Do You Remember ?

From RIM of 20 Years ago

NEW Guinea was the big news In our issue of June, 1937

that Territory having struck

a patch of news-worthy happenings

that would have caused a rash of headlines to-day—and even in those more conservative days caused the

Australian rival dailies, Sydney

Morning Herald and Daily Telegravh

to charter special planes and make

expensive arrangements to get the

story (and the pictures) first.

Here are some items from our issue of 20 years ago: About eight pages of that June issue were devoted to a description of the Rabaui eruption which began on May 28, 1937, with earth tremors. On May 29, Vulcan—formerly a small fiat island—erupted and built up a cone 600 feet high, and on May 30 Matupi crater followed suit. The population of Rabaui was evacuated to a tent-town at Kokopo and on June 9 the Burns Philp steamer "Montoro" took 75 women and children, at Government expense, to Australia. Two Europeans lost their lives and a month after the eruption over 400 natives were still missing.

About 10 days after the eruption, with the actual danger passed, there arose sharp conflict between the Administrator and the civilians as to whether Rabaui was again habitable or not. The Administrator said it was; most resi dents said it was not. The conflict as to whether Rabaui was fit for a capita! con tinued from then until a few years ago— when it was decided that, taking everything into consideration, it was still the best place in New Britain for a town. ❖ ❖ ❖ En route form Lae to Madang on June 20, 1937, the Burns Philp flag-ship of the Sydney- New Guinea service, MV "Macdhui", was damaged by two fires that broke out on board, and she was left drifting with engines disabled.

In response to SOS calls, BP's "Neptuna" reached her the following day, picked up her

passengers and towed her to Salarr which port she sailed direct toi Passengers were loud in their prais master. Captain A. Campbell, and who fought the first fire in the eng; and the later fire in the hold.

It was announced that a contra weekly air-mail service from Sydney 1 with calls at intermediate points, let to W. R. Carpenter and Co., initial period of five years. Carpei ordered three DH 868 planes from Bl it was expected that they would service in January, 1938. Calls would at Brisbane, Cooktown, Port Mores and Salamaua, and 15 passengers carried as well as mails. (Things havi since then! Wau was the centre of . ing gold-mining industry then, am small farming community as it is ton of course, to-day Salamaua simply exist as a town at all).

Amongst other Coronation Day Fiji had the foundation stone laid new Government Offices. In a le< under the stone were buried copies day's "Fiji Times", "Shanti Dut" (tt newspaper) and the Fijian journal "N.l The CSR Co. reported that the pc pineapples in Fiji has proceeded a: expected and fulfilment of the expes can and pack a crop next year cam seen". ❖ ❖ ❖

Note On Cost Of Living: Accord

advertisement in that issue, you o at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva 17/6 per day". (The advertisemem June, 1957, issue says "from 55/-