From the Islands Press

THE reaction in seafaring circles to the suggestion at a Fiji Visitors Bureau meeting . . . that seamen are the principal factor in the spread of venereal disease in Fiji has been prompt and emphatic.

To talk of “crews of ships and people of that sort”, as the bureau’s managing director did, was unnecessarily offensive, and quite properly brought a strong reaction from the Suva Port Chaplain and the Harbourmaster.

Like the “single men in barracks” of whom Kipling wrote, men who are long at sea do not necessarily “grow into plaster saints”, but to try to load on them the main blame for the alarming increase in prostitution in Fiji is unjustified and unreal.

Ships were coming to the colony long before existing trends became evident.

The members of the Visitors Bureau would do well to lift their heads and open their eyes, and stand outside some of the more notorious of Suva’s hotel bars when there is an influx of tourists, to learn the truth of what is happening.

It does no credit to the reputa tion of the bureau as a responsible body, and no real good to Fiji, to pretend that the undoubted benefits which tourism brings to the colony have no counter balancing factors, and that visitors, individually and collectively, cannot possibly do wrong.— Editorial in “The Fiji Times”, Suva.

VILLAGES in the Mussau Emira Islands, off the north coast of New Ireland, have developed their own self-help schemes.

A patrol officer back in Kavieng from the islands, said some of the villages have set up benevolent funds and building societies.

The patrol officer, Mr. W.

Parsons, said monthly village collections of 20 cents were being made to help the elderly, sick or jobless.

Village committees, which decided how the money should be spent, put it to such uses as paying school fees for children whose parents were out of work.

Mr. Parsons said that some villages had also started building societies to help those who wanted to build or repair houses.

The monthly contribution to these societies was 50 cents. — News item in the “South Pacific Post”, Port Moresby.

THIS is the time to go job hunting for June graduates, and there’s nothing more impor tant in looking for a job than your appearance. The people who do the hiring are going to look you over carefully, make votes on your manner and appearance.

Making a good impression, a business-like impression, this is, begins at the top, with hair.

Long, stringy hair generally doesn’t fit in with the ideas of an employer who is looking for someone to work around an office or to represent the firm.

Hair should be attractive and styled in a coif that is suitable for working in an office.— Editorial in the “News Bulletin”, Pago Pago.

Before the thoughts of Queen’s Birthday have cooled too much in our minds I should like to suggest a way in which subsequent ones could be improved.

The event is held on a public holiday but if you attend the parade and stay for the merry making you stand a good chance of spending the next day in bed suffering from heat exhaustion.. . .

If the parade formed part of the climax of the day at about seven in the evening, life would be easier for everyone— participants and spectators alike.

If this change were adopted, the day would become a real holiday and the parade would be worth travelling 22 miles to watch. We men could even wear suits without looking as if we were tailors’ dummies which have somehow been put in the wrong window. Letter from John Watson, Bikenibeu, “Colony In formation Notes”, Tarawa.

AT a recent meeting of the Mul Local Government Council in the Western Highlands, a “weapons carrying rule” was passed.

The rule states that no one is allowed to take part in any meet ing, discussion or conference while in the possession of a weapon of any kind. . . .

This rule is intended to avoid “heat of the moment” attacks with axes or other weapons at these gatherings where tempers are liable to flare suddenly.— News item in the “Times Courier”, Lae.

Coconut trees, with

Tourism Coming? Too

right! Not everybody will “get rich quick” from tourism, and Rarotonga is getting more people every day. Pigs and chickens have to be fed, drinking nuts are needed at pictures and dances, and thousands of coconuts a week go into tai akari and tai monomono.

Coconut trees make the island more beautiful for visitors.

Plant Them Now! News

item in the “Cook Islands News”, Rarotonga.

Have you any old CLAMSHELLS? If you have any small to medium sized clam shells {gege) lying around your house, would you please bring a few to the Community Develop ment Office. We need 25 to 30 for our South Pacific Commission visitors to use as ashtrays.— Official announcement in “Tolu Tala Niue”, Niue Island.

IT is the responsibility of parents to make sure that children are not late for school.

Many students, especially from the secondary school, arrive at school up to an hour late. Latecomers seriously disrupt the school. They miss the morning assembly and the first lesson of the day. Once children miss lessons it is difficult for them to catch up. So parents, help your children by sending them to school on time.— Announcement in “The Bulletin”, Nauru.