Do You Remember ?

From PIM of 20 Years Ago.

THE same things exercised the

minds of Pacific Islands resi dents 20 years ago—the inter national situation, the price of copra, even fashions (tube-like dresses that came high to the neck and low to the ankle). Gold and speculation about gold were the ex

ceptions. Eclipsed to-day (except

in BSIP), it was a big factor in Islands economics in June, 1936.

Here are some other items which made the news in PIM of that date: A whooping-cough epidemic which had been raging in Apia and surrounding districts of Western Samoa for a month, had already caused 500 deaths. sjs % ❖ KPM shipping line announced that the new 4,000 tons "Maetsuycker" would replace "Van Rees" on the Saigon-Java-SW Pacific service.

The new ship was named for a former governor of NEI.

Sir Walter Carpenter made "an emphatic public statement" that his firm would com mence a Sydney-New Guinea air service at the end of June (using a Gannet twin-engined plane) despite the fact that "so far I have not been successful in obtaining the Federal authorities' permission". He said that he would carry the matter as far as a Royal Commission into aviation in New Guinea "if . (The Sydney-New Guinea service did not, in fact, start in regular operation until 1938). * * * Sir Murchison Fletcher, who had been

governor of Fiji since 1929, left the C( to become Governor of Trinidad.

"The well-known Salamaua Hotel, establi by Mrs. Allen Innes, has been purchase! a group of three."

A Fiji trading company gave, in a circ a number of reasons why the price of ( was low. Some of the reasons: Import re! tions by licence, duties and quotas; restrii in production; restriction in consumption; tension of barter business; disregard of sanctity of commercial contracts by go ments; currency devaluation; fear of ij fear for the gold bloc.

V 'i' ■ ■ A vessel had been chartered by a pari the BSIP to search for gold in Malaitaj the same time a somewhat sour note from Guadalcanal: "Work proceeds Guadalcanal) without fuss or excitement.! shows which were marked by excitemeni seem to have petered out".

Eric de Bisschop, who is currently bui a raft in Papeete in order to perform a re!

Ron Tiki (see May PIM) was, just 20 ago, building another strange craft (tw« ft canoes joined by decking) in Hawaii, and a companion aimed to sail the P to prove the origin of Polynesians. (T\| years on they are still trying to prove j of course). sjc ❖ Say that again! From our fashion n "A siren in silver —slim, svelte and sop cated—envelops her beauty in a wra| startling loveliness evolved from lame tafff a dreamlike material with a softly crun tinfoil air but which, alas, is most unsuifj tropic climes."