From the Islands Press

M JOEING a vendor in the £ £ -t# Suva Market, on many occasions I have seen people fighting, stealing or selling stuff in front of other vendors stalls, y neVer P This means that the holder of the stall is losing his business.

It has happened to me on many occasions and when I have gone to see the Market Master or the staff, I can’t find them easily and by the time I come back to my stall everything is over.

I would be very pleased if the Suva City Council would give the matter some consideration. Letter from R. Newal in “The Fiji Times”, Suva.

1 ENTER a plea for the lives of porpoises which may be killed in the proposed “Porpoise Hunt” in the next year’s “Festival of the Solomon Seas”.

I hope that the porpoise hunt is not adopted. Porpoises are loved and respected by seamen around the world and rank next to man as a big brained mammal. These engaging creatures have an extensive language and a lively and friendly sense of humour.

I suggest that to make a spectac ular sport out of their killing seems to be something straight from the pages of Gibbon. Perhaps a shark hunt would be a suitable substitute?— Letter from J. H. Page, New Georgia, in the “BSIP News Sheet”.

ON the first day of service of the GEIC ferry Nei Auti, I was at Betio and I was proudly planning to return on the 3.30 service. . . . Un fortunately, the service failed.

Worse, the great crowd was harmed by the great heat of the sun. . . .

While the crowd was waiting ... an old man gave a speech publicly. The people were laughing at him, taking it as a joke. But I did not, for in his complaining speach there was much truth. To summarise ... he firstly mentioned the failure of this service.

He took an example of the babies present who were crying of hunger, thirst and the great heat during that long interval. Secondly, he mentioned the separation of the first and second classes in the ferry.

Let us think back to the second

complaining fact. . . Isn’t it a true step to that of the African Apartheid? . . . Unlike the African Apartheid, it j s the separation of rich and poor, . . . The separation of rich and poor »" the can echo the “Colony Apartheid'.The poor °' d man and the P° or old wldow cou,d not afford the 20 cents for the first class - The y could not rush to get seats for the tremendous amount of second class passengers. As a result they were standing at the back of the new ferry under the great heat of the Tarawa sun until Bairiki, even though there were empty seats on the launch.— Letter from Eti Kine (Student at Tangintahu) in the “Colony Inform ation Notes”, GEIC.

IN the latest issue of PIM, I noticed a cartoon which came from Nolarae of Niue. I am glad to know that Nolarae has a sense of humour—but I really think that the cartoon was in very poor taste. Very poor taste indeed, I for one am not denying that the cartoon in question is not applicable to Niue—but must we advertise the fact to the whole world?— Letter from Miriam Campbell in “Tohi Tala Niue”. [The cartoon in question showed a Niuean girl saying to another who is nursing a bably: “It’s a nice baby . . . but I’m holding out for marriage”.] SERGEANT Riley has informed us that in view of the number of persons not adhering to the speed limit on Norfolk Island (30 mph), no warning in future will be given.

Offenders will be taken before the court. Item in “The Norfolk Islander”.

THE Peace Corps has now been in Western Samoa one year.

This is perhaps far too soon to evaluate the intangible effect on human relationships and attitudes with which the corps is largely con cerned. But the Samoans were not thinking of improved human relation ships when they asked for the Peace Corps—they were thinking of ways and means of improving their standards of living. In this respect, the Peace Corps, as U Thant might say, has not realised fondest hopes.

No one would deny that the volunteers are among the finest types of Americans highly motivated,

generally hard working, pleasant and well liked. They have improved the American image in Samoan eyes, no mean thing in the days of Texan brashness and the brutalities of Vietnam. But in Samoan eyes they have not occomplished much. . . .

This of course is largely because too much was expected. But the fact is, not considering the dubious standards of much American educa tion, many of the volunteers are less qualified than the Samoan themselves when it comes to solving Samoan problems.

The Peace Corps is of undoubted value. It has contributed much towards human relationships, many individual volunteers have done much in their various fields, economically they have provided some boost from the money they bring in (meagre as it is) and their very presence has forced the government to effective action instead of talk, especially in the field of rural health. But the Peace Corps is only substitute for what the country really needs—highly trained experts and development.

Until America, and even NZ and Australia, place a greater premium on peace it looks as though Samoa will have to continue to rely on the goodwill of volunteers, and loans from the Asian Bank at over 6 per cent.— Editorial in the “Advertiser”, Apia.

SEVENTEEN persons have been arrested on charges of littering a public place since a five-man detail in plain clothes was ordered to crack down on littering earlier this week.

Police Chief Larry Tu’ufuli said yesterday the detail will be considered permanent and the drive against littering will continue on a full time basis. Citations are not being issued.

Anyone who is seen littering is physically arrested and taken to the gaol for booking. They are being released on their own recognizance but will have to make court appear ances. Maximum fine for littering is S2OO. —News item in the official daily “News Bulletin”', Pago Pago, Ameri can Samoa.

THE Office of Parks and Recrea tion today issued a reminder that all sportsmen and sportswomen must keep their monthly fees paid to the Amateur Athletic Association. The fee is only 10 cents a month and it may be paid in advance at the Parks and Recreation Office. Players also are required to carry a passport sized photograph of themselves.

Players who do not meet the require ments will be barred.— News item in the same issue Hi |H of the “News Bulletin”, Pago Pago. w m