News Items From Kavieng

From a Special Correspondent

Kavieng, Jan. 31.

rE festive season was celebrated fittingly in Kavieng, as it was in most parts of the Territory.

On December 27, land and sea sports, which had been organised by officers of the Administration, were held for the native community. The Assistant District Officer, Mr. lan Downs, was in charge of arrangements and announced the various events through a loud speaker.

His enthusiasm was sufficient to arouse even the natives from their usual inertia and they entered completely into the spirit of the occasion.

There were canoe races, diving, swim ming competitions, foot races and other athletic events; in the evening after the prizes had been dsitributed by the District Officer, Mr. W. J. Read, there was a feast and sing-sing which lasted well into the afternoon of the following day. ♦ ♦ * THE New Year was “seen in” in traditional fashion at the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. Thackston. Music was supplied by Messrs White, Agar, Mitchell and Meehan, and a delightful midnight supper gave the revellers suf ficient strength to carry on until dawn.

Those present included Mr. W. J. Read and his daughter, Judy Read, Mr. & Mrs. lan Downs, Mr. & Mrs. Seale, Mr. & Mrs. Walsh, Mr. & Mrs. Hewitt, Mr. & Mrs. Sid Poole, Mr. & Mrs. Tom Mitchell, Miss Ann Lower. Messrs. Bill Meehan, John Cox, L. Pearson, S.

Williams, J. Gaffney, W. Dalbey, L. White, and E. Agar, T. Render, Taylor and Macabe. * * * MR. AND MRS. W. SEALE and family left by plane for Australia in early January. They are missed from the local community. * * * ROAD-MASTER John Cox hag arrived in Kavieng from the bush to build and repair local roads. ♦ * ♦ MEDICAL Assistant Hewitt and Mrs.

Hewitt will shortly be leaving on transfer to New Britain. Mr.

M. A. Vaughan, now of Namatanai, will be our new Medical Assistant. The Hewitts will spend leave in Australia be fore going to New Britain. * * * QANTAS plane, arriving on January 20 brought Sister Harris to relieve popular Sister Dobbyn, who is over due for leave. Sister Harris is an old New Guinea-ite and was captured by the Nips at Rabaul, and suffered the usual horrors of internment.

Unfortunately, the same plane, on its return flight carried a seriously-ill Mrs.

Thackston, the wife of Police Master Harry Thackston. An efficient and charming hostess, Mrs. Thackston is a decided social asset here.

On the evening of January 23 the home of Messrs. Bill Meehan and John Cox (“The Priory”) was the scene of a gay narty, convened as a house-warming for the new annexe, a farewell to Sister Dobbyn, and a welcome to Sister Harris.

Guests included Mesdames Read, Downs, Miller, Cameron, and Judy Read, the Miller twins, Mrs. Saunders and her daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Sid Poole. Messrs. Kim merley, Taylor, Harry Thackston, and Bill Battis. *' * * ON patrol to Tabar, per “Nerius”, went A. D. O. Downs, who returned to Kavieng last week.

By Qantas plane, on January 5, Bill Battis, an old Namatanai identity, came over from Rabaul to relieve Jack Gaffney of PCB, who is going to Sydney to bring his wife up here.

Qantas plane, returning to Rabaul on January 27, carried Mr. Widdup, of Wire less—a very sick man. * * ♦ OVER 30 natives were recently sentenced to terms of hard labour (ranging from 3 months to one year) for breaking and entering and steal ing from Colyer Watson’s store, over the Christmas holidays, three cases of Red Shield OP Rum. They are now helping Road-master John Cox to build his new road from Begail Native Hospital through the town area. * * * Administration officials here are better housed than are any of their opposite numbers at the other centres. The houses are all in excellent positions, shaded by beautiful flowering trees, and are admirably suited for the tropics and weather conditions prevailing here. Full marks must be awarded to D. O. Jack Read for his housing con struction policy.

The death occurred at Ba, Fiji, of Mrs.

A. E. Allman, widow of a former well known member of the staff of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. She is survived by two daughters and a son, Mr. Ted All man, who is attached to the CSR staff at Nausori, Fiji.

As a result of an appeal sponsored by the Suva Rotary Club, an amount of £678/18/6 has been given by the people of Viti Levu, to help to meet the cost of purchasing and equipping a new mobile Child Welfare Clinic.