Drom the islands Press
p. 27 · Read in the full issue
FIJIANS need the world’s under standing and sympathy, for their position is unusual. They should be careful not to alienate world sympathy by even oblique reference to the possibility of club bing people who do not share their opinions, or by assuming a “divine right” of chiefs.
We must face facts—that Fijians and Indians must learn to live harmoniously, and that we must all learn to be adaptable to changing conditions.— Letter from /. Hames in “The Fiji Times”, Suva.
THE question (of a university for Papua-New Guinea) should not be considered before the Papuan taxpayers alone, with the profits of their own planta tions. mines, forests, curios, in dustries, etc., are able to pay for the necessary buildings and pro fessors.
Otherwise, Australian money will be used spectacularly only for a few local “intellectuals” who will show only contempt for their “bush brothers”.— Letter from “ Expatriate”, Cape Gloucester, New Britain, in the “South Pacific Post”, Port Moresby.
IN a fairly recent letter, I criti cised the simian behaviour of the adolescents of Matavera (Rarotonga) at their local cinema.
It appears that the proprietor of this cinema has also done some thinking on the matter and finally decided to take action. Last Satur day night, before the programme began, he made one of the shortest and most forthright speeches prob ably ever to emanate from a Cook Islander, viz: “I am fed up with the lot of you. If you howl and scream and catcall tonight, the lights will be switched on and the film stopped.
You children will then be thrown out and your money will not be refunded. Now SHUT UP.”
The natural result was an un precedented silence throughout the showing of the “Ten Command ments”. — Letter from Ronald Syme in the “Cook Islands News”.
THE recent agreement of the tra ditional leaders of Tutuila and Manuia to volunteer the
labour of their people in digging the Alava Road to the TV station area is another clear indication of lack of knowledge on the part of the leaders. Take a secret ballot today in any village in American Samoa and the results should prove that the free labour on Alava is the most unpopular thing on the island right now.— Editorial in “Samoa News”, Pago Pago.
IT is welcome news indeed that Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies will visit Papua-New Guinea [in early September]. It will be a big disappointment to other Territory centres that his visit has been restricted to four days, taking in only Port Moresby and the Highlands. However, he can make up for this disappoint ment by issuing a firm statement of the kind we are all anxious to hear.
What we want to hear is . . . what will be the unwavering atti tude of the Australian Govern ment to its Australian expatriate citizens when, or if, an indepen dent Papua-New Guinea Govern ment threatens the security of their investment or life-long en deavours?—Editorial in “ South Pacific Post”, Port Moresby.
WE in Western Samoa have been an independent State for nearly two years now. Although it may seem a very small point, isn’t it about time that Government de partments ceased using the British and NZ “On Her Majesty’s Ser vice” envelopes for official corres pondence? Our Government shows no sign of joining the British Comonwealth so even in small things we should show our inde pendence. , . .
It is difficult to understand why a man prominent in our country’s struggle for independence, Fiame Mataafa, our Prime Minister, should be opposed to newspapers and the liberty of the Press. Surely the Hon. Prime Minister knows that such liberty, such freedom of expression are essential, and it would be a sad day for Western Samoa if the Press was restricted or banned and the impression of a “Police State” was conveyed to the outside world. — Letters from readers in “Samoana”, Apia.