Dentistry In Samoa.

Letter to the Editor, IN your paper dated April, 1933, your Samoa correspondent states that people in need of dental treatment have to go from Apia to Pago-Pago for dental treatment. That is not correct, as we have a splendid hospital in Apia, with three good doctors and nine firstclass white nurses, besides about 18 to 20 native nurses, and patients can have any anaesthetic required. There is a fully qualified dental surgeon, and the latest fittings for all classes of work have been installed. Therefore, the people are well cared for.

Such statements as made by your correspondent are misleading. There is no room for a shoe-maker here. He would starve, as we have a shoe maker, and the natives all go without boots.

Should such reports continue in your paper, I shall take action against your correspondent, as it is not fair to the public to be so misled. In fact, the natives are tbo well catered for: they have everything they want, and pay no tax.

The only thing that we have not got is a lunatic asylum. It is a pity we have not, as it would be a splendid place for some newspaper writers to recover in. We also have a dental clinic, where the children get every attention for five shillings per head per year. I do not think Sydney can say as much.

Apia, at present, is going through a trying time, owing to copra only bring ing £5 per ton on the beach, and bananas

3/- per case, with the result that there is no money in the place. Every one is hard up, but is hoping- for business to improve later on.

I am, etc.,

M. J. Sheldon,

Apia, Surgeon Dentist.

Samoa, 27/7/33.

Senator Sir Walter Kingsmill, of the Commonwealth Parliament, will visit Papua at the beginning of next month.

He intends leaving Sydney by the “Macdhui” on August 30, and will visit Wanigela in connection with his com pany’s proposal to grow sugar cane on their property in Collingwood Bay, South-eastern Papua.

Sir A. G, Murchison Fletcher, K.C.M.G., Governor of the Colony of Fiji, left England on July 9, en route to Fiji, and arrived in Suva by the “Niagara” on August 3. His Excellency has been on a holiday visit to London for the past few months, Mr. C. B. Buxton, who has occupied the position of C.P.S. and acting P.M. at Thursday Island for the past 3 years, has been transferred to Brisbane. Dur ing July there was a round of farewell gatherings, arranged by various organi sations and townspeople, in honour of the departing magistrate and Mrs. Bux ton, both of whom have made many friends during their sojourn on the Island.

A dividend of 1/- per share payable on August 30, has been declared by the directors of Guinea Airways Ltd.

Dividend on the same basis was paid in May last.