News Notes From

Lae

From Our Own Correspondent LAE, June 30.

Building

THERE has been considerable activity in building projects in Lae during the past month.

The new Shell Company distributing depot, in Air Corps Road, adjacent to the bulk installation plant of the Vacuum Oil Company, is almost completed and already the Company has moved in.

The main bulk installation for the Shell Company will be at Port Moresby.

Milfordhaven Road is the scene of much activity where the Department of Works & Housing is erecting stores and work shops buildings, covering a large area.

Burns Philp will also be commencing on bulk stores in the wharf area, while the new Customs shed at the Lae wharf is well under way.

On top, in the new Town area, staff quarters are being erected for the De partments of Civil Aviation and Works & Housing, and the new Masonic Temple is nearing completion.

The New Hotel Cecil is having all in terior fittings and furnishings completed, but the date of opening is still in doubt.

A new structure is even appearing at the Lae European Hospital. It is built up against the male ward, and is to provide better lavatory and washing accommo dation for male patients. Its position, however, does not appear to be in the best interests of the patients.

Almost completed in Air Corps Road, at the rear of the section to be occupied by Works and Housing in Milfordhaven

Road, are 13 steel structures of the Sid ney-Williams type, complete with brand new galvanised iron roofing and walls, and concrete floors. Out-buildings, and mess rooms are also provided.

Local builders estimate the total cost, including materials and labour to be in the vicinity of £25,000. They are intended to house W&H native labourers.

Meantime the Department is experienc ing a shortage of European staff and can not make further engagements owing to shortage of accommodation. Some of the men are now living in renovated “paper” war-time structures, where sanitation facilities are of the lowest type.

With such a shortage of galvanised iron and cement, the lavish consideration shown to the native housing project seems to some to be a bit over the fence.

Births

A NUMBER of births were reported at the European Hospital during June —all girls. For the second time since 1946, twins were born—the parents on this occasion being Mr. and Mrs. George Barcroft, of the Department of Forestry, Yalu.

Other residents who became proud parents of daughters were Mr. and Mrs.

G. Eekhoff (Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd,); Mr. and Mrs. Bob Haughey (Shell Coy.); Mr. and Mrs. Jack McArthur (Lae Taxis);

Mr. and Mrs. R. Martin (Customs Dept.); and Mr. and Mrs. R. Mears (Dept, of Civil Aviation).

THE action of the District Commissioner, Mr. H. L. R. Niall, in making avail able for full time duties, native labour to keep the General cemetery grounds in order has been well received by residents.

Situated in low-lying ground near the western end of the airstrip, the cemetery always appeared to be hidden by the heavy growth of grass, etc. Already the area has been cleared and paths and graves are receiving attention.

LAE weather in June was outstanding for the torrential rains experienced.

In one period of 17 days, over 27 inches were recorded; the heaviest fall for any one 24 hours was 890 points.

Low-lying areas were flooded and the roads and culverts in the beach area of the town suffered considerably. Erosion along the water front near the baths is continuing at an alarming rate and a col lapse of the baths is a possibility in the near future.

The heavy rains showed up the unsatis factory drainage of the new sports area in the town, but an effort is now being made to level off the surface by hand spreading material. Whether this method will have the desired result remains to be seen.

Football matches are still being played on the old ground in Busu Road, but cricketing enthusiasts who last year laid down a new concrete wicket at the town oval are hopeful that the ground will be available for the 1951-52 series of matches.

Postal Charges

ONE of the anomalies in the postage system of New Guinea and Papua is the necessity to affix full air mail rates between Port Moresby and New Guinea towns and vice versa.

There are, it is understood, certain days when ordinary mail rates apply, but no clear information is available as to when these occur.

The only means of prompt delivery is by air, and as ordinary rates apply in air services from Lae to other New Guinea areas, it is felt that the additional charges f or p o rt Moresby and Rabaul mails are unreasonable, as the only other medium is per ship mail, which is so irregular as to render such a service useless, pirTCTßirinv

Car Registration Costs

TAETAILS just announced of the new ±J scale of charges for motor registra tions in Papua and New Guinea, designed to bring the Territory’s road code into

Native Labourers’ Quarters.

line with those of Australian States, in dicate an almost 50 per cent, increase on existing rates in New Guinea, where re gistration of motor vehicles has been in force for some years.

The new rates range from £4/4 - to £l5/15/-, and will apply for the first time in Papua, where registration has not been required before.

In an area where army-type vehicles, with left hand drive outnumber conven tional vehicles by 5 to 1, owners are slightly amused at the requirement to have the words “left hand drive” dis played in three inch letters at the rear

of the vehicle, as a warning to the lesser numbered right-hand types.

The regulations are framed as a safety measure, and provision is made for of fences against packed vehicles used in transporting native labour. At the pre sent time, the Administration vehicles are the worst offenders in this respect, and the general public will appreciate the li mitation, as well as the fixing of a speed limit within certain town boun daries.

Native drivers, with absolutely no road sense, form the major section of persons in charge of vehicles, and in an effort to instil some idea of official requirements, the police will issue a pamphlet setting out the new road-safety code, printed in English, Pidgin and Motu.

The Department of Education will be hard pressed to cope with the inevitable demand to teach the greater percentage of native drivers to read before the manuals will be of any benefit.

Personal

ASSISTANT Sub-Inspector Mike Brown, who has been on extended leave has returned to take up duties again in Lae. With his family, he spent most of his leave with relatives in New Zealand.

Mr. Arthur Hyde, well-known business man from Finschhafen, and a frequent visitor to the mainland, has finalised his business affairs in the Territory and has left for South.

Mrs. Bob Beverley, a well-known Lae hostess, who has been spending a lengthy vacation in Sydney, returned on the last Bulolo, as did Messrs. Ike Bitten and Col.

Hodgson, well-known Bulolo Gold Dredg ing identities.

Mr. and Mrs. Les Hawkens (he was in charge of the Bulolo Post Office) left for

furlough on the Bulolo and will be re lieved by Mr. Dave Mills, of the Lae office.

Another business identity who has re linquished his activities in Lae is Mr. A.

E. Hosie, who, for many years, has been a leading building and joinery contractor in Lae. Most of his plant and equipment was shipped on the Bulolo to Hornibrook’s of Port Moresby, and the remainder of the business, including properties, build ings, etc., have been purchased by Bunt ings. Mr. Hosie will take a lengthy vacation South before returning to the Islands.

Mr. John Baker, who has been acting manager for BP’s in Lae for some time, has left for relieving duty at Madang, and later at Rataaul. He will return to Lae some time in the New Year before pro ceeding on leave. • Miss Flora Stewart, daughter of Mrs.

Flo Stewart, well-known owner of the Hotel Cecil, Lae, has returned from an overseas trip which took in quite a large section of India. Formerly with Vacuum Oil Coy’s office staff, Miss Stewart is as sisting her mother in the task of pre paring for the transfer to the new hotel.

Administration Surveyor Brook Webb, still in hospital after an operation to his knee, is. rapidly improving but will be off duty for some time yet.

Contractor Jack Parnell, another old timer, has been ill for some time and finds hospital life extremely irksome after a full and useful period of years in the Territory.

At the end of June Mr. James Hill, Senior Transport Officer of the Vacuum Oil Coy, Lae, was married to Miss Betty Haller, of East Melbourne, Victoria. The ceremony took place in the Lutheran Mission and guests were entertained later at a reception at Voco Mess.

Dissatisfied Tourist

PASSENGERS on the recent visit of Bulolo were critical at the lack of interest shown by the owners in the welfare of tourists at various ports of call in the Territory.

It was felt that as they had been at tracted by publicity as to the sightseeing potentialities throughout the trip, they should not have had to make their own arrangements for tours while in port.

Two prominent Melbourne business exe cutives, who were able to cover a lot of ground while the Bulolo was in port at Lae, at the end of June, were full of praise for the town, although they had been in formed by ship’s officers that Lae was a most uninteresting place.

If the tourist is of value to the Terri tory, it should be worth while seeing that every facility is available to enable him to obtain a good impression of places visited.