Bougainville Co. Wins Rabaul Land Case

The Rabaul harbour-front lease of the Bougainville Company has been extended to 25 years. The matter has been in dispute for some months. (See July PIM, page 23).

THE Papua-New Guinea Land Court, sitting in Rabaul re cently, heard lengthy evidence regarding rival claims.

When the Company made applica tion for a lease extension, several months ago, Messrs. Burns Philp (NG) Ltd. said it had a prior claim, because the land formerly was held by a BP subsidiary. However, the whole matter now has been amicably settled, and the BP interests will be compensated by a lease of land elsewhere.

Mr. Dudley Jones represented the Bougainville Company before the Land Board, and Mr. J. I. Cromie went over from Moresby to present the Burns Philp claim.

The Bougainville Company has made solid progress since it bought the Polurrian a few years, and its green and yellow flag now is well known in the numerous ports it services in the eastern end of the Territory. It has just extended its operations by becoming agent for Vacuum Oil in the Bougainville area.

Details of the purchase by the Company of Mission ship Southern Cross VII are published in the News of Pacific Shipping, this issue.

Captain Bill Hallam, of Polurrian, and a native crew will go to Syd

ney in January to take the South Cross to its new field of operan: —about 40 ports in Bougainty Buka and the adjoining arc pelagoes of Nissan, Fead and An l t A scale of local income taxn replace the former New Zeal! scale had been announced in > Cook Is. It ranges from 6dt 8/- in the £1 for individuals, w! company tax ranges from 1/1 5/- in the £l.