"Medicine" Issue
p. 64 · Read in the full issue
Celebrations Wait on the "Medicine" Issue Peace Comes to Rarotonga
From Our Own Correspondent
Rarotonga, Aug. 19.
W-DAY came very quietly to Raro tonga. At 4.30 p.m., on Wednes day, August 15, the Rarotonga Defence Force, Returned Soldiers, Boys’
Brigade, and Girl Guides, paraded before the Administration building and residents gathered to hear the Resident Commissioner, Mr. W. Tailby, read the official proclamation. Afterwards, the Defence Force, under their commanding officer, Second Lieutenant G. Shaw, used some of their long-held ammunition, and shot-up rocks on the edge of the reef.
Later in the evening they gave a fire works display by loading their machine guns with tracer shells and bombarding the rusting cylinders of the old “Maitai’s” engine, which stands upright on the outer edge of the Avarua reef.
It cannot be said that Rarotonga went wild for there was little to go wild with on this theoretically dry island. Euro peans appealed in vain for a permit for a bottle with which to celebrate the great occasion, and had to be consoled with the promise of a special permit of a bottle of spirits for medicinal purposes on Thursday afternoon.
Unfortunately, there were more permits issued than there were bottles, so it was a case of first come first served, and the devil of despair take the hindmost.
Rarotonga regrets being unable to record, for posterity, that 15 tons of broken bottles were swept up in the streets the following morning.
As the fruit steamer was working m the Group it was decided to postpone the official holidays and celebrations until after the vessel had left Rarotonga, and all business in connection with it haa been concluded. Therefore, Friday and Saturdav August 17 and 18, were named as public holidays. This deiayed-action celebration naturally lost something m SP Friday passed quite quietly and most Europeans saved their precious bottl of medicine for a little Jollity ™ P 1 evening. The Maoris appeared to find a fair supply of their favourite bush-beer, and gathered in them bush sneakeasies for a sing-song. Bo J n . r 1 !® burned at night on hill-tops around the was an all-day sports carni val.