Miserable Rabaul

Shortage of Food

Prom Our Own Correspondent Rabaul, Oct. 6 LIVING conditions here in many re spects are miserable and uncomfort able. We should rank high in a competition for the most neglected com munity in the Australian Territories— and there would be many entrants.

The Alagna, which arrived a few days ago, was the first ship in from Australia since early August.

The food position here had been very grim. We had had no fresh meat for three weeks, and very little butter. Prices of both commodities advanced sharply.

We shall be very short of essential sup plies again before the Reynella arrives.

There is a persistent report that the Malaita, will arrive on October 8. and thenceforward will give us a regular service.

Earthquake

ON September 29, at 1.10 p.m., a severe earthquake occurred here, and caused several landslides. A bad slide can be seen on the side of Mount Vulcan, and there are large cracks in the ground thereabouts. The road from Kokopo to Rabaul was temporarily out of commis sion.

The earthquake is rated as intensity 7 to 8. Intensity 10 is maximum. Old hands say it was not as severe as that of January, 1941, but it certainly ranked next to it.

Bay Loo Company

MR. Les Clarke is here at present, winding up the affairs of the Bay Loo Company, of which his brother (lost in the Jap invasion in 1942) was manag ing director. Many of the Chinese share holders were killed by the Japs but their widows are now living here.

The New Britain Club —entrance fee, £5 and £5 annually—which appears to be modelled much on the lines of the old Rabaul Club, has been established.

Planters’ Liquor?

THERE is bitterness in the messes here, because no liquor can be got from • the merchants. Production Control Board has a good supply; but when BP’s and Carpenters applied, they were told it was being kept for the planters.

When the gratified planters hurried around, they were informed that it was reserved for the planters yet to come.

Now we are anxiously waiting to see how the new arrivals on the Reynella fare.

Ships for Rabaul

THE small Burns Philp liner Malaita is still in dock in Sydney. The repair work on her, under present indus trial conditions, is making painfully slow progress. She cannot sail until Novem ber. The present tentative timetable for the Australian Territories, as arranged by the Australian Shipping Board, provides for the following depar tures from Sydney; Duntroon, October 12, for Samarai and Rabaul.

Montoro, about October 22, for Port Moresby, Samarai, Lae and Madang.

Malaita, about November 7, for same ports as Montoro.

Montoro and Malaita will then carry on a fairly regular service to New Guinea mainland ports, but no decision yet has been reached about a regular service to Rabaul.