New Roads For

Mangaia, Cook Is.

THE newly-ccmmissioned Admini stration ketch, Ranui, which has not hitherto appeared as far south in the Group as Mangaia, made her first call here in the second week of May.

She carried a small mail and supplies for the Public Works Department, in cluding a quantity of blasting explosives, which are not carried in bulk by the fruit steamer.

As the Maui Pomare restricts gelignite carried to one case, the extensive read ing operations being carried out on the island have been delayed, but now the projected cliff-village traffic tunnel may be finished. The new Tavaenga road was completed without blasting, by native labour, and is now available for the trans portation of fruit from plantations in that locality, formerly reached by a path through thick bush.

Our energetic RA, Major W. H. Ryan, is anxious to finish the reading projects within the next few months, in view of his scheduled transfer to Rarotonga as supervisor of other and Group-wide PW projects.

Mangaia still has no hospital, the old sick-hut built nearly two decades ago being still in use, any “overflow” is occasionally accommodated in the Court house. This state of affairs, it is hoped, will soon be superseded with a well equipped building, for medical purposes only, with regulation beds and a native nursing staff, which may obviate the present necessity of sending seriously-ill patients to the already overburdened Central Hospital at Rarotonga.

The Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colonies, Mr.

W, J. Peal, arrived in Suva, on June 21 in H.M.N.Z.S Tutira.