Rabaul Revisited

(By a former Resident.)

AS an old timer in this part. I was interested to visit and view the new, up and coming, Rabaul.

Landing at Malaguna and coming to town via Malaguna Avenue I was shocked to see only the sawn-off trunks of the fine spreading trees that used to decorate the road. Mango Avenue and Yarra Avenue are pretty ragged too. It would be a fine idea to replant trees along Malaguna Avenue and lessen the awful glare of the daytime.

Dust is Public Enemy No. 1, in Rabaul.

Two days after rain dust rises in clouds from the rough, corrugated roadways, behind the speeding motorist. And do they speed! I would say there was no difference between European, Chinese and native drivers in that respect. Nor did I notice a super-abundance of road courtesy. . .

It seems to me that with plenty of water available the whole of the North West Pacific being at the door that a motor waterwaggon (for roads only, of course!) might well be instituted and kept constantly on the job. John Citizen does his best to help abate the dust nuis ance by swallowing a lot and by collect ing a lot more in his eyes, ears, nose and throat, but it often takes him to hospital.

As one rattles aloug the mam roads, listening to the shouted remarks of the driver, one wonders why the same roads are not kept graded. One sighs for the tar-sealed and almost dustless roads of old Rabaul. I can still see, in my mindfs eye former Director of Public Works Knox, viewing with satisfaction, his work in that direction. . , A fine building, which is to be the new Rabaul freezer, is now in the course of erection. Good progress is being made

and the citizens are looking forward to its opening and to ships with refrig erator cargo at regular intervals. Women and children need fresh foodis here.

The present landing places along the waterfront are poor. It requires an ac tive and wary man to jump over wrecks, shakv pontoons, jetties with missing planks, etc., in order to reach his ship.

Preparations are being made to put a good pontoon bridge into position.

Inter-island shipping is a joke. Its hard to say when, how or where a ship will tak£ one. A week or two behind scheduled date of sailing is quite usual and passengers go back to their hotels and gnash their dentures in desperation.

One man told me that he started by going aboard one ship on the 19th of the month, and finally got away on the 14th of the next month! Then, at time of departure, the ship was delayed 20 minutes while an “engine boy” finished sea bathing in the vicinity. No passenger is supposed to make more than three unsuccessful attempts to reach his or her home! It isn’t cricket!

An oasis in the desert, is the New Britain Club in Mango Avenue. There tired and dusty business men gather in late afternoon, and have one or maybe two in order to wash down some pul verised Rabaul, which has been gathered during the day. 'Then lively conversa tion takes place among the beer mugs and tobacco smoke: Deals are put through differences adjusted, and fresh ones arise, but usually one can float over all obstacles on a high tide of ale! ’Twas ever thus, however, in clubs and pubs and places where they sing!

Mr. Leigh Wild, Administration official from New Guinea, has returned to the Territory after a short holiday in Aus tralia.