From the Islands Press

& M T WOULD very much like M ■ A you to publish my letter H ■in the newspaper of the Guoeri islands, please because I seek a bride from there who I could marry as soon as possible. I suppose, that many ladies would write to me from these islands when they read my letter in the paper. I hope to receive very many letters from the Gilbert Islands in the very near future.

My age is 33. I am single and I work in the forging industry, here in Sheffield. I have general interests.

I like dancing, very much, and I often go to the cinema. I also like to travel. I have never been to the Gilbert Islands but I would love to see what they are really like, I can picture palm trees, indeed island paradises. Will the women who write to me from the Gilbert Islands, please send a photograph.— Letter from Rex Jacklin, of Sheffield, England, in the “Colony Information Notes”, Tarawa.

A LARGE crowd gathered at the British District Agency in Vila yesterday afternoon to inspect a most unusual crab. The crab, which measured about 30 inches across, long thin claws, was pinky brown in colour. Every part of its body, legs and claws was covered with sharp spikes.

It was caught about three miles off Pango Point in over 100 fathoms of water, by Mr. Fred Kaltoua, of Fila Island. Or, rather, it caught itself, because it had grabbed Mr.

Kaltoua’s line in one of its claws and refused to let go.

No one who saw it could remem ber having seen such a crab before, which is not so strange in view of the great depth of the water where the crab was living.— Radio Vila report, New Hebrides.

OUR present rate of road accidents is minor, compared with other countries in the world. I would say, far beyond minor—in other words, nothing to be exact.

If what I hear that tourists are coming to Rarotonga is right, I wonder just how busy our road traffic will be? Will our road accidents decrease or increase with a dead body per day?

The introducing of buses for public purposes is a great importance for us. But we must be aware that a

bus accident can be one of the most disastrous accidents in the world today—it results in the loss of a few lives.

I hope you and I will not be in cluded with these dead bodies if there happens to be a bus accident in the future.— Letter from “Ning Nong” in the “Cook Islands News”, Rarotonga.

BY issuing a booklet on memorable events going back to the turn of the century, the census com missioner’s office is taking steps to combat a major problem in getting islanders to work out their ages.

People have already been asked to try to work out their ages in readiness for census day, February 1 next year. The booklet is designed to help them to relate their births to notable and well-remembered happenings.

Tlie events range from wartime happenings to tidal waves, cyclones, religious events, changes in District Commissioner and even cases when a strange sea monster was sighted off Lord Howe Island, Santa Cruz, and in 1905, when a widespread sickness occurred at Anuta and Tikopia. Item in “BSIP News Sheet”, Honiara.

DR. J. Cairns (an Australian MP and member of the Australian Labour Party) has a nerve coming to Fiji and talking about “The evils of colonialism”. He would have been better advised to go to Czechoslovakia and denounce “The evils of Com munism”.

Here in our lovely, peaceful Fiji we enjoy a precious freedom under a Chief Minister who is no tyrant or dictator, but a patient, tolerant man whose high ideals are a fine example to all of us.

We have freedom of religion and political inclination. There is no dis crimination in any sphere of our lives. We have freedom of speech, freedom of the Press and freedom to criticise Government action if we wish.

We have all kinds of employees unions which are free to express the views of their members and do so, in no uncertain terms.

In these, and in many other ways, Fiji is a shining example to the rest of the world.— Portion M m of a letter from Mrs. L. ■ H Low, in “The Fiji Times”. J J