popular (with some)

Suva's new "guest houses" are not so popular (with some)

Fiji travel agents, vainly trying

;o find a room to book their

clients into, sigh with relief

vhenever a new hotel or motel )pens.

But in Suva’s quieter back streets, ild-time residents are getting shirty bout the mushrooming of the latest orm of guest accommodation.

Catering for the scores of Chinese, Korean and Japanese seamen who rowl aiound the city when their shing boats are in port, they are uphemistically operated as “guest ouses” and they are doing a roar ig trade.

From the outside looking in there’s othing much to distinguish them rom any other house in the streets.

Iccupants of houses which neigh our them suffer accordingly.

A businessman living in Toorak, eighbour to a newly opened “guest ouse” complained of thundering, npatient bashing on his front door irough the night, night after night, sually when the fishing fleet was in.

I have to get up and answer the oor and direct them to the place ext door,” he said.

He tried taking sleeping tablets to et away from the knocking, and the rashing and the gay giggles, but “the eavy knocking on the door is loud nough to wake the dead.” His wife ad suffered a terrible experience, he dated.

Sailors from a visiting submarine Dreed their way into the house when be made the mistake of answering ieir knocks. “Fortunately, I was i the house and went to her rescue, be men had got hold of her and ad forced their attention on her.

Wien I told them they were in a rivate house, two of them left. But icy soon had to be called back d drag their more persistent mate way.”

The neighbours of the guest houses o have some more amusing stories d tell seamen clad in their under wear sprinting madly out of the uest houses with an enraged tem orary girl friend streaking after lem are common sight.

The irate respectable have vainly een petitioning the police for a rackdown on the guest houses, but ot with much response. Police ont altogether view the flourishing guest house” trade with disfavour, seing it as a form of sexual safety alve.