From the Islands Press

J T LEFT the Solomons long ■ -i- ago, nearly 30 years, ™ Hi but my heart is still there.

Several times I asked to be sent back so that I could finish my work where I intended to finish it.

People have changed and many are now dead among those I knew; still I remember the names of some I knew in their young age and I would be glad to meet them again, such as —Geoffrey Kuper and Jack Campbell, for I was in Makira, Wainoni Bay and then Star Harbour. But in my 12 years I went a lot in Malaita, Guadalcanal, Savo, the Russells, Ulawa and so on.

I CAME back to Samoa for two things: one, to find an old Samoan friend I knew 44 years ago, the other, to show my wife the beauty of Apia. But I find my old friend is dead, and the beauty of Apia is marred.

The reclaimed land which juts out into the sea spoils the long beauti ful crescent of the harbour and also ruins the impression of the town.

Even worse is the terrible condition of Apia’s main road with its sharp stones and tar which Samoans and visitors must tread any time they walk along the front.

I leave Apia hoping the government will rectify the horrible condition of the pavement on which the Samoan people walk day after day without protest.— Letter from L. Lye, of New York, in “The Samoa Times”.

HERE’S the reason for the Bounty mutiny. This was the heading in the December issue of Airways, the house journal of Qantas. The magazine is devoted entirely to “The Pick of the Pacific” and nowhere but nowhere does Norfolk Island get a mention.

In view of the interest shown in Norfolk Island in recent months by the increasing number of visitors from Australia and the glowing re ports they have given us after their stay on the island, we feel we have been let down very badly by Qantas.

Not only tourist-wise, but historically.

In Wainoni Bay, I had constituted a museum and I would be glad to help the Solomons in constituting a central museum in Honiara. By an American officer I met in New Caledonia at the end of World War 11, I heard that the Wainoni Museum still existed then. I had collected, too, a lot of information about languages and customs but all that is lost. ... I am glad to see that the pro tectorate is solidly going ahead and I hope everyone is doing his best to help that promotion.— Letter from J. Podevigne (a missionary in the BSIP before 1939) of Toulon, France, in the “BSIP News Sheet”.

As far as we can ascertain, Qantas, our only air link with the mainland, does not fly to many of the islands so glowingly depicted in this par ticular issue. Following representa tion, we understand his Honour, the Administrator, intends to pursue this matter further.— Editorial in “The Norfolk Islander”.

SIR, —I am rather dismayed at the derogatory comments brought on by the passage of the bill permitting Fijian women to drink.

The most recent letter was that of Gabriel Stephens.

Does Mr. Stephens not think that prohibiting mature women from drinking all but orange squash is not personally insulting to them?

And who is he to pre-judge the character of these ladies as to how they will act after having imbibed?

If he would rather not see a few Fijian women hanging round outside bars he might have formed a more constructive criticism suggesting that some social clubs hold a few meetings with topics pertaining to drink—such as “The enjoyment and dangers of alcohol” or “Etiquette and the woman’s role in drinking”.

I would very much like to see The Fiji Times publish a few good com ments on the uses and abuses of alcohol.

It is my belief that because of the negative reaction to the bill passage

that Fijian youth also suffers from a lack of drinking education at home.

I believe that you cannot just brush this under the rug that given a fair chance a woman, mother, might do a great service for Fiji’s youth if she herself is wisely guided in drinking and she will be capable of handling herself and her family’s problems. Letter from Kathryn Fischer in “The Fiji Times”.

MORE about the highspeed auto bahn we call Port Rd. The old time Administrator, Sir Hubert Mur ray, used it as a bridle path for his hacks.

The locals insist that it has deter iorated since then that anything lighter than a Clydesdale trotting along there today would break a sesamoid bone. And even the heavy draught would be in grave danger of asphyxiation by dust. Douglas Lockwood in the South Pacific Post.

WHILE visiting the Bond this week, we were shown a photostat copy of a Liquor Permit—from the past—which reads: “This is to permit Mr. Roland Evans to keep on his premises for medical purposes one bottle of spirits a month, to Decem ber 31, 1904, or till any new regula tions are issued. (Sgd.) P. N.

Metcalfe, Acting Chief Magistrate.” —ltem in “The Norfolk Islander”.

DEAR Sir, — The fact that no decis ion has been reached with regard to a golf course is likely to cause some concern. Reports suggest that the difficulty is in obtaining the necessary land for the purpose as it is claimed that this will reduce graz ing.

The simple question appears to be as to whether grazing or tourists are of the most importance to the island.

Every thinking person realises that the only prosperity the island can have is from the tourist industry and if a golf course will help with this the grazing of some half-dozen cows should not be allowed to interfere.

If on the other hand the board’s objection is to the taking of land for the purpose this is not consistent with past performance. Islanders will remember that in at least two cases land and houses have been arbitrarily taken from old island fami lies and used for administrative purposes. Letter from ■ Beth Kirby in “Signal”, wM ■ Lord Howe Island. W M