Notes From Lae

From Our Own Correspondent LAE, March 3.

SPORTING activities in Lae have ad vanced a step further by the forma tion of a Golf Club. Although the original Town Plan fixed the golf course on the site of the present airstrip and adjacent areas, a fresh site has been chosen and has received the approval of the authorities.

Work on the new course, which will commence with six holes, to be later increased to nine holes, will commence as soon as official permission is to hand.

In the meantime a temporary commit tee has been elected, to supervise the in itial moves in the new venture. They are: President: Mr. H. R. Niall; Vice- Presidents, Messrs. H. Shannon and C.

Beckett; Secretary, Mrs. E. Pollard; Treasurer, Mr. J. Goode; Committee: Messrs. F. Moger, C. Heavey, W, Robert son, L. Ashton, K. Notalett, W. Lamont and Mrs. Moger.

WORK is well under way for the seal ing of the main road from the Buti bum River to Milfordhaven Wharf,, and at present has reached the businessi centre of the town. Considerable grad ing and levelling has been necessary toi obtain a solid foundation, and screenings; will be used as a final layer, after which the whole will be sprayed with bitumen., Unfortunately, lack of screenings sup plies will retard the work, but if the present section can be completed it will greatly benefit the community, and par ticularly the motoring section.

MISS FLORA STEWART, younger daughter of Mrs. F. S. Stewart, of the Hotel Cecil, left Lae at the end of February and will be absent for about three months, during which she will visit the East and Colombo.

A wedding took place recently at the Lutheran Mission Chapel between Mrs, Joan Ellis and Mr. Roy Emmett (Instal lation Officer, Vacuum Oil Coy, Lae). Mrs.

Ellis was attended by Mrs. Prudence Prank and the reception was held at the Voco Staff Mess.

Mr. Fred Rode, of the Forestry De partment, Yalu, with his family, has left on a holiday trip to Colombo. With Mr.

Leo Bowman, of the Commonwealth Bank, who has also gone South, Mr. Rode was the guest of the Lae Cricket Asso ciation at a send-off at the Hotel Cecil.

Both Mr. Rode and Mr. Bowman rep resented Lae in cricket and other sports; and during the evening presentations were made to them by their respective Clubs; They received from Mrs. Stewart, who is a keen supporter of all sports in the Dis trict, suitably inscribed pewter mugs.

At the Lae hospital, on March 2, z son—John Wilson —was born to Mr. and Mrs. Sam Feman.

Mr. Phil Lucas, with his wife and family is spending a holiday in Sydney— the first for many years. He is a part ner of the cartage firm of Lucas & Du crow.

Mrs. Bob Morgan, wife of the manager of Robert Gillespie’s, is also holidaying South. Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins, of Edio Creek, have returned from South.

ACCORDING to Lae’s Town Plan two blocks were set aside for Club sites However, when the local Returneo Servicemen’s League protested to the. authorities that the sites were too small for club rooms, they were allotted an area covering the original site and hal:J the adjoining one, and at the last meet-: ing of the committee, ground plans foi( a club building were submitted, and dis-j cussed.

The site is on the Terrace overlooking f the town, and the plans, which have not yet been finally decided upon, provide for club rooms, bar, accommodation for 12, outside public areas for visitors, Mana ger’s quarters, and a swimming pool. Most of the materials have been secured and a bulk store is in the course of erection on the site.

Members are looking forward to the f completion of their own club rooms, as the League has carried on in Lae under ad verse conditions.

A visit from the Federal President, Mr.

G. W. Holland, and the General Secre tary, Mr. J. C. Neagle in March, primarily in view of the recent amalgamation of the Papua & New Guinea branches into a State Branch, will give an added impetus to the League’s activities in the Terris tory.

IF reports can be believed, the comple tion of the new wharf at Lae, is now only a “matter of time.” Carried out by the Department of Works & Hous ing, the work has extended into a “matter of about two years,” and while shortage of materials has delayed the project, day labour does not appear to be the cheapest method of carrying out large projects such as this.

Tenders have covered, or will cover, the construction of wharves at Madang, Samarai and Port Moresby, and the ex cessive time taken in completing the Lae wharf, apart from the labour costs, ap pears to be an argument in favour of tenders being called. It is now stated, but no official statement can be obtained in confirmation or otherwise, that the Department is to start on prelimin ary work on the Markham Bridge. This seems to be a waste of time and money in view of staff shortages and lack of plant.

It is understood that private contrac tors, with necessary plant, etc., are in terested, but not as sub-contractors to the Department.

FOR many years past, private tipper truck contractors to the Department of Works & Housing have received an hourly rate of 25/-.

Interim Orders —a firm order—issued by the Department, covering the hire, have always specified the rate at 25/-. Re cently, without notice or warning to the contractors, the amount was decreased to 22/6, and payments effected at the new rate. When the matter was brought un der notice of the Officer-in-Charge, Lae, he advised that he was quite unaware of the change until it had been brought un der his notice by contractors.

From inquiries made it appears that the change was made by an official in Port Moresby office of the Department, based on some old formula in existence in

Queensland some years ago. An as surance has been given that the balance will be paid at an early date. However, as the most recent Treasury acknowledg ments are based on 22/6 per hour, the outcome is awaited with interest.

MT LAMINGTON, still in a very active state, has been the cause of severe “shakes” in this area. A recent tremor lasted for just on one minute and

was the most severe one since 1945. In one home a refrigerator was moved six inches, sewerage pipes were broken, and crockery thrown about in an alarming manner. Natives fled in every direction, and the air strip was the gathering place for most of them.

THE final of the Levien Trophy matches for this season will take place at Wau towards the end of March, the old rivals —Lae and Wau—competing. The

final match of the home and home senes between Lae and Bulolo resulted in an uninspiring win for Lae, who secured the greatest number of points for the season.

Wau, as the holders of the trophy, have the right of challenge. Before the year passes it is probable that an inter-island series of matches will be arranged bet ween the Morobe District, Port Moresby and Rabaul.

Mrs. Flo Stewart has donated a shield for this competition, but travelling costs have been against fruition of the scheme to date.