From the Islands Press

M M fpHIS week Administration Mj M A officers explained the H implications of the proposed Port Moresby development plan to a representative gathering of village people from the Port Moresby urban area, the first of many meetings planned to ensure that villagers have the least possible understanding of what the town plan will mean to them and to Port Moresby.— Administration Press re lease, telling the truth with a ven geance. you dance? Can you twist and shake? If so, then why not come to KGV Hall on Saturday night at 8 p.m. and writhe to rhythms of the Brown Boys. Entrance fee is only 20 cents. Everybody who is someone will be there!”—Advertise ment in “Colony Information Notes”,

Geic.

WITH only two days of April gone by, present figures indicate that the island’s rainfall for the month could very well be a record. Since 1890, when rainfall statistics were first kept, the highest April figure recorded was 1,673 points in 1937.

Our present deluge started early Tuesday morning, and 9 a.m. on Tuesday to 5 p.m. on Thursday, a total of 1,584 points had been re corded. This figure, together with the 12 points recorded from Monday, 9 a.m. to Tuesday 9 a.m., gives a grand, although a very soggy, figure of 1,596 points for the week—and at the time of printing this front page, it is still raining.

Our annual average rainfall is 53 inches —rainfall so far this year totals 23 inches! Not to worry, there are plenty of raincoats and gumboots in the shops and a goodly supply of ark building materials readily available. — Item in the April 3 issue of “The Norfolk Islander”.

THE Tasmania Star arrived at 5.30 a.m. from Wellington with mail and six passengers. Once again we were disappointed store-wise as the Island’s supply of meat, eggs and butter failed to arrive on this ship. However the pineapples and melons are plentiful so we will all get by no doubt until “our ship comes in”.— ltem in “Pitcairn Miscellany”.

REQUESTS from many people in Niue to spray their houses against cockroaches are becoming so frequent we can not afford to do them all. Now, here are some simple measures to get rid of them in large numbers: Collect all egg packets, then burn

them all. By doing this you are destroying thousands of would-be live cockroaches, because there are 16-40 eggs in each.

Boiling water could also be used to flood them out from cookhouse corners. If they are not killed instantly, then it is up to you to finish them off with a broom. Please do this and keep on doing it for your own good, and save our country a few dollars.— ltem from “Tohi Tala Niue”.

AS a regular picture-goer, I want to bring to the notice of the public and, in particular, to two theatre managements in Suva, namely the Lilac and the Phoenix, this abhorrent practice of teenage boys who stand around in the foyers of the theatres asking for money to gain admission.

Why don‘t the proprietors take

some action against this flourishing business and bring it to a stop?

These boys have become pests to the customers. It is most disgusting and humiliating when one of them comes up to you and says; “Five cents please” or “Friend, can you spare me 10 cents?” in front of all the on lookers.

This sort of practice is deplorable in the eyes of the public. It is the responsibility of the proprietors and their staff to curb this practice.— Letter by Aneil Rajesh, Suva, to “The Fiji Times”.

DESPITE heavy rain on Good Friday, the Passion Play was held at Lawson Tama before a small but appreciative audience. Rain made the slopes of the hill behind Lawson Tama very slippery and the cast were often in difficulty when the cross was carried up to the top of the hill for the final scene. Because of the bad weather, darkness fell earlier than usual, but last minute lighting at the top of the hill revealed three figures on three crosses in a spectacular scene. — Item in BSIP “Newssheet".

TOURISM in a general sense is in evitable in view of our external connections. But we must be warned

against any deliberate promotion of such an industry at this stage because it will certainly be not in our national interest.

Our talk about tourism is prema ture. Why not wait until the next 50 or 100 years before talking about such a subject?— Letter from leremia Tabai in “Colony Information Notes”, Tarawa.

CAN anybody tell me what is the point of a small body of well meaning people organising a ball, when all most of the men do, is go straight to the bar and drink—and stay there?

It is a great shame to see the women and girls in their beautiful, quite expensive, ball gowns, hoping to have a good time and becoming drooping wallflowers. Drinking can be done at any time—why wait to attend a ball to do so?

In future, the only ball my family

will attend will be the Bounty Day Ball at which, thank heavens, there is no bar.— Letter from “Disgusted” in the “Norfolk Islander”.

AFTER reading almost everything

about typhoid—its causes, its dangers and its history—l am now fully aware that it is really a dan gerous disease and we must do our best to eradicate it.

The other day I went down to one of our local nakotaris to relieve myself. The tide was low and to my surprise, I saw hordes of flies sitting on faeces. Some were just about to fly shoreward with their feet and bodies full of faeces. The nearest house was about 10 yards away.

Moreover the public are not allowed to defacate or urinate near their houses, but they must use the naokotari. If you are seen defacating or urinating near your house, the police will arrest you.

We are told prevention is better than cure, but if the circumstances do not allow it then I think that CURE is better than PREVENTION. —Letter from a reader in ■■ WM the GEIC “Colony Informa- ■ H tion Notes”. m M