Notes From New Guinea

New Freezing Works for Rabaul

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rabaul, Oct. 10.

GOOD progress is being made with the erection of the new freezing works at the corner of Kamerere Street and Mango Avenue. The opening of this enterprise will start some competition, no doubt, in fresh food articles. At present we are paying 1/1 per lb for roast sirloin of beef, 10d per lb for leg of mutton, 11d for mutton chops, 1/3 for rump steak, and 2/for fillet steak.

During September 8145 tons of copra: were exported from the Aus tralia received 345 tons, Prance 405 tons, optional European ports 890 tons, 968 tons went to Italy, 2461 tons to Germany, and; 3077 tons to England.

A pretty wedding was held on October 10 at St. George’s Church when Archdea con de Voil performed the marriage cere mony between Miss Beryl Fair and Mr.

Phillip Hooper, 'of the Commonwealth Bank staff. Mr. and Mrs. Hooper departed for Australia the same evening by the s.s.

Nankin.

There have been a few cases of typhoid fever in Rabaul during the past month, and one Chinaman, who landed recently from China, died from the effects. All cases are now well on the road to re covery, and there is no need for alarm of the disease spreading.

In the month of September 6.88 inches of rain fell at Rabaul, which makes a total of 53.42 inches since the beginning of January, 1934. The average annual rain fall for the past twenty years has been 86.54.

The remarks made by the captain of the s.s. “Van Rees” in regard to the need for more up-to-date charts of the waters about this Territory are very timely. Sea faring men are always complaining of the need for hydrographic surveys, espe cially in certain areas, and it is a wonder that the Australian authorities—for their own sake —do not do something in the matter. Not only for commercial, but also for strategical purposes are these surveys needed.