Postscripts

Togetherness talk

During February, government leaders and heads of departments of both Western and American Samoa met in Pago Pago to discuss ways of co-operation in the fields of agri culture, education, fisheries, immigra tion, administration, port adminis tration, industry and economic development.

The talks were mainly exploratory and there were really no agreements of any significance, but as the acting secretary to the government Mr.

Karanita Enari said, the talks were a preliminary step to major joint efforts in the future.

If things work out, for instance, the two Samoas may co-operate in ventures relating to breweries, furni ture making, fruit processing, dessi cated coconuts, milk products, fisheries and livestock feed, lumber processing, pineapple processing, dairy processing, fish processing and beef production.

Islands on TV

Canadian television viewers can look forward to more of the life and culture of the islands of the South West Pacific during the next two years. Mr. Gordon Babineau, a TV producer from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was in Tonga recently in the course of a preliminary trip "ound the SW Pacific to prepare naterial for filming 13 documentary programmes.

Mr. Babineau said the films will mdeavour to capture something epresentative of each place including 7 iji, Tonga, the Samoas, the Gilbert ind Ellice Islands, New Caledonia, he New Hebrides and the Solomons, fhe programmes will not be too icademic but rather more entertain ng in the presentation of the his orical, geographical and cultural variety of the area. In order to produce a quality series, the TV rew will be quartered in Suva for leven months while they visit each sland group.

Associate producer is Mike Poole, ameraman William Brayne, and as mter-narrator the well-known uthor/joumalist George Woodcock.

Author of many travel books pub lished in America and Great Britain, Mr. Woodcock will be writing a book on the SW Pacific during this assignment. The TV series will help to supplement the scant knowledge of Canadians of the cultural and emerging life of these islands.

Airliner’s debut

Polynesian’s new aircraft, an HS74B christened Lost made its first official flight February 13 by flying to Tonga and returning via Niue, and it has since begun services between American and Western Samoa.

Those who went on the inaugural flight included Prime Minister Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV and members of his Cabinet, directors of Poly nesian Airlines, members of parlia ment and other local dignitaries. The Tongan government put on a couple of cocktail parties for the visitors while the Niuean Government put on a cocktail party and a feast.

Polynesian’s services are expected to be greatly improved as a result of the new aircraft. Meanwhile, nothing has been heard again of Pan Am’s proposal to set up a jet service to compete with Polynesian, “If they won’t have gentlemanly modified competition, then they’ll have full blooded no-holds-barred competition when we get going,” seemed to be the message conveyed by Pan American World Airways vice-president for corporate develop ment Charles Runnette, regarding the airline’s relations with Polynesian Airlines, when he left Pago Pago for the US recently.

He had come, he said, to propose that a unique type of service be started by PanAm between the two Samoas, exercising the right assign able by the US government to one of its carriers in exchange for Poly nesian s landing rights in American Samoa.

Recognising the damage that could be done to Polynesian if they were to open up in direct confronta tion with the Samoan national carrier, Mr. Runnette proposed that PanAm operate an hourly “shuttle” service tvith two small twin-engined aircraft.

These would generate a new market tor quick-trip American visitors to western Samoa, and offer local citizens an additional frequent and convenient air service between the wo states.

Prime Minister of Western Samoa Pupua Tamasese was polite, but his Minister of Civil Aviation, Tupuola

Efi, wasn’t having any of it, ap parently. According to Mr. Runnette, the minister had threatened that he would do whatever he could to block any PanAm air service between American and Western Samoa.

In his version of the exchange, which he claimed had been conducted in an amiable and cordial manner, Tupuola denied that anything had been said to the effect that PanAm would be prevented from flying to Western Samoa. Negotiations had to be conducted between the two governments, and the US State Department had not yet officially told Western Samoa who its official carrier for the route was.

Of course, it may be that PanAm was not offering very much to Poly nesian Airlines, in that the proposal was only for an “initial” period, the full blast of competition perhaps not a great time delayed.

One can hardly judge without more knowledge of the facts, but it would certainly pay the Western Samoa Government to see that its own air line was right up to the mark with ts attention to its customers’ needs, >o that it need not fear the arrival )f competition, which is inevitable.

Birthday for 10i

The independence celebrations in Vestern Samoa beginning June 1 are xpected to be the biggest and angest ever because this year marks he 10th anniversary of national inde endence. Although this anniversary ormally falls on January 1, it has Iways been the custom to hold the elebrations early in June.

This year’s celebrations may last whole week and will include the sual longboat race (the star event i the celebrations), a queen carnival, lurching girls, floats, horse racing, aditional singing and dancing cou nts and many other events. Many rizes will be awarded.

Ponga’s film ban

Six films were banned in as many eeks by the Tongan Board of ensors recently. They included the otion picture which has had world ide screening, A Man Called Horse, which early American Indian life depicted with stark realism. The m has aroused controversy in many aces, but has been generally

acclaimed as an authentic picture of he place and times it covers.

The other films banned were The Loser, Three into Two Won’t Go, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, and two vesterns which were filmed in Italy, Siva Django and I Want Him Dead. fhe ban was imposed because they nvolved films, portions of films or »osters which encouraged or justified rime or immorality, sedition or abotage.

Chairman of the censorship board, \kau’ola, said that in Tonga films, ortions of films or posters which are kely to give offence to any creed, riendly nationality or country are anned.

investment

High Commissioner of the US rust Territory of Micronesia, Edward Johnston, recently wrote to resident Hammer Deßoburt of auru informing him that the leaders f the Congress of Micronesia had 3 objection to the granting of ;onomic privileges to the govern ment of Nauru, subject to the ap *oval of the administration of the strict involved in each individual ise.

The bulk of Nauru’s investment the tremendous surplus accruing □m phosphate mining in the island is up till now been in Australia. ie government is understood to ive an aim to broaden the field of vestment in order to ensure a con iued income when the phosphate posits are exhausted.

Air Nauru’s Fokker jet is now mg regularly to Majuro, and the line recently underwrote the instal lon of lights at the Majuro air id, making it the first lighted air id in the Trust Territory. Nauru’s V Eigamoiya also called at Majuro :ently to discharge cargo, after an reement had been reached with LI (now TRANSPAC), the holder an exclusive franchise in the terri y- According to the High Commis ners letter. President Deßoburt I expressed an interest in hotel esment as well as other unspecified erpnses. Investment will apparently allowable under the present TT Jrpretation of the so-called “most cured nation” clause in the steeship agreement because that se applies to members of the tied Nations. Nauru is not a mem of the UN.

Tie High Commissioner said, “We k forward to ever-increasing nomic ties between the Republic Naura and the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands.”