Ly 14 Nearly Out
p. 41 · Read in the full issue
HEN the Assemblee Territoriale, under the influence of Messrs.
Pouvanaa a Oopa, Jean tiste, Ceram Jerusalemy and rs, decided that the July 14 jtille Day) celebrations should cancelled in Tahiti this year, e was a rare outburst of in the famous old ich Territory. r the better part of a century, 14 has been Tahiti’s great lal festival, and it has become jasingly popular. It is visited, year, by an increasing number yerseas visitors. ie revelry—and especially the fe dancing and singing—are ned upon by the Tahitian malists, not because they it to dancing and singing, but use they do not like to see ■ people “making monkeys of iselves” for the entertainment ie Europeans. d w e v e r , the conservative ents led by M. Alfred Poroi, for of Papeete and President ie July 14 Festivities), made a t appeal to the Governor to aside the Assemblee itoriale’s decision. In this, were supported by M. Gayon, stary-General. e Governor granted the jst, and July 14 will be rated as usual.
ist Interests Say Tahiti's
Guardians Are Too Strict e announcement that the on Line has abandoned all of erecting and operating a st hotel in Tahiti, largely
because of local regulations, has angered some people interested in the development of the tourist traffic there.
It is said that the chief reason for the hold-up is the insistence of the French administration that, if such a hotel is to be provided, it must be staffed by Tahitians.
The Company’s view is that, while Tahitians are very charming people, they usually are unsuitable as hotel servants, and cannot be trained. The Matson officials therefore decided that as they cannot take their trained servants to Papeete, they will keep their tourists aboard their own ships (luxurious floating hotels) in Papeete Harbour, and allow the travellers extended opportunities to wander ashore.
That way, of course, the travellers are comfortable; but they will leave very much less money in Tahiti.
M. Walter Grande, of Papeete, President of the Assemblee Territoriale, before he left for Paris early in May, said he would make the strongest representations in Paris against the attitude of the Government officials. He would ask the National Assembly to liberalise the various laws and regulations, so as to encourage the free entry and departure of all except undesirable people, to allow the Matson Line to bring in their trained hotel servants if they wished to do so. and to permit anyone to tender for big public works like the projected air strip, oil tanks, etc.