Notes From Rabaul

Rabaul Area In Deluge

RABAUL, April 2.

The whole of the Bismarck Archi pelago-Bougainville area has been sub jected to continuous, soaking rains for the past couple of weeks, with the result that roads have been damaged, telephone services put out of action, air services dislocated and all shipping delayed through inability to load and unload in the ports. March had 14V2 inches and inches fell in the first two days of April. With flooded houses and leaking roofs, Rabaul looks forward to a miserable Easter.

Transport Wanted

Insufficient transport and inadequate housing were matters discussed at the annual meeting of the Rabaul Branch of the Public Service Association on March 31. The efforts of the Town Council to establish a local bus service will be sup ported. The Moresby motion, for com pulsory membership of the Association, was discussed, but no action taken.

Office-bearers: President: Mr. M. Munro; Secretary: Mr. R. Boyan; Committee: Messrs. Gall, Healey, Laing, Sister Jones and Miss Egan.

Death Of A Native

There has been a lot of official investi gation into the death of a middle-aged native labourer named Gangana, on Mala Plantation, Namatanai; and at one stage the manager, George Charles Edwards, was charged with unlawful killing.

Gangana claimed he was sick; Edwards believed he was malingering; so Edwards told Gangana to go and wash himself so that he might examine him and take his temperature. Gangana resisted, and he was forced into the sea and forcibly washed, and then he collapsed and died.

There was no evidence as to the real cause of death. Edwards was fined £25 for common assault.

The New Britain Council is urging thi medical certificates are as necessary fi newly recruited natives as for timi expired ones.

The New Generation

On March 22, a daughter was born i Mr, and Mrs. John Adams. Mrs. Adaa is the daughter of New Guinea’s pre-wi Government Secretary, Mr. H. H. Pag

I Mr. Adams is the son of Mrs. Una ims, of Pallangat Plantation. Anne ! Adams can therefore be declared rltorian-true. [r. and Mrs. Geoff Cook have a son, Blair, born on March 20, at the opean Hospital, Namanula. Mr. Cook m the staff at the Keravat Education ,tre. [r. and Mrs. J. McNamara’s daughter born on March 20. Mr. McNamara is a nber of the Colyer Watson staff. [r. and Mrs. lan Fisher report a son, a on March 25. Mr. Fisher is Senior irator of Radio Telephone Communi ons.

Good Shooting In Rabaul

fter being dormant for some time, i g to inability to obtain ground able as a rifle range, the Rabaul Rifle > has become active again; and on ch 15, thanks to the kindness of the opo Club, a competition took place at opo, and the following were the ers in some very good scores:— . P. Howard 1 olloway Senior and Junior (tied) 2 George 3 le Club’s membership is growing and officials are eager to maintain rities.