Fakatonga News Flashes

(Fakatonga means: Tongan ways, or do ing anything Tongan fashion.)

By Ofa-Ki-Tonga

Gaol Menace

mHE fakatonga system at Mataki’eua X Gaol does not seem to work at all.

It is nothing for notorious convicts to pop out of gaol for a few hours (or weeks, for that matter), to the discomfort and usually to the heavy losses of law-abid ing citizens. Examples; A very young girl of Hofoa village, was forcibly car ried to the bush; but fortunately, man aged to escape before she was harmed.

One European planter was “cleaned” of almost everything except the clothes he stood in: and the Chief Gaoler himself was threatened with a loaded rifle.

Just now. there are four out, and they have stolen a full-rigged sailing boat and “hopped it.”

Something ought to be done soon, or these dangerous people will get out of hand. , „

Medical Muddle

rE Vaiola Hospital medical service seems to be either understaffed or there is something radically wrong with the system. ' Examples: Serious cases very frequently are held up for days for the want of urgent medical attention. Urgent tele phone messages to the Hospital at times are simplv ignored. Sick people cannot get their full supply of medicine and are told that there is a terrible shortage of drugs, etc. , , , This state of things only breeds con tempt amongst the Tongans for the White Man’s medicine and his method of looking after the sick. No wonder the old native Medicine Doctors, with their leaves, their awful concoctions and their devils, are to the fore again and doing brisk business.

Dust ,

SINCE the Yanks left these shores most of the made roads have been sadly neglected. For the want of a little attention (or tar) now and again, the dust from these roads is a real nuisance.

Stirred up by the slightest of winds, or by passing vehicles, clouds upon clouds of dust sweep into stores, dining rooms, and bedrooms; and the poor open-work thatched houses of natives lying close to the roads get the full blast. More dang erous still, people breathe this germ laden dust and the result is throat, chest and stomach troubles, also quite a lot of cursed conjunctivitis.

Some day, perhaps, we shall have dust less roads—when the Yanks come back.

Fancy Prices

PRICE control in this tiny little King dom (population can be comfortably tucked away in some Australian sheep farm) seems to revel in splitting fractions, much to the annoyance of the Tongans themselves, who are supposed to oe bene fited thereby.

For instance; Australian tea per lb., is 4/61 d. in town, and 4/6id.. in the country. Australian flour per lb., is sld. in town and 53d. in the country; and so on. , It is a headache to storekeepers and customers, for there is no farthing cur rency here (even are not much in circulation); so the customer gets bitten again by having to pay the full penny where it is split up into fractions.

Expensive Bread

mHE present controlled price for a one- X pound loaf of bread is s|d., which is, to say the least, outrageous. It seems mean for a community to be asked

to pay such an extortionate high price for its daily unaviodable maintenance.

Likely remedy: More down-to-earth logic, and less bureaucracy.

Favouritism

THE high aim behind the control of im ports seems to shy off its real target here-i.e. the idea of fair distribution.

That is (as far as Tonga is concerned) the fair distribution, among Tongans as well as Europeans, of imports by store keepers of much-needed foodstuffs, cloth ing and other useful Islands commod ities.

The bigger the firm, the bigger the imports allowed. The “small fry” traders —well they are cared for all right!

Please ask them!

No, fairness is not in it this time only the favoured few get the best pick ings, and the rest have to put up with the barefaced farce.

“Hot” Postage

OUR postage on ordinary mail letters to the British Empire and Protect orates is 2h d. For a mere postcard —2d. What an overcharge! It used to be one penny.

If more revenue is the need, here is a free-of-charge suggestion; There is a little goldmine for the Tongan Post Office if its department was just a little phil atelically-minded. Requirements—l; A new and attractive set of stamps to take the place of the old ones. 2: A Tongan Peace Stamp. 3: A Niuafo’ou Stamp, set ting off the abandonment of the island. (This would create quite a stir in the philatelic world, since the famous Tin- Can-Mail Service must also be aband oned.) • The idea could be taken up in its en tirety or one at a time. Money would be rolling in so fast that even a penny postage-free postcard issued by the Post Office would pay well. There would be no further sense then in postage over charges.

A Puzzle

WE still pay the “Black Market” rate of lid. for an ordinary Airmail letter to Australia, compared with Australia’s s£d. to Tonga. Where is the catch? Don’t ask us for the Airmail postage rates to USA!

In the BBC session “Calling the Is lands” recently, Dr. V. W. T. McGusty, formerly Director of Medical Services in Fiji, discussed with Macu Salato and Man zcor Beg their medical work in tne United Kingdom. Macu Salato and Manzoor Beg are native Medical Practitioners from Fiji who are being given special training in the United Kingdom in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Mr. M. J. Bay is to act as principal of the new Teachers’ Training College at Nasinu, Fiji, when it is opened this month.

A permanent principal - will be appointed later.