Form the ISlands Pewss

ON the face of it, any suggestion that within six years Apia should stage the South Pacific Games may appear ridiculous, but upon reflection the proposal appears more reasonable.

Few would deny that the town of Apia now is a bit of a dump.

However in five or six years’ time the barren reclamation should have been built on following the Wolak town plan, to make Apia a showplace of the Pacific.

Spread out over five or six years the actual expense involved in preparing for the Games to be staged in Apia would not, by any means, be beyond the capabilities of the economy.

Staging the Games in Apia would provide a tremendous boost to sport within the country and at the same time would tie in well with plans that envisage tourism to be this country’s biggest single money earner by 1975.

Sooner or later the Games will come to Apia. June 1972 would be as good a time as any.— Editorial in “Samoana”, Apia.

A FASCINATING feature of Fiji’s recent big storm was that warning of its approach came from the United States, as a result of information gathered by a satellite far out in space.

The great areas of open ocean in the Pacific have always handi capped weather observations be cause of the inevitable gaps between reporting points.

A new and valuable source of information is now here to fill those gaps and to enable timely warning to be given of the ap proach of danger.

This is a cause for appreciation and gratitude on the part of all who live in those parts of the world where tropical storms are a seasonal threat.— Editorial in “The Fiji Times”, Suva.

ON a recent call at Niuatopu tapu during a trip to in vestigate public works being carried out in the islands of the northern groups, the Director of Works, Mr. Arnold Blades, was very impressed by houses con structed on the island with the use of concrete blocks.

On investigation Mr. Blades

found that two local men, P.

Ngauamo and V. Kioa, had with great ingenuity, fashioned block making moulds from two old ammunition boxes. These pro duced a high quality block com plete with a distinctive pattern on the face, with the resultant impressive looking homes being an outstanding asset.— News item in the “Chronicle”, Nukualofa. opinions expressed during the past few weeks by those with birthright heritage to the island, and new residents, there is a growing sense of alarm at the trend of affairs and the inability of our new Island Council to put the brake on the steady roll toward Canberra.

It is not the fault of the council that they do not have the know ledge of past council affairs and so be able to see where their hasty decisions are leading, but it is our misfortune. It is high time now that we did something about it and it would seem that a public meeting should be called.— Letter from a reader in “The Norfolk Islander”.

THE Director of Posts and Telegraphs, Mr. W. F. Carter, speaking at the Rotary lunch yesterday: “I agreed to become last-minute guest speaker because Mr. Newman (the Treasurer) had refused to give a talk on why people couldn’t get telephones”.

Then he went on to talk about Boy Scouts. Columnist's item in “South Pacific Post”, Port Moresby .

A PUBLIC NOTICE has been issued concerning restriction to be placed on the importation of methylated spirits. This has resulted from the discovery of a pre-heating substitute for methylated spirits which can be used for kerosene appliances. The Wholesale Society is importing from Australia quantities of acetone which can be used in place of methylated spirits. Further importations of methylated spirits will be under a strict permit system, permits to be issued by the Collector of Customs only for purposes approved by the Resident Commissioner.— ltem in “Colony

Information Notes”, Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony . fpHE BSIP Government issued a notice this month asking members of the public to stop trying to sell Australian coins to the Australian Numismatic Society, which is a scientific body, and does not buy or sell coins.

Item in the “BSIP News Sheet”, Honiara. readers are again reminded to refrain from bothering the printing staff with requests for copies of the Tohi Tala Niue and to stop making enquiries as to “whether the news is ready or not”.

Our paper is regarded as the “last paper out in the world”, so don’t bother us in our efforts to catch up with the rest of the world.

When the paper is ready each day we will release them without delay.—Editorial notice in “Tohi Tala Niue”, a Niue newsletter. [The reference to the “last paper out in the world” refers to the fact that Niue is just east of the Inter national Date Line, where it can be said that the day ends. “The Fiji Times”, carries on its masthead the statement, “Published at midnight from Monday to Saturday, at Suva, just west of the International Date Line, where the new day begins.

The first newspaper in the world every day”]. —As cigarettes and beer are made in Fiji, these two fac tories are there for the local people to buy goods at a cheaper price.

Labourers in Taveuni and other places are getting very low wages but have families to support and school expenses, etc., to pay.

Beer and cigarettes are favourite things for us to enjoy but labourers’ wages have not gone up whereas cigarettes, beer and petrol have, . . .

The government seems to collect from poor people. We poor people want to enjoy our beer and cigarettes, but according to our earnings we can hardly enjoy a walk on a flip flop.

I ask those responsible who can lift the labourers’ wages up. Our earnings are not catching up with our expenses.— Letter from a reader, Rama Naidu, in “The Fiji Times”.