Samarai Fire.

Mr. Bunting’s Store Destroyed.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Jan. 10.

THE business premises of the Hon. A.

H. Bunting, at Samarai, were de stroyed by a fire in the early hours of the morning of January 5. The fire started at 4 o’clock and by 8 only smok ing ruins remained.

The retail stores and offices were separated from the bulk store, by an iron partition which made possible the salvage of the office records, the safes, and a portion of the retail store effects, but practically no stock was saved. Mr.

Bunting estimates his loss at over £ 2000 after allowing for £5000 covered by in surance.

The copra sheds of J. R. Clay and Co. adjoining Mr. Bunting’s premises were undamaged, though the heat from the fire blistered the paint on the main building.

A native bucket brigade rendered use ful work on one occasion when rafters caught alight on the shed nearby.

Mr. Bunting is carrying on business without interruption in temporary pre mises in Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd., bulk store. The rebuilding of new premises on the old site has already commenced.

The Hon. A. H. Bunting is a non official member of the Legislative Coun cil of Papua and has been over forty years in the Territory—and besides planting and trading, has taken an ac tive interest in mining.