Rabaul Slipway.

Progress of the Work.

THE work of constructing, in Rabaul Harbour, a slipway capable of ac commodating vessels of 500 tons, is now being steadily proceeded with by Messrs. W. R. Carpenter & Co., Ltd,, and it should be ready for use by the end of the year.

The slip will be of great value to Messrs. Carpenter & Co. and to Messrs.

Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., both of which firms maintain inter-island services of small steamers (Maiwarra, Durour, Duris, etc.). Those steamers now have to be sent to Brisbane or Sydney for overhaul and refitting, every year or two, and the cost of each such over haul, including the voyage to Australia and back, runs into thousands of pounds.