Rabaul Roundabout

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, Nov. 25.

THE New Guinea Administration is en couraging the establishment of native-owned cocoa plantations in the Rabaul district. Mr. Overstone of the Department of Agriculture has al ready inspected five blocks of land owned by the people of villages situated at Kabaira Bay, and has found it suitable for cocoa planting. The blocks, which will total more than sixty acres, are with in easy road access of one another and when production stage is reached the vil lages will share in the construction of common fermentation vats and driers.

Clearing will start immediately and plant ing will commence early in the New Year. * DURING a recent visit to the Duke of York Islands, District Officer J.

K. McCarthy, of Rabaul, attended the village council of the Group. The council stated that native lands were scarce, owing to large areas having been alienated during German times, and de spite the existence of native reserves, land was now insufficient for food require ments, if full economical development was to be carried out. The matter is being investigated by officials of the Department of District Services and Native Affairs. * MR. K. C. DOUGLAS, of San Remo Plantation, Talasea District de parted for Australia recently, where he will join his wife and son in Tasmania.

He will place his son at that famous old school in Hobart, ‘Hutchins,” where he was also a pupil. Mr. Douglas is well

known to most Territorians as a most able planter and owner of San Remo. * RECENT visitors to Rabaul during November were Mr. W. R. Humphries, Director of Native Labour, who also paid a visit to Sohano; Mr. W. C. Groves, Director of Education and Mrs. Groves who had an extensive tour, visiting New Ireland and its outlying islands, also Bougainville. Mr. Blair, Tea Expert from Assam, had a short stay in Rabaul during his tour of the Territories. Mr. Moore, of the South-Pacific Commission accom panied by Mr. Cox, inspected and dis cussed Visual Education. Judge E. Big nold, on Supreme Court Circuit, accom panied by Mr. S. Johnson, Crown Law Officer and Mrs. W. Watkins. Dr. John Gunther, Director Public Health, who also visited Sohano, Talasea and Kandrian.

Mr. Trigg, motor and marine expert from the Department of Works and Housing, came on general inspection of all trans port. * MANY people have left Rabaul during the month aboard BP’s two ships, Malaita and Bulolo. It was the last trip of both ships to Australia before Christmas. Among their recent passen gers were District Officer R. M. Farlow: District Officer J. Read and Mrs. Read: Mr. and Mrs. Keith Chambers, and two children; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph and five children; Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Bliss, who came from Madang to join the Bulolo; Mrs. Jack Allan, Mrs. Ormond and her daughter, Mrs. J. D. Reid and two child ren.

THE Church of England Ladies’ Guild, ably led V>y Mrs. Shanley as presi dent and Mrs. Hides as secretary, benefited financially this month by two well-organised evening entertainments— a card party held at the Cosmopolitan Hotel made £l2/-/- and the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera, “Princess Ida,” played on a miniature stage with tiny carved figures representing the actors, operated and loaned by Mr. Len Palmer, netted the sum of £6/13/6.