Lae And Its

Will Ye No Come Back, Again?

Tourist Ship

From Pat Robertson WE may not blame any in dividual for the fiasco of Lae’s first tourist ship’s visit; but from the resultant performance it is hoped that those responsible lor the ship have learned enough to make the next visit—in August —more of a success.

The Duntroon, full of tourists, was scheduled to arrive in Lae on June 30. Clubs arranged dances — with specially printed tickets — townspeople made their cars avail able, charter flights to the High lands were arranged, and shop keepers dressed their windows.

However, as there was no wharf available on June 30 —the Bulolo was in—the Duntroon was directed to Rabaul, to visit Lae on the way back.

She was to have arrived at 1 p.m. on July 3, and Thorsisle moved out to accommodate her.

But it was 3.30 p.m. before she was sighted. Another hour passed before she tied up. By the time passengers got to the town it was too late to do anything much ex cept take a quick look around.

Two Meris, One Kundu

The so-called “sing-sing” pro vided by about a dozen dirty-looking wharf-labourers, and a couple of dilapidated Meris, equipped with one kundu and decorated with a few croton leaves over dirty shorts, was a disgrace to the town. Especially so, when we know that the natives love an excuse for a “sing-sing”, and there was plenty of notice of the ship’s arrival. Apparently, no one told the natives about it.

The Lae Club and the RSL Club put on orthodox dances for the visitors in the evening. But the majority of the visitors expressed disappointment that, owing to all this muddling, they were not able to visit our famous inland centres.

At 10 a.m. next day they sailed away—with what kind of an im pression we do not know, but fear to think. ,? ac . k to . Lae > New Guinea, un expectedly in early July, went Mrs.

Dorothy Stewart and her small son Macgregor, she to take over again the management of the Hotel Cecil, it has been expected that Mrs. stewart would go to Mt. Hagen to the new hotel that Mor’obe Hotels Ltd. (owners of the Cecil) flan to build there. But the Mt.

Hagen project is not advanced as ar as was expected.