French

In New Caledonia

It Pays To Be

resident in New Caledonia will, from 1957, have to pay a special tax of 2,400 Pac. frs. per annum (about £AI7).

This decision was made at the budgetery session of the local as sembly.

It was originally proposed that the tax should be half that amount but the Conseil General was so en chanted with the idea that it was doubled.

Only persons exempted are Consular members and staff of the South Pacific Commission. This latter exemption is causing much discontent amongst Australians here.

It is pointed out that these people already are exempt from Customs duty.

A tax on foreigners existed in New Caledonia up to the war years but the sum was extremely modest, about £2 at that time.

Foreign commercial firms have to pay a special tax of about 5,000

SS? £al r year in 1957 ThiS 18 *IL* s generally thought that these severe taxes have been imposed to penalise Viet Namien shop-keepers and residents whom many would i^ ePatriated ' NOumea t A Fiji Rugby Union team of 25 players will make a tour of New Zealand in 1957. They will play 16 matches. The NZ Rugby Union will contribute towards the cost of assembling and equipping the team and at the end of the tour, if it has been successful, a grant will be made to the Fiji Union.