Lettes

What Fiji Tourism Needs

Sir, —I am not entirely in agree ment with Judy Tudor’s criticism « Fiji’s tourist industry (F/M, Feb., 121).

Mrs. Tudor says that “new zest badly needed in Fiji’s tourist iii dustry”. I say that rather than nee zest, a new outlook is more desirabc if tourism is to flourish in Fiji.

As one who is familiar, or rathe knows Fiji, 1 believe that what Mn Tudor and others of the same min would like to see is not the answe If their opinions were realised—tH consequences would bring about eve more slackening in the colony tourist trade, apart from detractin from the naturalness of the island:!

The standard of things in genen could be improved, but what has be changed is the general attituo towards Fiji by those who look at as a luxurious paradise not accessibc to everyone. And the Fiji Cover ment’s attitude must also change things are to look brighter.

The slump in tourism is uninte; tionally explained in Mrs. Tudoi article. There is too high a standar an undesirable standard as far as i am concerned. Let’s not try to ii crease the standard, but let’s conce; trate on a new standard of tourh: Give Mr., Mrs. and Miss Averag Person a chance.

The future of Fiji’s tourist industJ lies in servicing the more appreciatri

and less demanding people

countries only a few hours flyinr distance away. This stream of visitor would be continuous if it did not cc a small fortune just for accommodt tion. As it is, the number of visiter from Australia and New Zealand nothing like it could be.

It is quite obvious that the existii standards are being set by touris from a country where, for mair money is no problem and the best essential, regardless of cost. And tl; new and foreign-owned hotels a£ there to accommodate these peop!< No doubt this situation will <± velop; and to compete with the moc modern hotels it is natural that tl; locally-owned hotels should impro't their standards and hence be forct: to raise their tariffs.

Fiji cannot expect its tourist ii dustry to boom while the cost of stae ing in the colony slowly climbs oc

of proportion. Something must

done; the Government must take stee to control the standards so that thu suit everybody.

There is room for improvement catering for visitors, but not on

rand scale. And the industry doesn’t eed “hard-headed professionalism”, s Mrs. Tudor puts it, but a thought )r the more appreciative visitor.

Let the “average” tourist bring the loney into Fiji, and let him see an tiaffected and a natural Fiji, not nother Hawaii or Tahiti.

Fiji will become a second-rate mrist trap like Tahiti only if it con nues as it is. The fate of tourism in iji does not depend on the Americans, it the people of Australia and New

W. S. Smith.

tmchbowl, SW.

Nswer To A Trader's Prayer

Sir, —In many of your issues last :ar, you advertised Pea-Beu, the :w (alleged) insecticide. As manager ! the stores of Jack Neale on Aitu ki, I am interested, but do not low where to get the stuff to try out.

Can you help me by telling the Ivertiser to quote me prices, etc., id perhaps (yes, they must!) send sample up. There are all sorts of w insect pests coming in. One of e worst of recent years is a small riety of cockroach. Keeping food am it is a real problem. This stuff ay be the answer.

Anyway, over to you if you don’t ind, and my thanks in anticipation.

E. C. (Ted) Melville

itutaki, iok Islands.

Editor’s Note: We hope our adver er’s product does the trick, Ted. e have asked him to send you a mple and details of prices.

The Straight And Narrow

Sir, —Mr. Chatterton should know at the London Missionary Society elded great political influence in rly British New Guinea ( PIM, arch, p. 4).

Christian missions in the 1880’s ;re propagators of paternalism and jre instrumental in bringing the forcement of law to the Western icific.

My guess is that the LMS of those ys would not stop at being told aat the Church mustn’t interfere politics”, unless there was some rse trading to be done. Remem r, the LMS had been in Port oresby 15 years.

Admittedly the mission was not vays successful, as is shown by a ter from the Rev. W. G. Lawes the Brisbane Courier on July 25, 85.

In 1885 the Queensland Govern -nt, with the consent of the High )mmissioner of Western Pacific,

had sent over 400 recruits back to New Guinea. Fifty-eight of the improperly recruited labourers had elected to stay in Queensland. Mr.

Lawes wrote that he regretted that these 58 were not obliged by the Government to be returned home.

He considered that their chiefs and friends would not be satisfied by the assertions of Messrs. H. H. Romilly (Deputy Commissioner for the Wes tern Pacific) and H. M. Chester (Special Commissioner for Queensland Government) that the boys did not want to return home till they had fulfilled their engagements The power of the Christian mis-

sions has waned over the past 40 years. They were over zealous at times, but a moral force is needed to keep our future generation on the straight and narrow,

Paul Mason

Inus, Bougainville, • Publication of Ponape-Per, the oldest continuing publication in the United States Trust Territory was suspended on February 17 to make room f ° r a Pnvately-run news paper, the Senyavin Times, in the Ponape district.