The Month

In Review

Although March, 1966, was not exactly an eventful month in the South Seas, it was one of those months that pro vided everyone with plenty of things to talk about. The main talking points were:

American Samoa : Governor H.

Rex Lee announced details of a major rebuilding programme following January’s hurricane and plans to build accommodation urgently for a US Force unit to be stationed in the territory on special duty. Addressing the Legislature, Governor Lee said that more tourist accommodation would soon be needed.

Fiji: A political party, The Alliance, which will promote racial unity in the Colony, was inaugurated. A new system of grading and pricing copra was in troduced. An Australian destroyer and several US warships were viewed with interest by members of a Russian research vessel in Suva. Suva housewives rushed the first locally-produced lamb to go on sale, French Polynesia ; Tahiti’s “coconut radio” disseminated rumours that the first nuclear explosions at Mururoa Atoll would take place soon, probably in July.

New Caledonia : John Dean, owner-skipper of the Auckland yawl Te Mariner, slipped out of Noumea on the night of March 6-7 while a court case was pending against him for illegally importing firearms.

New Hebrides ; A conference between British and French officials began in London late

in the month on how the Con dominium should be run.

Papua-New Guinea : With the House of Assembly in session early in the month, such perennial topics as public servants’ salaries, housing, tourism, transport, con stitutional development were under review. The newly-opened Kassam Pass road between Lae and the New Guinea Highlands was closed by landslides. The inquiry into public servants’ salaries continued. The appoint ment of several new District Commissioners was announced.

Solomon Islands : Megapode Airways threatened to withdraw its air services in the Protectorate if Missionary Aviation Fellowship was granted a licence, but later agreed to continue flying.

Tokelaus : The plan to resettle 1,000 Tokelauans in New Zealand over the next five years began.

Western Samoa ; Apia’s deep water wharf was opened by the Head of State. The distribution of Red Cross relief began to villagers affected by January’s hurricane.