[?]Gns Of Silly
p. 163 · Read in the full issue
Eason In Suva
[E USS Co. Matua was far down the channel, out of Suva Har bour, one morning in late April, n two frantic young New Zea l girls arrived at the dockside. y were tourist round-trippers, they had mistaken the ship’s ng-time. lion SS Co. officials grabbed a ch, bounced the ladies into it, chased the Matua. But the race to the strong—the Matua had much start —and the very dis ;ed NZ girls, luggageless and idless —were brought back to the rf. ficialdom immediately raised an rnational problem of status and idle. It was pointed out that s wretched girls had no right tever to be in the Colony of The fact that they were there nhappy accident did not placate haughty Czars of the Immigra section. They were outraged offended. They called the police, uon SS Co. officials protested, iy this was a matter for sensible stment with the head of the irtment. [migration were not to be de id of their prey. The two girls, ely guided by policemen and igration officials, were haled he Magistrate’s Court —to the ; where thieves and thugs and re prostitutes are dealt with. r were charged with the heinous ce of being in Fiji without lission, or something like that, e magistrate, Mr. Sanders (who only just arrived in Fiji from Africa) seemed a little sur d. He heard the official’s ex ation —and promptly dismissed charge as “frivolous.” the Fiji Times remarked, clous” was scarcely the word, e thing did not end there, itable people took charge of the girls, and they were accommo i in a private house, to await ance of rejoining the Matua. following morning a police car ally called a “Black Maria”— led by a crew of three uni id policemen, pulled up in front e house, and insisted that the girls should proceed forthwith e court. lignant protests and explana followed. then appeared that Immigra and Police somehow had got wires crossed. Police did not that the case had already been e the court, and thrown out. nment on the case in Suva •sts that there are some ms of the British Colonial ce in Fiji which are due and ue for overhaul.