Strikes—And Rain

Problems Of The Jet Age

Strikes—And Rain Put Nadi Project Behind Schedule

From a Staff Writer in Fiji

Nadi, Nov. 7.

• Today, the rain is pouring iown and, what with mud and a lasty industrial strike, the outlook it the Nadi International Airport s exceedingly dismal.

EVER since the South Pacific nations united in the task of preparing Nadi for the fast ;oming jet airliners, there has been rouble.

The New Zealand authorities and he contractors —in whose hands lie esponsibility for the vast enlarge nent and strengthening plan— lave done their share in getting the leld ready for the jets reasonably arly in 1959, but the luck is run ling against them.

First hold-up was the London

ment eQui P" ment and material lay there in Britain for weeks, while a small army of European, Fijian and Indian workers—for whom scores the h °pfrfi Vh V 6 be6n erecte £ around the uraent l( ioh Were assembled for me urgent job.

No sooner was the dock strike over—some of the stuff is not here yet—than the rains came—sent by Providence in overwhelming measure, to make up for the months of drought. Anyone who has seen what rain and vehicular traffic does to roads in Northwest Fiji need not be told what rain and bulldozers have done to the airport works.

And now—this week—the workers

°L bave been on strike-something to do with the dismissal of a counle of unruly labourers. They have had no legitimate grievance this hold up is based on the fact that there is in Northwest Fiji an Especially restless and dangerous type of Red agitators, who are known be be in constant communication with the Australian Communists, They were responsible for the last sugar-industry strikes (which are likely to recur, when it suits the Red bosses) and it is known that they have been assiduously cultivating the airport labourers.

The airport men were out for two days.

Meanwhile, the Nadi programme is well behind schedule.