Serious Fires In Papua
pp. 49-50 · Read in the full issue
From Our Own Correspondent
Port Moresby, Oct. 28.
ON October 3, the Catholic Mission station at Kabuna (on the Papuan mainland, near Yule Island. 12 miles from Aropokina, approaching the road to the mountains) was completely destroyed bv a bush fire, which had travelled a great distance with terrific speed, and caught the people without warning. The residence of the Fathers was burned first, and the flames spread to the houses of the Bishop and the Brothers, thence to the church and the Carmelite convent nearby. The Sisters escaped only in time to save their lives.
The destruction was as complete as it was sudden, and is a great calamity to the mission. Little was saved; all furniture, stores and personal belongings were destroyed. It represented a loss of nearly £4,000, and six years of effort On October 19, six buildings of Man dated Alluvials NL, at Sapphire Creek, were completely destroyed by fire. They included the manager’s residence, the office, and native labour quarters. A strong south-east wind was blowing and nothing could be done to stop the flames spreading from building to building.
Captain Richard Edward Smith, who was with the Union S.S. Co., Ltd., for 34 years, during 7 of which he was en gaged in the South Seas trade in the “Taviuni” at the end of last century, died in N.Z. recently. He was 92 years of age.
Papuan Co.'s Profit Maintained
IN the year ended June 30, 1940, Steam ships Trading Co., Ltd., of Port Moresby, Papua, which has a paid up capital of £143,579 made a net profit of £19,051. This is about the same profit as last year and allows the company’s dividend of 8 per cent, to be maintained.
A sum of £l,OOO has been added to the reserve for “vessels’ contingencies and re newals”, and £7,200 to the general reserve (making £33,000) and £3,735 has been carried forward. It is noted in the Dir ectors’ report that stocks of copra at Port
Moresby and Samarai have been written down, owing to doubtful markets, to £3/5/- per ton.
This company’s activities, owing to the wisdom of its founder, Captain A S Fitch, are now widely spread, so that a slump in one direction (as in copra) does not seriously affect the general position The Company’s four main sources of in come are: general trading; transport and shipping; rubber plantations; and copra plantations. Copra is sick, but rubber is booming, and the general economic posi tion in Papua is very good.