Su Va’S South Seas

licence Trouble For—

Luxury Hotel

►ENEWAL of the Club Hotel * licence for 1955, was refused the Magistrate’s Court in Suva, f, at the end of the year, but the sting licence was entended one »nth, to December 31, 1954. [JVA’S ancient Club Hotel was partly demolished in the hurri cane of January, 1952, and the t of it was pulled down shortly erwards. A bar operated in iporary quarters. Morris Hed )m Ltd., who owned the premises, lounced that they would con- Lict a five-storey modern hotel the site, and work on this began the end of 1952. 5y September, 1953, when Suva 5 hit by a severe earthquake, the und floor was completed, the bar 3 functioning and part of the t floor had been commenced, ictural damage was sustained by building in the quake, and work sed. The architects who designed had not taken eathquakes— lerto almost unknown in Suva— ) their building calculations.

Pnsiderable civic dissatisfaction [ been expressed in Suva re tly at the failure of the company >roceed with the building. Morris Istrom Ltd. announced, however, December, that building would jmmence in 1955. fhen complete the hotel will take fiiests —this will do something to sVe the acute hotel accommoda i shortage in Fiji’s capital.