Survey Of New

Guinea

Apart From Acute Shortage of Shipping and Fresh Food Con ditions Are Improved

From Our Own Correspondent LAE, Nov. 6. rpHE Morobe District, generally, is suf- X fering from shortage of essential commodities, such as soap, rice, milk, fresh foods, tobacco, canned meats, flour, and several other lines of less import ance. * * * This is due to the dislocation of ship ping. and as there is flour for only ten days’ supply, a bread famine is ex pected. * * * The Works and Housing Department are doing a good job on the roads here— already the plan is beginning to take shape. But there seems to be some un certainty regarding their relationship with our Public Works Department.

Hs * Milford Haven and vicinity is still in the condition in which it was left by the military. Old barbed-wire fences, and broken-down vehicles are a blot on the landscape. The approach to the Customs shed is through pools of stagnant water. * * * No decision has been arrived at in re gard to a permanent site for the Hotel Cecil, which is still housed in native material ex-Army houses, now in a state of collapse. Mrs. Stewart is erecting a refreshment room on the former site of the hotel, or adjacent to it. This should serve a useful purpose, especially for those patrons of the Venning and Starr Picture Show, which is nearing completion. * * * The wrecking of the Bristol freight carrier at Wau is a great loss. It was due to the breaking of a wire connecting the brakes. Heavily loaded, it ran down the Wau drome out of control, and is a total wreck. * * * Around Lae, there are a fair number of new houses being erected on the newly surveyed site along the road south of the drome. Naturally, timber and pre fabricated parts, formerly used for mil itary camps, are being used .for these homes. The Yalu Sawmill can now sup ply 10 per cent, of its production to the public, an arrangement made by the Works and Housing Department. This will materially assist. * * ♦ It is understood that the New Guinea Citizens’ Association, now 70 strong, have made application to the Minister for External Territories for the granting of a timber concession to anyone able to erect a mill and produce timber. There is reason to believe that this application will receive favourable consideration, in order to meet present needs in regard to the erection of per manent homes. * * * As yet, no building of a permanent nature has been done on the site of the New Township area, and no building sites have been allocated. This means that the township is spreading in conformity with the old site of Lae, and is regarded locally as of a permanent nature. There have been whispers of “resumption” of the “flat,” on which Lae is built, but as no good purpose would be served by a resumption, residents are settling down on the assumption that they will not be disturbed. * * * A Citizens’ Association has been formed

at Wau, and is growing in numbers.

Other districts are forming similar asso ciations, and it is hoped that this will be come Territory-wide, with a view to amal gamation in one federation. * * * A start has been made on the devia tion on the Labu-Wau Road, that will connect up with the proposed bridge cross ing the Markham River at a point near Nadzab, on south bank. The road from Lae will be widened, and in time connect up with the bridge and thus a crossing over the Markham will be effected, and the present bad portion of the road will be by-passed, doing away with the need of the barge-ferry at present operating at Labu, near the mouth of the Markham. * * * The Labu-Wau Road is in fair condi tion now, as the work has been taken in hand seriously by the Works and Hous ing Department, who have a fair num ber of tip-trucks and machinery in opera tion, * * * Visitors passing through from Rabaul, by plane, state that conditions there, as regards food and essential commodities, are even worse than here. Madang is also in a bad way, through lack of ship ping. * * * Nothing is now heard of the “new township” of Lae. Possibly the whole scheme will be “pigeon-holed.” No one loses any sleep over it. * * * The litter of war is gradually disappear ing. Many AIF men who obtained their discharge here, and accepted Government work, have now returned to Australia —not having been temperamentally suited for “Islands Life,” with its demands on en durance and patience. It may be coin cidence, but there have been practically no thefts of motor parts, tyres, etc., for some time. Such thefts were foreign to this part of the world in pre-war days.

All round, there has been a great im provement in essential services. Our main worry now seems to be lack of ship ping and food.