Once Beautiful,

Samarai Is Now Forlorn

From a Special Correspondent

Samarai, May 25.

ALTHOUGH the wharf and township are mere skeletons of their former selves, Samarai still exists as the business centre for Eastern Papua. The burned-out town will be rebuilt.

Burns Philp & Company, Steamships Trading Company, the PCB and Bunting’s Store occupy rusty iron buildings on the foreshore. The Government offices are in the Institute Hall.

European and native hospitals are func tioning again, although new difficulties crop up daily. There is no hotel as yet.

People coming in have to arrange their own accommodation. Most of the re maining houses are in need of repair.

The Rev. A. J. Thompson takes services in the church once more; but there is little return to normality otherwise. The shipping service continues frightful.

Pre-war residents of Samarai who have returned to the town are Mr. and Mrs.

R. Bunting; Mr. “Spud” Wilson and his wife; Mr. Eric Turner; Mr. A. Pym; Mr.

E. Bremen; Dr. and Mrs. H. N. White; and Mr. H. F. Bitmead.

Outside the township are Messrs. E. and Arthur Evenett, Norman Izod, Fred Cole man, Vic Poole, Bert Hughes and Mrs.

Hughes, Jim Driver, and Duncan Camp bell. More returning evacuees are ex pected shortly.

To date nothing has been done to re build the wharf and township buildings.

It has been suggested that better sites for both will be chosen but, precisely where, remains an official secret.