Western Samoa

No Fire-Fighting Plant in Western Samoa

Letter to the Editor I PRESUME the Government of NZ is responsible for the miserable fire fighting equipment in the town of Apia; and the part it played in the re cent fire at Matafele, when, through lack of equipment beyond a few lengths of rotten hose, the premises of O. F. Nelson & Co. were burned to the ground. Build ings on each side were damaged.

The fire first started through an elec trical fault, in the wiring carrying the power supply. This is typical of Samoa —no conduit, and quite often one wire covered and one bare.

At first, there was a small outbreak be tween the roof and the ceiling. This could have been extinguished in a few minutes with proper equipment. As it was, the fire, within three-quarters of an hour, destroyed everything.

If any wind had been blowing, nothing could have saved the best part of Apia from destruction.

The total fire-fighting equipment con sisted of a few lengths of perished hose, one nozzle, and the native police, as fire men, in their usual dress—shirts and lavalavas, and barefooted! These poor boys worked barefoot during the fire, with nothing, practically, to fight the flames.

The adjacent buildings were saved partly owing to the efforts of these police, who had to keep the sides wet with water brought in buckets!

If NZ is prepared to tax, and impose high duties on the exports of the in habitants, why is she not prepared to

repay Samoa in the form of proper fire fighting facilities? it appears that, from all accounts, NZ is prepared to lie still and grow fat on the proceeds of taxes, duties and other forms of draining Samoa of its wealth; and, in return, to turn a deaf ear to the wants of this lovely Ter ritory.

What a contrast is American Samoa!

It is much smaller, in all ways, but is proud to be in the possession of modern fire equipment.

I am only a visitor to Samoa, but I have travelled throughout the Islands. The Islands administered by NZ are far in ferior in government to Australian or American possessions.

An abundant supply of fire equipment, including booster pumps, was obtained by the EPS in NZ during the war years.

If these, like most Government supplies, were not destroyed, why not send to Apia two pumps and several complete sets of hose, together with the loan of a few ex perienced firemen to train a proper brigade. The native police should also be supplied with boots.

I am, etc.,

Leaga Tonu Samoa.

Sydney, 3/7/46.

Of Tongan interest is the recent en gagement of Miss Patricia Pyne, of Rose ville, Sydney, to Mr. Hendrick van Oud heusden, of The Hague, Holland. Miss Pyne is the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Pyne, and was born in Tonga.

Her father was purser of the ill-fated BP ship “Matunga,” which was captured by the German raider “Wolf” near Rabaul in World War I. Later he went to Tonga and was Collector of Customs in Haapai for many years.