People
p. 119 · Read in the full issue
i FTER several postponements, V. Prime Minister Fiame Mata’afa ; Western Samoa will visit Japan, om June 17-22.
The visit, at the invitation of the ipanese Government, is officially a >odwill trip, but unofficially there e hopes that it might result in me badly-needed development aid -particularly in the form of heavy [uipment for roadmaking.
The Prime Minister will be accom inied by his wife, Masiofo Fetaui, s private secretary, Sua Ropati, and icretary to the Government, luofo Meti. While in Japan ata’afa will meet Prime Minister ito, and Cabinet Ministers.
Commenting on the visit, Mata’afa id: “Trade between Western Samoa id Japan has been increasing over cent years and the healthy interest at Japanese investors have been king in the country encourages me say that this relationship will be me stronger in time.” • Harry Apted and Elenoa Phil is have been named Fiji Sportsman d Sportswoman of the Year. Mr. pted was vice-captain of the Fiji presentative cricket team which re ntly toured NZ. He is also a ckey and boxing administrator, iss Phillips is an all-round athlete, celling in hockey and basketball as ;1I as track and field events. The /ards were sponsored by Carreras Fiji and the two were selected by committee from a list of names rich included Josateki Nasova d Pat Raddock (Rugby), Prem landra (golf), Jese Ligairi and dsi Naivalauvou (table tennis), liame Liga (athletics), Aporosa atadigo (boxing), Talica Marama etball), Jiko Cavu (softball), elanie Samuels (indoor basketball) d Judy Hawksley (yachting).
Mrs. Julie Bruce, who hails from Apia, Western Samoa, danced the "siva" at The Islanders As sociation of Sydney's first social night in March. Julie is known in Australia as the girl who appears in the TV commercial for a brand of ice cream.
• Mrs. Louisa Miller, a great grand niece of the famous Queen Emma and a resident of New Britain for the past 72 years, is still going strong, living quietly at her home at Vuvu, near Rabaul. She arrived in the New Britain area in 1895, when the German Administration was at Kokopo, 20 miles south of Rabaul. • Four years ago Silati and Metia Tealofi, of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, gave birth to a daughter.
She had no legs and they called her Fakaaloa, which means “Pity”.
In August, 1967. little Fakaalofa, escorted by Talisa Salesa, set off for Melbourne’s Royal Children’s hospi tal to be fitted with a pair of artificial legs. Their fares were paid by the government, and Fakaalofa’s treat ment was paid for by the Red Cross.
Today Fakaalofa is back home— walking. At present she has to use sticks, but specialists predict that very soon she will be able to walk unaided. • Inspector Mote Teraoi, of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Police Constabulary, is in England on a six-month police course at Bram shill, Hampshire.
This is Mote’s second trip to Eng land. His first was in 1958 when he attended a six-month police course at Hendon College. • Mr. D. J. Gilberd, well-known on Niue for supervising the con struction of the island’s new fleet of steel lighters, arrived at Asau, Savaii, in Western Samoa, recently to start a three-month contract to provide a water supply system for Asau. • Sydney journalist Miss Sue Jordan will marry Alex Wendt, of Suva, in Sydney on May 30. The couple will live in Suva, where Mr.
Wendt is with Hunt’s Travel Service.
They met in Fiji last October, when Miss Jordan was covering an annual tourist convention for her news paper, The Australian. • A shell collector, Mr. Fred Lewala, had a recent escape from death when he was stung on a finger by the deadly cone shell, Conus geo graphus. He was wading at Malapoa Point, Efate, New Hebrides, when he picked up the shell.
Friends took him to hospital where he was treated for shock, paralysis of the lower limbs, swelling of the throat and severe pain in the finger.
There have been several deaths
from Conus stings in recent years in the Western Pacific. Scientists have yet to develop an antidote for the venom of the cone shell. • Brigadier L. D. King, the last Administrator of Nauru—before the island’s independence on January 31 —has been appointed Administrator of Christmas Island.
Christmas Island is an Australian territory, administered by the Aus tralian Department of External Terri tories, lying south of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean.
New NZ High Commissioner in Western Samoa is Mr. R. B. Taylor, seen here with his wife. Mr. Taylor, born in 1920, has been NZ Consul-General in New York since 1965 and succeeds Mr. O. P. Gabites in Samoa.