The Editers' Mailbag
pp. 25-26 · Read in the full issue
Fiji Culture With
Your Grog
From now on Sydneysider is think ing of issuing a set of directions with everything she writes—or giving up writing altogether—in the inter ests of keeping the blood-pressure of some of our customers at normal.
During the month we have re ceived (via The Fiji Times ) a letter from the manager of South Pacific Hosting Ltd. (which runs amenities at Nadi Airport, Fiji) concerning Sydneysider’s complaint that duty free liquor was quoted there in dol lars only. (See “Lament of an Em pire Builder,” April PIM.) Says he, in part . . . “We put up a sign at the sales counter which quoted in dollars, Fijian, Australian and New Zealand pounds. It proved confusing, and we removed it . . .
Our experience indicated that the majority of the passengers are either going to or returning from a dollar area and they know the relationship of their pound to the dollar and can make a quick mental calculation to determine whether or not they are getting a good buy.”
Without telling us who was con fused by the price tags in various currencies, or why—and it seems absurd on the face of it—the mana ger then goes on: “The writer of the PIM article was obviously looking for more ‘local colour’ and, apparently, was so upset over the ‘washing machine and juke box culture’ that he overlooked the one thing we have been able to do m the Duty Free Liquor Shop that does have a touch of local colour.
This is the locally made woven
baskets we use for carrying-cases.
He would have to buy three bottles to get one. Incidentally, these baskets cost about three times what a , P a P er sack would but we think . ® comments they generate are worth lt *” „ . .
D T® 11 , now ; . At . this stage of her Pacific perigrinations Sydneysider t go to Nadi Airport to get her oca ! co l° ur » she has known .those whisky baskets ever since their production; didn’t connect them with Fijian culture or local col- ? ur ’. didn’t think they were cute; imagined that they were used because they were eas ier to obtain than an other type of carton.
When she wrote that article, she was , n 1 concern cd with tourist gim m,cks as such, but was trying to say that ll ? e ridiculous atmosphere at Nad * Airport that “only Ameri cans matter” is a symptom of a world-wide disease that, in the end, unfortunately drives many people to more kindly of the “other Philosophy”,
Fiji's Broadcasting Service
* . 3
"ays Its Way
Somebody loves us which is at least encouraging although this reader goes on to point out where we are wrong.
From Mr. J. M. Hedstrom, chair man of the Fi P Broadcasting Corn mission: “Thank you for taking up the cudgels on the Commissioner’s behalf your conlment On Editors’ Mail bag, May) on the not very well informed letter from Mr. L. Me- Cready. (Over)
“You are perfectly correct in stj ing that we broadcast advertisii material to gain revenue to opera our five stations transmitting in thr languages.
“But your figures are not qu accurate, and give the impression th the Fiji Broadcasting Commision heavily subsidised by the general F taxpayer. This is not so, and t following are the facts: “In 1961 a total of 26,102 listene licences were issued in Fiji. Licen fees were collected by the Fiji Po and Telegraphs Department, and tl Department, after deducting a colk tion fee of 5 per cent., handed o\ the resulting amount of £28,225 the Commission. There was no a ditional “grant of £26,000” nor a “subsidy of nearly £9,000 to ma FBC ends meet”. The FBC in 19 cost the Fiji Government nothing.
“Would you care to tell Mr. M Cready whether you believe y could produce your excellent ma* zine, and sell it to him for 2/thereabouts, if you did not acce any advertising?”
Now, where did PIM get tl £26,000 “grant”? Out of the offic 1962 Fiji estimates under M cellaneous Services, sub - secti “Grants, Etc., to Local Organi; tions”, which says the FBC * £26,125 in 1961 and will get an es mated £28,500 in 1962.
But on exploring it further we’ come to the conclusion that this is “Etc.” and not a “Grant”—a lit Departmental book-keeping that’s t and the amount that the PMG o lected for radio licences, less 5 f cent.
It was no doubt stuck there unc “Grants” to make the Governme feel good; and to fool poor innoce journalists.
Another item under the sar “Grants, Etc.”, sub-head, to wit “FBC—Subsidy of £8,875 in 19 and an estimated £1,500 in 1962” is something we still don’t understar If Mr. Hedstrom says the FBC did get it, who did?
Mr. lan Fraser, who has been Ek trical Engineer for the Suva Ci Council since 1955, and Mrs. Fras and their two daughters left F early in April 2. Mr. and Mrs. Fras plan a seven months’ holiday in t United Kingdom and on the Confine before Mr. Fraser seeks a new positii in Queensland or the Northern Rive District of New South Wales. Tj Suva power undertaking mai tremendous progress during M Fraser’s term of office.