Recent Events In Port Moresby

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, June 4

MISBEHAVIOUR of Moresby’s water supply is causing considerable in convenience. During one week in May there was no water for over five days. The main burst on Tuesday, was repaired Wednesday morning, was off again two hours later, and stayed off until Saturday afternoon. After a day with water it again broke down, on Sunday.

The inconvenience of an unreliable water supply is heightened by the failure to build tanks on post-war houses. * * * Mr. R. H. Melrose left Moresby in May.

He will spend some time in Canberra on business before taking leave. During his absence, Mr. S. Lonergan is Acting Gov ernment Secretary, and Mr. Claude Cham pion Acting Assistant Gov. Sec. * * * Mr. J. Molline, well known in Samarai pre-war, has been transferred to Abau as District Labour Officer. * * * AFTER the recent stalemate on the high seas, Moresby has had a ship ping boom. “Montoro”, “Malaita” and “Reynella” were all in port during May.

The “Stanley Park’’, from Singapore, spent a week loading disposals vehicles from “Saville’s dump”. The number of vehicles we saw go down the hold should ensure Mr. Saville rather more than it cost him to charter the ship.

Vacuum Oil Co. Spent a week loading pmnty drums on to the Liberty Ship “Silas K. Silcox”; she took away well over 20,000 drums, which at so much per drum, landed in Australia, adds up to quite a bit.

At the end of May a tanker arrived, and was a welcome sight. The huge supplies of benzine left by the forces have been exhausted in an orgy of petrol consump tion, and transport is now being run on strictest economy lines. Even the free bus services provided by the Administra tion have been drastically cut. * * * ABOUT forty missionaries have been in town swapping words with the Ad ministration at vet another confer ence.

On Saturday, May, 24 they went to Sogeri native secondarv school' to attend the Empire Day sports meeting. They were entertained at afternoon tea by some of the local ladies. Prominent among these were former Rabaulites Mrs. Colin Marr and Mrs. Vic Sully. Mrs. Marr grew up as Marge Thomas, at Bita Paka, and her husband is now Agriculture Officer at Sogeri Mr. Sullv is a Technical Education Officer. * ♦ * MEMBERS of the Nutritional Survey Party recentlv passed through on their way to Busama Village, near Lae, where thev will conduct their first investigations into native nutritional standards.

The party is led by Dr. Clements, of the Institute of Anatomy. Canberra, Mr.

Charles Julius, an anthropologist on loan from the Education Department, accom panies the expedition, as well as a spec ialist officer of the Department of Agri culture.

Dr. Clements gave an interesting broad cast on the party’s plan over 9PA. * * ♦ rE Administrator’s yacht, “Laura bada”. left for Bougainville on a tour of inspecion at the beginning of June.

As well as His Honour the Adminis trator. the party included Dr. j. Gunther,

Director of Public Health; Mr. W. Cottrell- Dormer, Director of Agriculture; and Mr. lan MacDonald, New Guinea represent ative of the Department of Post-War Re construction.

Mr. J. Macauley, Lecturer in Colonial Administration at the Australian School of Pacific Administration, arrived in Moresby towards the end of May.

Mr. Macauley is perhaps better known to the Australian public as poet than lecturer. His recent volume of academic verse, “Under Aldebaran”, was favourably received by the critics. Mr. Macauley was one of the two young men who hoaxed the Australian literary public and the editors of the “advanced” literary journal, “Angry Penguins”, with the works of the fictitious poet Ern Malley.

TWO senior technicians of the PMG have arrived in Moresby. Their visit is connected with plans to extend the coverage and power of local ABC station, 9PA, which at present does not adequately cover the whole Territory. 9PA may eventually use both broadcast and short wave transmitters, but the question is ex tremely complex, as the area to be covered is not ideally suited to either form of transmission.

At a special service on Sunday evening.

May 25, Rev. H. E. Palmer was instituted as Vicar of St. John’s Church of Eng land, Port Moresby, by the Bishop of New Guinea., Dr. Strong.

In an appropriate sermon, the Bishop made moving reference to the history of the “Church on the Hill”, and paid tribute to the work of Revs. Robert Leek and Harry Mathews, former vicars. The latter was lost at sea off the west coast of Papua in 1942, the day before his Army chaplaincy was due to terminate because of his age.

Blakelock-Hurley

Wedding

This photograph was taken on May at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Blakelock, when their daughter. Miss Elizabeth Blakelock. married Mr. Timothy Hurley, of Suva. Mr. and Mrs.

Blakelock are shown behind the bride and groom. Seated on left are bridesmaids, Miss Eunice Joy and Miss Weara Barratt.

Celebration For Fiji Nonagenarian

BIRTHDAY PARTY: On May 2, Mrs. M L. Houng Lee, of Suva, celebrated her 90th birthday.

She went to Fiji over 70 years ago and lived first at Levuka. Photograph shows her standing with her sons and about to cut the cake. —Photo by Stinson Studio.