Death Of Mr. W. B. Ragg

Mr. William Byrne Ragg Died In

Suva, Fiji, on January 2, after a short attack of pneumonia. He was the son of the late Mr. H. Hall Ragg, who came to Fiji to erect the first cotton ginnery, and was born on Dulewalu Island, 70 years ago. He was educated in Suva, and then joined the firm of Brodziak & Co., and subsequently be came manager of their Labasa branch.

Of later years he has been in business on his own account. He is survived by a widow and five children: Mrs. Jenkins, of Suva, William, of AWA, Suva, Fritz, an engineer in the Naval Department, Hugh, acting postmaster in Suva, and James, an engineer at the Vatukoula Mines. Mrs.

James Cleary, of Suva, is his sister; and Mr. A. A. Ragg, of Suva, and Hon. H. H.

Ragg, of Ba, are his brothers.

Mr. A. I). Ewing, who was accountant in the Port Moresby branch of Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd., prior to the war, is now Lieutenant Ewing, RANR, and sta tioned in Port Moresby. Mr. W. H. Ley din, who was clerk to the Registrar of Titles in Port Moresby, in 1940, is now a petty officer on the naval staff in Port Moresby.

Death of Raphael Brudo

Raphael Brudo went to Papua in 1910, to join his brothers in pearl buying. Later, he retired and visited France. After many years, he came back to the Islands and succeeded in accumu lating the biggest parcel of pearls ever taken out by an individual. The weight of the parcel was 13½ lb., which Is phenomenal. Early in the war he went to India, and disposed of the pearls and then came back to Australia and settled with his family at Kirribilli. He died suddenly, on December 8, after two or three days’ illness. He organised a club in Sydney for the Free French and conducted it himself.

He leaves a widow, one son and one daughter.