Notes From French

Oceania

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, Jan. 20.

TO succeed the late M. Georges Ahnne, as Deputy, to represent the interests of the French Establishments of Oceania, Tahiti voters have elected M.

Pouvanaa a Oopa, a man inexperienced in the practices usually considered necessary for the successful administration of that high office.

Boisterous election tactics, lavish ex penditure of money, an avalanche of pam phlets, the genius to outflank the tactics of his opponents—these, together with many political promises, have been the points d’appui from which a memorable election has been waged.

SUNDAY morning, November 8, wit nessed the long anticipated opening of the skating rink at Patutoa. A large crowd clamoured to participate in the inauguration in Tahiti of this ex citing and invigorating pastime. Mr.

Robert Vernier, proprietor of the rink, has shown courage in investing capital which affords “something new in Papeete.”

THE inauguration of the first house of the Economic Dwelling Centre took place at Hauma, October 20, in the presence of Governor Anziani.

The campaign to decentralise, to healthy suburban sites, the disease-infected dis tricts of Papeete is under way. In the near future the first group of attractive and comfortable cottages, provided with running water and electricity, will be ready for occupancy. Families of workers at Papeete will then find respectable ac commodation and the unsightly parts of the city should gradually disappear.

THE United States State Department still has no plans to re-establish a consulate or consular agency in Tahiti. The Department recently an nounced that consular affairs in Tahiti have been transferred to the American consulate in Noumea, New Caledonia. It declared “from that post, it is expected that consular officers will be able to make periodic visits to the Society Islands.”

But Noumea is as far away from Tahiti as is Honolulu—main seat of the US Gov ernment in the Pacific.

M. Anziani, Governor of French Oceania, on his return from his recent survey of the Austral Islands, on Decem ber 2, reported that he found the health conditions there satisfactory, but the need for additional schools was pressing.

His trip was made aboard the French cruiser, Francis Gamier, Tubuai, Rurutu, Rimatara, Raivavae and Rapa were all visited.

Monsieur Raymond Lehartel, who es tablished a splendid record as a volunteer during the late war, has just been elected Third Assistant to the Mayor of Papeete, in place of the late Mi*. Charles Levy.

M. Lehartel, descendant of a pioneer French family, is employed in the Cus toms Service, Papeete.

Monsieur Paul Breniere, Member of the Assemblee Representative at Papeete, has been appointed to represent Tahiti at the South Pacific Conference in Suva in April.

ON the afternoon of December 22, over 20 children from Papeete’s poorer areas were invited by Madame An ziani, the wife of the Governor, to a Christmas tree at Government House.

Each guest received a gift from Pere Noel, and refreshments of cake, lemonade and sweets.

On Christmas Eve, patients of the Colonial Hospital and their friends at

tended a beautifully decorated tree in the grounds of the hospital. Decoiation of the growing tree was the work of nurses at the hospital. Music was sup plied by the orchestra of the Church of Latter Day Saints and all patients who were well enough to attend received gifts from the tree. The Governor and Madame Anziani were among the guests.

FOR the first time for 20 years, a Governor of French Oceania has made a tour of the Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands. Governor Anziani.

Madame Anziani and their party left Papeete in the Naval vessel Francis Gamier early in January and were given a tumultuous welcome wherever they went.

Calls were made at Rangiroa, Kaukura, Apataki, Takaroa and a number of other islands in the Groups. Each call was the occasion for speeches, dancing, singing, and feasting as well as for more formal inspections of schools, buildings and Public Works projects.

Native gifts were showered upon the visitors ahd at Takaroa the party was given an exhibition of pearl diving in the lagoon. Before leaving this island a visit was made to the wrecked British four-masted ship, County of Roxburg. which has been high and dry on the reef since it was swept there by a cyclone on February 7, 1906.

Mr. Anthony Bambridge, Snr.,

has returned to Papeete after a suc cessful business visit to Australia.

He is loud in his praise of the hospitality he received in Sydney, and would like to convey his thanks to those who made his visit there such a pleasant one.

Mr. Bambridge made the round trip in the Messageries Maritimes liner. Ville D’Amiens, and in spite of what has been

said in some quarters regarding conditions on this ship, found cuisine and service excellent.

It is generally regretted in Tahiti that the Messageries Maritimes ships will in future omit calls to Sydney. This service will be missed by the travelling public. (Ed. Note: It was never suggested that the first class accommodation on the Messageries Maritimes ships was any thing but excellent. Certain ships of the line, however, did receive bad publicity in Sydney newspapers a year or so ago when they brought European displaced persons to Australia steerage-class. The company refused to take responsibility for the way in which these migrants had travelled. It was, they said, all arranged by some European travel agency).

Papeete’s popular Postmaster, Monsieur A. M, Pons, accompanied by his family, left for France on the Ville D’Amiens on January 9. It is expected that he will have a long holiday before taking up other duties. Assistant-Postmaster De Quincenet will take over his job in Papeete.