Nutshell

In a Nutshell

KILLER FLU. —A virulent form of influenza is sweeping some of the South Pacific countries, notably in Papua New Guinea and the New Hebrides. By mid-March 18 people were reported to have died from flu in the Jimi area of the New Guinea Western Highlands and 11 deaths were reported on the New Hebrides island of Efate where doctors were working overtime. They said about 70 per cent of the island’s population of 15,000 had caught the bug.

Dancers In Japan.— The 16-

strong Cook Islands Betela dance troupe left Rarotonga on March 12 for another six months engagement in Japan.

They are performing at the tourist hotel on Namegawa Island, two hours by train from Tokyo. This will be the fifth visit to Japan for the team’s manageress, Miss Anne Jonassen, and her two dancing sisters,

Lily and Muriel. Anne is also the star dancer of the show. The troupe was scheduled to dance before Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko and family on March 24, and towards the end of October they will give a show for Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako. The Betela Dance Troupe is well-known in Japan because of several previous TV appearances there.

They will do more TV shows during this engagement.

HOLY AUTONOMY— The Anglican Diocese of Melanesia has decided to form a Province of Melanesia, sepa rate from the Province of NZ, by 1975. This will allow the church m the BSIP and the New Hebrides to make its own decisions, and would give the local people more say in church affairs. If the proposal is ap proved by a general synod in NZ at the end of 1974, the new province would be split into four dioceses.

Four bishops, one of them an arch bishop, would be appointed.

Sugar Nationalised.— Controi

of the Fiji sugar industry passed from South Pacific Sugar Mills Ltd, a CSR Co Ltd subsidiary, to the Fiji Govern ment on April 1. The industry will now be conducted by the Fiji Sugar Corporation, and a chief executive,

Mr Gwyn Bowen-Jones. A Suva bar rister and solicitor and former Mayor of Suva, Mr A. D. Leys, has been appointed chairman of the corpora tion. The other members are Messrs R. V. Patel, vice-chairman, a Lautoka businessman and customs agent; Mr G. M. Day, managing director of SPSM Ltd, who will be succeeded by Mr Bowen-Jones; M. Qionibaravi, formerly Secretary for Finance and now managing director of Naviti In vestments Ltd; Phil Best, managing director of Burns Philp (SS) Co Ltd; Chimanlal Narsey, managing director of Narseys Ltd and Narhari Elec trical Co Ltd; G. S. Barrack, mana ging director of Pacific Harbour Estate Management, and S. Siwatibau, Secretary for Finance.

Meat Agreement. —New Cale

donian butchers can expect 700 tons of meat from the New Hebrides during 1973, under the terms of a new agreement drawn up between the two territories. In the last few years, meat exports from the New Hebrides have more than tripled and should continue to increase. New Caledonian consumption is increasing each year and local breeding does not meet the demand. Australian exports are no longer satisfactory, because since the revaluation of the Australian dollar, prices have risen.

COUNTING HEADS.— The popula tions of Vila and Santo in the New Hebrides have increased by more than half in five years—Greater Vila to 12,536 compared with 7,738 in 1967, and Santo to 3,882 from 2,564.

Die non-indigenous population of Vila had increased by nearly 70 per sent (3,971 from 2,340) but the in crease in Santo was only 12 per cent 1,153 from 1,030). Those eligible to /ote in the proposed municipal council ireas totalled 3,190 in Vila—sl.3 )er cent New Hebrideans, 18.7 per :ent of British legal status and 24.3 )er cent of French legal status—and ■ >546 in Santo—6s.l per cent New ■lebrideans, 12.3 per cent British and !2.6 per cent French. jAMES PROBLEM. —The venue of he 1975 South Pacific Games is in he balance. The Lieutenant-Governor •f Guam said Guam won’t organise hem, while Mr Tom Nelson, chair nan of the council of the Fifth South ‘acific Games, says they will be held n Guam. Now Mr Les Martin, of uva, chairman of the council of the irst South Pacific Games, will go > Guam to investigate the position. )epending on what he reports, a eneral assembly of all territories will leet in Suva, within three months, his assembly, probably, will decide le fate of the 1975 games. rEIC HANDOVER. —The Merchan ise Division of the GEIC Develop lent Authority, which has been re jonsible for importing and whole iling food and other consumer nods, has been handed over to the >operative movement in the colony, ow it is known as the Gilbert and Hice Islands Co-operative Federa on Ltd. Mr D. A. Harrison, the new

manager, was previously a senior co operative officer with the Co operative Department. Mr Paul Leeder, sales officer of GEIDA Merchandise Division also goes to the federation, and Mr B. Read, an accountant with GEIDA has been appointed accountant.

Schools Handed Over.—

French Roman Catholic schools in the New Hebrides have been handed over to the French administration in an agreement signed in February be tween the Ministry for National Education and the French Roman Catholic Mission.

• Woolly-haired Fijian journalist Manoa Rasigatale, currently working with PIM editorial staff in Sydney, wrote the piece on page 55 of last isue about the murder of early Fiji mis sionary Thomas Baker. But after the printers had done their bit, Manoa found there was a mix-up of dates. The event took place on Sunday July 21, 1867—not two years later, as our page 55 report had it, and also the name of the village where he was killed. It should be Gagaidelavatu— not ‘Delai gaganivatu’.