When The Law Is

No Law

Officialdom Is Criticised In Fiji

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, May 2.

OINCE the Aorangi arrived from Auckland and Sydney on April 23, resi dents of Suva —that is to say, ordinary people with no official position and no wires that they can conveniently pull— are beginning to wonder just what use are the local health regulations, which decree that an overseas vessel must be granted pratique by the Medical Officer before anyone from the shore can board her.

As the Aorangi pulled alongside the wharf, people waiting patiently outside the wharf gates were astonished to see a prominent local resident (a member of the Legislative Council) who was cer tainly not a returning passenger, leaning over the rail of the ship. The yellow flag, signifying that pratique had not yet been granted, was still flying.

The wife of the honourable gentleman was returning by the Aorangi —but so were the wives of many other local resi dents. Why should this resident be granted the privilege of joining the vessel in the stream from the doctor’s boat, was the general query.

One indignant citizen wrote a letter to the local newpaper about it, but there has been no official explanation forth coming.

On the same occasion, another incident gave rise to considerable feeling. When an overseas liner is berthing, the general public, in the interests of safety and con venience, are kept off the wharf until the ship is tied up and the passengers are ashore and through the customs. This is a great improvement on the old sys tem, whereby people from the shore were allowed aboard immediately the ship was passed by the doctor, causing endless con fusion.

On the arrival of the Aorangi a cus toms officer and the native constable on duty at the gate of the wharf were given instructions that they were to let no one through. Then, along came a very senior official, with his wife and two other ladies, one the wife of a senior official and the other the wife of an ecclesiastical dignitary, who was returning by the liner. They were allowed through—and for this, one cannot altogether blame a somewhat junior custom official and a native policeman.

These people, having got on to the wharf, did not even keep out of sight, but paraded up and down, to the com plete exasperation of the unfortunates compelled to remain outside.

The axiom that there is one law for the rich and another for the poor, is varied in Fiji, so that there is one law for the Government official and another for those outside the service.