[?]!iice Under

[?] Methods

Uced

[?]!iice Under [?] New Commissioner

police force has taken on sv look under the guidance Commissioner R. H. T. t, who arrived in the ast April. At the time imont took over, morale in was low—probably as low d ever been. had been two Royal Com of inquiry into various >f the police organisation be 12 months before Mr. t’s arrival. ?h working quietly and >ively. Mr. Beaumont did long to make his presence ithin the first month of l 1 he had visited personally very police station in the ituted ceremonial passing ides for newly-sworn-in i. Ceremonial parades nd are always a morale )r the Fijians. early stages of taking Beaumont was not inclined public statements, even itters affecting the public, a few weeks ago came in criticism from the local But he showed himself to accept constructive and to acknowledge the :e of good relations the press) between police ic. ■ation between press and Suva is now good, and suit the public is kept y well informed of police The police always will confidence and co-opera le public, when the public lat action is being taken ess crime and outbreaks ;e.

'dice Station will shortly a “nerve” centre. This ation, among others, is the reorganisation pro which Mr. Beaumont has Ting out. mtre, on receipt of a , will radio a car and t to proceed to the scene. :e will operate 24 hours a will be linked with all trol cars and motor cycles with radio, equipment has been by the arrival of eight d 1 waggons, two of which i Suva. There are. also a carrier seating 16 men, ew radio-equipped motor tion to stepping up traffic l Suva, the machines will for long distance patrols iti Levu. No longer will

it be a case of “out of Suva, out of sight.”

A fingerprint expert has also arrived in Suva, and is attached to the CID, which has become a separate department.

Another o f Mr. Beaumont’s proposals, which will shortly become effective, is the erection of a number of police call-boxes around the city, connected directly with the central control-room at the police station. They will not be locked, and the public will be able to use them to call the police.

The control-room will also be able to use these boxes to get in touch with police on the beat. By pushing a button a light on top of the pillar winks and continues to do so until a policeman sees it and answers the telephone.

A drive is also to be made to obtain a better clase of recruit, and more opportunities for pro motion will be available to Fijian and Indian constables. They may rise to Assistant Superintendent status, provided they maintain officer standards.

A few months ago, on Mr.

Beaumont’s orders, more uniformed men were sent on patrol work in the streets during the day. Another reform which Mr. Beaumont intro duced was that all detectives were put into plain clothes. For many years Fiji detective officers wore uniform, a practice out of line with modern police methods elsewhere. t The Agricultural Department of P-NG is negotiating for the pur chase of native land in the Central District of Papua for further ex periments in pond fishing. A fresh water pond of about one acre for mullet is already under way at

wWo ■ The lagoon at Bomana, where an experiment with Tilapia was made some time ago, is now swarming with thousands of these nsh, some of which have already grown to 11J inches. The world record length is about 12 inches. tlt was officially reported in Noumea last month that the recent visit of General de Gaulle to New Caledoima cost 1| million francs, or about £8,500 Australian. t As from last July 1 fares in British Phosphate Commission vessels operating between Nauru and Ocean Island and Australia and New Zealand, were increased 50 oer cent. H