan, where he was able to obtain many popular lines which were immediately snapped up by local buyers.

Mr. and Mrs. Don Waugh, of Kieta, were recent visitors to Rabaul, and were guests at Government House. Mrs.

Waugh came in for medical attention.

They returned to Kieta by the “Mac dhui,” where Mr. Waugh ably carries out the duties of District Officer. He is one of the oldest Administration officials in the Territory.

Mr. Guy Allen, the accountant at Pon do, the main desiccating factory in the Territory, is proceeding South by the December “Macdhui” for health reasons.

Mr. Allen is full of praise concerning the progressive policy adopted by the Pondo factory.

The engagement has been announced of Miss Phillips, of the B.P. clerical staff, to Mr. A. H. Baldwin, a well-known Is land identity and at present in charge of the Concentration Depot at Timbur.

The wedding is to take place about the end of the year.

The foundations for the new European School at Rabaul are well under way, and it is expected that the building will be completed by March. The present school building has been ear-marked for the housing of the Legislative Council, when that body of official and unofficial members has been appointed by the Governor-General. Long have we waited for this body to be formed, and the public generally are anxiously awaiting its inauguration.

Dr. Koeltzsch, late German Vice-Con sul in Sydney, and Mrs. Koeltzsch, who were passengers by the “Macdhui” as far as Port Moresby and then travelled by ’plane to the goldfields, arrived in Ra baul on December 1 from Salamaua and were tendered an informal welcome by

the President and members of the Ger man Club, when many prominent towns people were present. Dr. Koeltzsch and his wife are on a holiday tour, after completing a term of eighteen months at the German consulate in Sydney.

The final or the New Guinea Club V.B.

Shield Billiard Tournament was played off on December 3 between Messrs.

Bieske and Gane and resulted in a win for the latter.

A new residential sub-division is be ing surveyed north of the Malaguna Road and it is anticipated that the blocks will be put up for public tender in the near future. This action has long been needed. It is a very suitable local ity for residences (providing adequate drainage is done), affording a very ex cellent view of the harbour. It is but another sign of Rabaul’s progress.

There is a general feeling of satisfac tion amongst Rabaul householders and employers of native labourers as a re sult of the Administration’s action in tightening up the control over native

labourers and instituting a closer super vision over the inmates of the local gaol, where punishment is now carried out in accordance with the Regulations. This has had a tendency to improve the dis cipline amongst house-boys in particu lar, who are not anxious to participate in constant hard labour with three hours’ pack-drill under the eye of a European police officer.