Lae Newsletter

Prom Our Own Correspondent LAE. October 16.

RECENT visitors to the district were Mr. J. R. Halligan, Secretary of the Department of External Territories, and a party of officials including Mr.

Mulcahy, Mr. E. Knox (Director of Works and Housing) and Mr. Lewis (of the same Department).

During their stay they visited Bulolo and Wau, returning to Lae by the Wau- Labu road. It was regretted that they did not meet the local Citizens’ Association.

The Association was not informed of their visit until it was too late to arrange a meeting. ♦ ♦ * IT is reported, on good authority, that the Administrator has approved a re quest that trade-store licences now be issued for a period of five years, provid ing that the store is outside township areas.

Since the Provisional Administration went into operation it has been customary for such licences to be issued for one year only. ♦ ♦ ♦ THE state of local roads has not im proved. That from the hotel to Erap consists of one pot-hole after an other. The Department of Works and Housing, which is responsible for road maintenance, is virtually ham-strung be cause it cannot get the men to carry out the necessary work. This again is due to the fact that conditions offered married men are not attractive and until decent houses and suitable schools are available the present position, when one road over seer is responsible for about 50 miles of road, is unlikely to improve.

Most of the men who have come up from “South” for this class of work have been birds of passage who have returned to their homes in Australia when they realised that there was not much chance of being reunited with their families in New Guinea. * * ♦ THE Administrator, Colonel J. K. Murray, visited Lae recently to present diplomas to 17 native men and two native women who have been successful in their studies at the Native Medical School, Malahang, Dr. J. Gunther, Director of Public Health, accompanied the Administrator. In an address he said that this was the first step in training natives to become fully qualified doctors.

The Administrator pointed out that the purpose of training natives as Medical Assistants was not in order that they could make money from their knowledge but so that they could return to their people and give them valuable advice and treatment. * * * A SON has been born to Mrs. W.

Fishwick, in the Lae Public Hospital.

Mr. Fishwick is the local manager of Guinea Air Traders. ♦ ♦ * THE Managing Director of Guinea Air Traders, Mr. J. Jamieson, was in Lae in October. He said that he expected his company to have more aircraft in operation in New Guinea shortly. At pre sent the company has six aircraft en gaged in local services. ♦ ♦ ♦ MR. DUNCAN MacDONALD, formerly a Native Labour Supervisor has joined the New Guinea Police Force as Assistant Sub-Inspector. He was in command of the Police Guard of Honour for the Administrator during his recent visit to Lae.

LAE, at the time of writing, has col lected £650 towards the United Nations Children’s Appeal Fund. Money is coming in steadily—but slowly. Wewak has amazed the Territory by having already passed the £2,000 mark. • • • LAE residents were startled late in Sep tember when a sudden explosion occurred near the Administration married quarters at the foot of Namanula hill.

It appears that natives were burning off the kunai at the back of Sub-Inspector Larkin’s house and the fire set off some 25-lb. bombs which had been hidden in the grass. No one was injured. • • • IT is reported from New Ireland that plantation labour is now demanding and being paid 30/- a month and keep.

Those planters who will not “play ball” are left without boys.