yesterday

It was reported in the

January, 1943, issue of “PIM”

that several merchants and

traders from Pago Pago,

American Samoa, had been

heavily fined for selling goods

at excessive profit. In one case,

a fine of $ 2,000 was imposed;

in another $5OO and six

months’ imprisonment. At least

one store had been closed and

the trader’s licence withdrawn.

Other items in that issue of

20 years ago were: — Tahitian women were in a state of consternation because supplies of lipstick and other cosmetics had become exhausted with little hope of replenishments until after the war. • • • Fiji was experiencing a shortage of postage stamps of Vfed and Id values. The Post Office was getting over the problem by issuing a receipt in lieu of stamps and franking the articles to be posted. • • • Two Melanesian Mission nurses had arrived in Wellington after spending five months hiding from the Japs in the Jungles of the Solomons. The nurses were Miss E. Field, of NZ, and Miss C. M.

Woods, of London. * • • Prince Tuboutoa had returned to Tonga after passing his final law examination at Sydney University.

He had obtained LLB and BA degrees, and following in the foot steps of his father had become Premier of Tonga. • • • In the first and only session of the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa in 1942, the General Laws Amendment Ordinance was passed by unanimous vote. The ordinance dealt with the preventing of in sulting and derogatory remarks made by Samoans against each other’s genealogy, which in the past had often led to feuds. • • • It was reported on January 12 that except for a small number of Japanese strongly entrenched on Sanananda Point, the enemy had been cleared out of Papua. Most of the Japanese army of 15,000, and its commander, General Horii, who had landed on the north-east coast of Papua, had been destroyed. * • • According to a Rarotonga report, Avarua’s veteran “orometua” (minister), Vaika Ruariki, had re tired after over 20 years’ service in his district.