From the Islands Press

J 4 The director of health, Dr, A A J. Williams, Professor El liott, Dr. S. Kavana and Dr, M. Strickland were involved in an accident today. The accident oc curred at approximately 8.45 a.m. on the Sanatorium road in which the director’s car, driven by Dr, Wil liams, collided with a CAA Land rover, driven by Mr. Kavaghner. No one was injured but the director’s car was badly damaged on the driver’s side.

In an interview, Dr. Williams stat ed that neither party was really to blame since this accident happened on the worst corner of the Sanator ium road. The road is narrow and is often in very poor state. Several attempts have been made to widen this road but nothing has been done.

“Now that this has happened to me,” said Dr. Williams, “I will make certain that this road is improved at the earliest date. I do not want this to happen to any doctor or to any patient or indeed to any mem ber of the public.”— News item in the “Cook Islands News”, Raro tonga.

V Sir, —So Mr. Paulus Arek, the chairman of the Select Committee on Constitutional Development, consid ers that Papua-New Guinea should not accept ideas from foreigners?

It would be interesting to know where this country would be today if that had always been the attitude of its local leaders. If Mr. Arek had said that he didn’t want the ideas of foreigners forcefully imposed on the territory, I would agree with him. But that is not what he said.

Apparently he objects to ideas from outside simply because they are alien. That is the most retrogressive rubbish we have heard for a long time.— Extract from a letter from A.

Oliver, of Lae, in Port Moresby’s “Post-Courier”.

If you think a taxi stopping in front of you on the road is one of the more irksome things that can slop up your day, put yourself in the position of the Continental Air- Micronesia pilot who had to circle the island four times with his jet while a taxi with a flat tyre stood immobile on the approach runway.

Evidently the driver thought the taxi should come before the plane.— News item in “Micronitor”, Majuro.

Q Following discussions with Trea sury, it has been decided that a one dollar coin will be issued as currency for usage within the Cook Islands

from January 13. This coin will be in addition to the one dollar notes already in circulation, but it is hoped that the coins will eventually replace most of these dollar notes. The main reason behind this move is due to the very short life of a one dollar note in the Cook Islands because of the climate and other factors. This can range from as low as one week, up to three months at the most. This problem is not so noticeable on Rarotonga, where the National Bank of New Zealand is constantly re placing unissuable bank notes, but on the outer islands where the bank is unable to perform this service, some bank notes have deteriorated to the extent that they are almost unrecognisable. —Announcement in the “Cook Islands News”, Raro tonga.

There is a continuing loss of elec tric light bulbs from the wards and the other hospital blocks. The hos pital lights are very important. The doctors and nurses need good lights when they are attending the patients.

If you take the bulb they will have

no light and the patient suffers.— Official appeal in the “Tohi Tala Niue”, Niue. >1 _._,,, „ . . , Sir,—l have been following with interest the articles and letters in the “Tonga Chronicle” concerning police raids on Sunday bathers. It is very confusing to me about this since the man who stole, killed, and ate my American dog was convicted about six months ago, but did not pay his fine nor go to serve his term in prison.

I’ve inquired several times about this lack of justice, however no action seems to come about. Maybe the police find it easier to round up citizens relaxing and cooling off at the beach on Sunday than to round up convicted felons.

In most civilised nations, with which Tonga has elected to align herself, stealing and dog-eating are far worse than performing duties on Sunday which attribute to peace and public welfare.

If Tonga is really interested in building up a tourist industry, it had better change its ideas of justice since most civilised people consider dogeating half a step from cannibalism, —Letter from L. J. Lancaster, in

the “Tonga Chronicle” (which had reported police action against people swimming on Sunday in violation of Tonga’s Sabbath Observance laws).

V Sir, —A plea! Like many men I’m concerned with the length of dresses.

I don’t like the idea of a few de signers dictating to Fiji women what they should wear. I think Fiji women are among the most beautiful—and with the prettiest legs. They should show them. The midi had to come.

It was a sign of the times and an advancement to suit this fast modern space-age. Please girls, stay with that great Fiji look—and keep looking young and vibrant instead of going backwards with the midi. —Letter from S. Kapoor, of Ba, in “The Fiji Times”.

V A leather-back turtle, claimed to be the largest ever seen in the area, was killed and eaten recently at Nuhu village, in the Shortland Islands. The turtle was said to be eight feet long.

The villagers caught it and tied it to a tree with a wire because it was too large to turn over on its back. It was later cut up and the meat divided between nearby vil iages.—News item in the “BSIP News Sheet”, Honiara. ’ v . Arrows were fired at a man after his truck had accidentally killed a small child on the Highlands High wa V this wee k. The three-year-old child ran across the road m front °f the truck at Asaro, near Goroka.

Angry villagers stoned the driver, Horihe Kokoe, as the truck stopped arrows were shot at the driver, lie drove off and reported the ac cident to Goroka police. News item * n “Post-Courier”.

JK As a company at present holding the franchise to retail liquor in one of the outer villages, we note with some surprise the comments in yes terday’s Press to the effect that pri vate enterprises will “exploit” the sale of liquor. Since September, 1969, our company has sold cases of beer at our Titikaveka store. Our nett profit on its sale is just over one

cent per can, giving us a profit mar gin of under seven per cent.

The people writing in the Press yesterday may feel this modest profit margin to be exploitation, but we would be interested to hear from the trust committee what profit mar gin they would aim for,— Paid ad vertisement in the “Cook Islands News”, from Island Merchants Ltd.

V Sir, —Lunch in Spain is not an hour for a meal but several hours for a siesta. All the business houses and government departments close up shop and everyone goes to sleep.

It seems P-NG and the land of the brave bulls have something in com mon besides the sun. It’s not im possible to do business here in the lunch hour, but it comes close to it.

Shops stay open and banks and hotels and service stations. But the Administration offices, the police traffic registration branch, insurance companies and others close down ... The only way for some people to register a car or buy insurance or query an account is to do it in the boss’ time. It would be interest ing to add up all the “working hours” people spend on personal business simply because they have no alternative.— Letter in Port Moresby’s “Post-Courier”.

V

Escaped Prisoner: At About

0530 hours last Saturday morning just as the islet residents were rising to begin another day’s activity, a person believed to be suffering from mental illness escaped from the cus tody of the police at the Bairiki Police Station. Pursued by the police, he broke into the Residency’s bed room, where His Honour [Sir John Field] and Lady Field were lying asleep. With a broom handle he as saulted both occupants before the police caught up and re-arrested him.

In the short struggle both the Resi dent Commissioner and Lady Field received some minor injuries, which are rapidly responding to treatment.

They were attended on the spot by the resident medical assistant.

Phone calls were quickly made to appropriate authorities conveying the message during the course of the incident; a doctor arrived from Bikenibeu very shortly, followed a little while later by the Acting Chief Police Officer, from Betio, News of the incident got round Bairiki when it was all over ... Strong protec tive wire is being fitted to the Resi dency windows.— News item ■■ Bj buried in “Colony Informotion Notes”, Tarawa. J