P-Ng Administration Releases
pp. 27-29 · Read in the full issue
It Could Have Been Never, Of Course —
Some Warangoi Land
Five blocks of land, in all, approximately 1,930 acres, have been made available for leasing in the Warangoi Valley of New Britain.
THIS follows many years of agitation by private individuals and such organisations as the Returned Soldiers’ League for this fertile area about 30 miles from Rabaul, to be thrown open to agriculture.
The first person to see the possibilities of the Warangoi was probably Mr. J. L. Chipper, of Rabaul, whose sawmilling company has, for a number of years, been cutting timber in the valley.
Mr. Chipper visited the valley before the war when it was regarded as part of the local bad-lands by neighbouring natives. It had no native population and at the time he first explored it, no local native would accompany him as it was alleged to be the haunt of “Mokokols”—a nomadic New Britain tribe which is feared by other natives.
Since the war, Chipper interests have been working the river valley for timber and have urged many times that they be permtted to replant the areas so cleared with cocoa. They have been refused.
The local Branch of the RSSAILA has also tried to have some part of the area allocated for soldiersettlement.
The Administration has conducted a long series of delaying tac apparently designed to kill off all contenders through frustration.
There have been land-surveys, population-surveys; and much research into ancient native history, real and invented, through which
it was established, to the satisfac tion of authority, if no one else, that the Warangoi was “owned” by a small village situated at a good safe distance from the old Bad Lands.
But now—after about 10 years shilly-shally—five blocks are to be made available, applications closing March 4. However, setting up in agriculture in P-NG is not the simple thing that it is in most countries and a man applying for a block of land is vetted as thoroughly as if he were seeking the hand in marriage of a Person age of the Blood Royal, To quote from the P-NG Gov ernment Gazette of January 3: « A u applications, which must made on the prescribed form, w m subsequently come before the Land Board of the Territory of New Guinea at a time and date of whicn a u applicants will be notified.
Applicants may appear before ttie Board either in person or by agent.
Applicants will be required to pro duce acceptable evidence, document ary or otherwise, as to the possession 0 f suitable experience and financial resources, supported by bank or other references, for development of this land.
And> ag a flnal warning t 0 in . tending suitors, this piece of advice ls glven : & . • Applicants are warned in their own interests that considerable capital will be required to establish and develop these blocks.
electric kitchens in the South Pacific”.) The three remaining hotels were ‘packed out” and boardinghouses and private homes had heavy de mands made upon them.
Suva was slightly comforted, therefore, to learn that a licence to operate the Club Hotel bar in the partly-built “South Seas Hotel” bad been granted to Northern Hotels Limited, and that the build ing of the hotel (halted over two pears ago) will be resumed by Morris Hedstrom Limited.
It may not be called South Seas Hotel, however. Sir Hugh Ragg, [lead of Northern Hotels Ltd., says that when his Company takes over the lease, they probably will call it the Club Hotel, in order to keep alive a name that was well and happily known in old Suva.
Sir Hugh said that the new hotel would not have more than 20 or 30 bedrooms; but it would be fitted iut as a first-class hotel, witn modern amenities, including air jonditioned bedrooms.
Apart from this Club-South Seas Hotel, there is no sign of any further building to relieve the hotel shortage in Fiji.
Nothing more has been heard of the plan to build a new hotel in Lautoka, since a licence for a 16bedrooms building was granted by the Court many months ago to a Sydney man.