Solve Its

The Old Argument Again

Rabaul Tries To

Pool Problems

From a Rabaul Correspondent Swimming pool facilities ir Rabaul —which for years have, been restricted to European use only—are in the news again following a move in the town for the establishment of a public swimming pool. r[E move has come from insi Rabaul Town Advisory Count where a three-member su committee is now preparing fat and figures for presentation by t council to the Papua New Guin Administration.

The membership of the su committee is: • Mrs. A. Phillips, a cub-mistro who once had a rude awakenii when she took a group of you Chinese boys for a swim in t present pool, and was told they we not allowed there. © Mrs. P. Woods, an active worU in church organisations, who at a stage is understood to ha suggested (most rashly in Rabau that the present pool should opened to all comers. • Mr. G. D. Kent, a straigH talking businessman who has t) double distinction of strongly u holding the all-white policy of tt swimming pool (he is a meml of the committee controlling ii and who at the same time advocating the proposed new poc Since the formation of the sc committee, its general feeling 11 boiled down to one of agreeing w Mr. Kent’s point of view, and tH seems to be the attitude which t Town Advisory Council will ado in the matter.

But whether or not Rabaul v

This photograph shows the Rabaul swimn[?] pool as it was immediately on completion 1939. Rabaul people were proud of it. when the Pacific War came it was partly troyed. The pool was not repaired again a few years after the war ended.

: its public pool is a different ttion altogether. It is one £g for the community to [Tally agree that a new pool is iled, but it is another to raise £60,000 at least which will be iled. ne control and operation of the Bent pool is something which :*r fails to make newspaper Jilines in Australia because of race distinction involved. At jsame time the situation should [be viewed over-hastily. w group of Europeans planned [pool in 1938 with the expressed ;y of dedicating it to the lory of Australian soldiers killed he 1914-1918 war, and with the •essed policy of confining its to Europeans. They raised the i.ey themselves (although there a small Government grant) they went ahead and built the

"Destroyed"

:ie pool was destroyed in the :.fic War, and was rebuilt after :ls by the re-formed Rabaul mining and Lifesaving Club. ;; club still owns and controls pool, and is within its legal its in saying who shall use it. uy argument based on legal iinds to throw the pool open :he public is probably doomed failure. i any case there has been some Sestion from members of the nese community in Rabaul that ▼ may be interested in building mol of their own. ny move for a public pool would ime superfluous if this sugges were carried out. fork commenced on the new x View Hotel at Lautoka for lay Hotels (Fiji) Ltd. on March ;nd the building is scheduled to ieady for occupation in 36 weeks, istruction of the same company’s :r tourist hotel at Saweni beach commence before the end of year.

Successful Year For

Pacific Islands Society

The Pacific Islands Society, of Sydney, now in its 23rd year, had a most successful year in 1959, the Society’s annual general meeting has been told. Membership increased, and the monthly meetings held in Sydney were all well attended.

Mr. N. H. Foxcroft was re-elected president for 1960 and vice-pre sidents are Messrs. N. B. Casey, I. A. R. Howell, G. W. Mackaness, H. Sabben and A. Stephan, Hon. secretary-treasurer is Miss M. M. McGann.

[?]abaul swimming baths as they appeared [?]O shortly after being reopened. They had [?]st something of their pre-war beauty.