hey Didn’t Spend

aster In Easter Is.

IHE five Easter Islanders who last November, 54 days out, and starving, arrived in a row boat Atiu, Cook Islands, have lately en having an interesting time be g shuttled back and forth between 0 Pacific governments who do not mt them.

Fhe Easter Islanders originally in ided to go to Tahiti —why, we do t know, although they are reported have said that they wanted to isit friends.” Reports on their ire recent adventures have come us from Suva and Papeete.

From Suva: BOUT Christmas the men were 1 shipped to Rarotonga, where they were quartered in a new use and paid 10/- each per day— per diem as it appears in the icial record of expenditure of NZ money.

Fhe new house in which the men re quartered had been erected for jail superintendent who had not ; arrived. n February, the men were shipped Aitutaki, and from there they re flown to their original destina n, Tahiti. The official idea in ! Cook Is. was that the men could n a ship at Papeete to take them Panama, where Chilean officials uld assume command of the con gent of Easter Islanders without ?sports. sut when the plane arrived at hiti the French authorities re ed to let the Eastern Islanders d, and they were flown back to utaki, whence they were again pped to Rarotonga, n March they were shipped back Aitutaki and again flown to tiiti. /feanwhile the villagers at Atiu f e refused to let the Cook Is. ninistration take the Easter inders’ boat to Rarotonga and it to defray expenses. The Atiu pie insist that they are entitled the boat in return for their ipitality to the Easter Islanders en they reached Atiu. t seems that officials in the Cook Tahiti and Chile cannot make their minds what to do with the iter Islanders.

'he five men involved are re ted to be quiet and mild inered, and in no apparent hurry the farcial situation to end.

Phis report comes from Papeete: Tie Government in Tahiti does like the idea of having to sup

port these Easter Islanders here. It takes the attitude that whoever or whatever lands in Papeete is Tahiti’s headache —but why should the Gov ernment be responsible for anyone the New Zealand Government likes to dump on these shores?

I have spoken to the Chilean Consul here and he is of the opinion that the Chilean Government will eventually send the funds for the repatriation of these people—but obviously the funds have not been sent up to date.

The local Police Chief thinks that the Easter Islanders cannot be trusted to go back to their homes by ship if allowed to land in Papeete —he asks what is to stop them tak

ing to Tahiti hills the day the ship is due to leave, and missing it?

ED. NOTE: It is not clear from any of the above where the Easter Islanders are at present, but it is reported (repeat, reported) that the Chilean Consul in Papeete finally produced fares for the return home of the castaways, and that they went on their way some weeks ago. t The new branch of the Common wealth Savings Bank and Common wealth Trading Bank, Goroka, TPNG, will have as manager Mr.

L. F. Reid. Mr. Reid has been Accountant of the Bank’s Lae Branch.