No Petrol!

What Happens in the Islands

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, Sept. 7.

THE dislocation of business on the American sea-board, as a result of the recent prolonged strike at San Francisco and other ports along the American coast, has caused a shortage of petrol on the island. Fortunately, distances at Rarotonga are not very great but it is strangely remarkable the inconvenience caused even an island by a shortage of motor spirit.

The number of useable motor vehicles at Rarotonga is about 150. But petrol is put to so many uses at the islands, particularly where there is no electrical power available, that it affects almost everyone. There are petrol lamps, petrol irons, stationary engines, stoves, in ad dition to motor cars and lorries.

Rusty looking bicycles have been drag ged from their hiding places, superannua ted horse-drawn buggies and other simi lar contraptions have come to light and good old pedestrianism itself has had to be revived.

The new store built at Wau, New Guinea, for Messrs. Burns, Philp and Co. Ltd. The com pany entered into occupation of the new building on September 1.