Rabaul News

Commerce and New Leg.

Council

Rabaul, Sept. 30.

THE Rabaul Chamber of Com merce has resolved that it will take no part in nominating or supporting a candidate for election to the new Legislative Council, as a protest against what it calls the very undemocratic constitution of the Council.

When the Minister was here re cently, the Chamber urged a re constitution of the Council, on the

ground that it was useless to elect three European members to a coun cil of 29, when 26 of the members were either Government officials or nominees.

Mr. Hasluck told the Chamber that he could not hope to amend the Papua-New Guinea act (which de fined the constitution of the Coun cil) within two years. He said the Government must have some ex perience of the working of the Council as now constituted before it could propose any alteration. He also argued that the election of 3 members to the Council would give non-official Europeans a chance to express their views.

The Chamber, however, insisted that a Council comprising 26 offi cials and official nominees, and only 3 elected persons, was funda mentally undemocratic and, from its inception, an instrument of the Administration. It argued that as the Australian Socialist Govern ment which planned such a Coun cil had been thrown out of office in Australia, the present Australian Government would be justified im mediately in revising the consti tution of the Council.

As no official action was proposed in this direction, the Chamber cided to hold itself aloof from the Council election.

Destruction Of Cargo

rE Advisory Council at its Sep tember meeting, urged that, there should be a public in quiry into what it called the wanton; destruction of cargo during the un loading of vessels at the Govern ment wharf. The Council thinks that the inquiry should be made ur public and treated as a matter oft urgency.

Watch On Volcanoes

fIIHE apathy of the Administra- J[ tion in relation to the con-, struction and equipment of s building, wherefrom the vulcanolo- < gist stationed at Rabaul may watch the volcanoes were strongly con-i demned by the Advisory Council in September.

The Council said that owing W the absence of an observatory building, chemical equipment was at present lying idle in Rabaul arm

other essential equipment, availably

in Australia, was also lying idle. the maintenance of such an obseri vatory is considered essential to the safety of Rabaul, it is felt that thru is a matter of some urgency.

It was subsequently announces bv the Works & Housing that thee had accepted a tender for the erect tion of an observatory building ana residence on a site overlookinn Rabaul.

Wharf Relief Promised

Plans have been drawn' for tfcT construction of a small wharf ao jacent to the copra wharf, exclm

sively for the loading of out-going cargo on inter-island vessels. It will accommodate two 300-tonners, or the equivalent in smaller vessels, and will cost about £20,000. This should allow a quicker turn-around of the small ships, which in turn ivill do much to shift the accumu lation of copra on plantations.

Wharfage facilities in Rabaul have been totally inadequate for rears. The pontoon wharf, known is the Customs Wharf, is continu illy in need of repair, while the BP vharf at Malaguna is practically inusable.

The Administration has made use if a Japanese wreck to serve as a eceiving wharf for copra from nter-lsland vessels and these oastal vessels simply await their urn in berthing at this or the Customs wharf.

New W & H Mess

Many residents wonder whether ley will be required to move to le proposed township at Rapopo hey are impressed by the erection : a new mess for Works and Hous ig employees. This building, when nished. will accommodate 150, with nple refrigeration and cooking icilities and quarters for native irvants.

Kokopo Celebrates

An annual event held pre-war was -instated on Commemoration Day

by the residents of Kokopo, in the form of a Gymkhana. Since the war years, a sports day such as this has not been held at Kokopo, so it was decided by the Committee of the Sports Club to again hold this event annually, which they hope will become as popular as pre-war. This year’s Gymkhana was a great suc cess.

Jap Mine Exploded

Residents, on September 26, heard a loud report, like a bomb explo sion. A very severe storm during the previous week-end had caused

, Japanese nune to break away from . moorings on the harbour floor and seen floating near the ?}?? th . of H l6 harbour by natives off Harbour Master Copeland and Police officials found it was a mine and it was se w d wreck outside the har hour Then a bomb disposal squad went out and exploded it. i u» NO am.

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