From the Islands Press

IN the last year or two Rotumans have become moderately vocal in matters affecting Rotuma as part of the Crown Colony of Fiji.

Letters published in The Fiji Times underline the fact that a quiet, rational, and constructive upsurge of feeling has been going on.

It is no relation to fanatical nationalism of the kind that has created tragic development in Africa and elsewhere, and the in dications are that Rotumans, like most Fijians, disdain the shoddy devices of rabble-rousing dema gogues of any race.

But this does not alter the fact that thoughtful Rotumans have, with justification, reached the con clusion that peaceful little Rotuma has been taken for granted for too long.

Geography has ensured a big measure of isolation for the beautiful island, but isolation is not the same thing as a sense of neglect, and it is a sense of neglect that has built up a belief that something will have to be worked out to give the Rotuman people a voice in matters which concern them.— Editorial in “The Fiji Times”.

LIGHTS smashed with stones, attempts to enter Papuan girls’ quarters, drunkenness, brawl ing, attacks on police, cafe owners employing extra staff to cope with objectionable patrons—is this the new emerging civilisation of Papua-New Guinea?

No, we believe, it is not. This is merely the urban loutishness and hooliganism that has existed for years . . . Liquor has cer tainly inflamed the situation, but not all the flood of recriminations by temperance organisations can wash this problem clean.

These louts must be taught with a firm hand to accept the responsibilities as well as the privileges of the society in which they share. Prohibition at this stage would not be the answer.

That could turn the flame into an inferno.— Editorial in the “South Pacific Posf’, Port Moresby.

IF the people of a free country are not encouraged to take an interest in national affairs, the Government should at least main tain a steady flow of information for that section of the public which likes to keep itself abreast of all developments of national importance.

Nowhere more than in Western Samoa in this stage of its develop ment, is such a policy more neces sary.

At this time, important legisla tion is being enacted, and the public are not informed of the proposed laws until they are dis cussed in the Assembly.— Editorial in “Samoa Bulletin”, Apia.

NOW and again a few voices in the wilderness, including that of The Fiji Times, are raised against the habit of regarding the United Kingdom’s Colonial De velopment and Welfare Fund as a financial milch cow which can be counted on to provide sustenance indefinitely.

Since a statement appeared in dicating that hopes of a Suva Point airport are receding into the realm of the apparently unattain able, a number of people have been blithely asking why the C. D. and W, fund cannot foot the bill again.

The obvious reply is: Why in the name of sense should the heavily-taxed British man-in-the street be asked to pay for a Suva Point airport?— Editorial in “The Fiji Times”, Suva.

FINGERNAILS are very im portant to us. Their first job is to protect the end of our fingers from all the bumps and knocks they get every day. Their second job is to help us pick up things.

Fingernails can also be very dangerous to health because if they are allowed to grow long they collect the dirt very easily, and if you eat your meal with dirty hands and dirty fingernails, the germs that have ben living in the dirt of the fingernails will be swallowed and will begin to live in the body where they can cause disease.— Public notice in the “Niue Newsletter”.