Rabaul Goes Ahead

New Burns, Philp Store

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rabaul, Mar. 30.

DESPITE the fact that Rabaul is sup posed to be, more or less, an aband oned town— from a political point of view—there are numerous signs of building development, and local organisa tions are spending considerable time and money in improving their interests.

The town swimming-baths scheme, for which over £l,OOO was raised in pre emption days, is now going ahead and the contractors are busy on the concrete pool. On Sunday last the golf course was re-opened by the Administrator (Sir Walter McNicoll) and the full nine holes are now in play. All the fairways have been cleaned of pumice and debris, the result of the 1937 catastrophe, and orna mental and shade trees have been planted bordering them. The putting areas are a picture of smooth, green grass.

Chinese firms have erected several large business buildings and a new soda water factory is in hand. The new store of Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd., will be opened in a few days. It has been re built on the site of the store burnt down at the end of 1937. Several new resi dences for Europeans are being erected.

Mr. Derek Tangye, a journalist on the staff of the London “Daily Mirror”, reached New Zealand in March from Fiji and Tahiti, where he had been gathering material for newspaper articles.

Mr. H. Halstead has been appointed an Inspector of Police in Fiji. He for merly was in the Police Force of British Guiana.

Miss Joyce Colledge, of New Zea land, took charge of the London Missionary Society’s Girls’ School at Metoreia, Papua, early in March.

Monsieur Pierre Laborde, director of the New Caledonian newspaper, ‘France Australe”, died recently in Noumea.

Right Rev. S. Davies, Bishop of Car penteria, returned to Thursday Island in mid-March by the “Marella” from Australia.