'Ugly questions' raised in 'war'

over Saipan-Japan air route

From a Washington correspondent

The Micronesian air “war” was resumed when the US Civil Aero nautics Board, apparently after com pleting opening hearings and sitting down to prepared recommendations for President Nixon about the Saipan-Japan air route, decided it wanted to hold new hearings on Saipan to continue investigations into the case. It was unable to de cide the matter on information so far received, and it wanted to know where the Micronesians stood.

There are three applicants for the route—Pan American World Air ways, Continental Air Micronesia, the heavyweights, and Northwest Orient Airlines, a hopeful. North west Orient could now be a leading contender because the CAB has questioned the fitness of the other two carriers for the service.

The route will be even more attractive now that the US has opened the Trust Territory for in vestment and commerce by all nations.

CAB took issue with the recom mendation of its administrative law judge that PAA should be awarded the route because the judge’s opin ion was that “only slight weight” should be given to the preferences of the Micronesians. The judge had said that views coming from Micro nesia had been “seriously devalued” because of attempts to influence public opinion in Micronesia, which were “intense, persistent and per vasive” on the part of the two major contenders—Continental and

Paa.

The board said that raised “ugly questions” about the fitness of both carriers. The charges, if true, could well constitute breaches of the rules of conduct in board proceedings, and thus call into question carrier fitness.

During the final round of hearings in November, the board heard 12 Micronesian spokesmen, eight of whom spoke on behalf of Conti nental and four for PAA. The officially-recorded position of the Congress of Micronesia favoured Continental on the basis that award of the route to it would most bene fit the six districts of the Trust Territory.

The CAB said it was influenced in its decision to order further hear ings by letters from both the State and Interior departments, which said that the board should attach

considerable weight to the views of Micronesians, which were in official resolutions of the Congress of Micronesia and the various district legislatures. The new hearings for Saipan were ordered to air the charges of lobbying against the air lines, as well as to decide the actual wishes of the people.

Air Micronesia, a subsidiary of Continental, has asked the CAB to allow it to suspend its weekly ser vice between Saipan and Okinawa.

Two reasons are given—the need to conserve fuel and economics.

Png Plans To

Protect Its Seamen

The Papua New Guinea Govern ment plans to safeguard the country’s seamen who are employed in overseas ships. A number of overseas shipping lines, which rarely use PNG ports are recruiting PNG seamen.

The Minister for National Develop ment, Mr Gavera Rea, said it was apparent the underlying reason was to take advantage of the lower wage levels of PNG, compared with wages paid to seamen from other countries.

Legislation is now being prepared to give PNG seamen better protection in international shipping.

Mr Rea said that until the legisla tion came into force, limitations would be placed on employing PNG seamen in ships, other than those operating in the Pacific region, or on a regular basis between Papua New Guinea and Australian ports.

A Gap In South

Pacific Skies

American Airlines suspended all Pacific services south of Hawaii early in March. The last flights north were from Sydney on March 2, and Auck land, Nadi and Pago Pago on March 3. The airline received approval from the US Civil Aeronautics Board for the suspension.

Suspension of the flights is not the end of the matter. American Airlines and Pan American World Airways have agreed to a swap of services— PAA to take over from American in die South Pacific, and American to take over unprofitable PAA ser vices in the Caribbean. The CAB will open a hearing into the proposed exchange in May but it may be many months before it gives a decision.

Though PAA is a major contender for American Airlines South Pacific

services, it has no prior right to them.

It is likely that other US airlines will apply, as they did in the 1960 s but the fact that American Airlines lost heavily on the services may deter competition.

Soon after American Airlines sus pended South Pacific services, UTA suspended services through Fiji fol lowing a ban, allegedly in protest against French nuclear tests in the South Pacific, imposed by the Fiji Council of Trade Unions. Those two suspensions, plus withdrawal by Air- India of the Sydney-Nadi weekly service, cuts to five the number of overseas lines using Fiji on a regular basis—Qantas, Air New Zealand, CPAL, British Airways and PAA.

According to the manager of UTA in Fiji, Mr Mark Deutsch, UTA is considering switching all services through Pago Pago. This is bound to worry the tourist industry, although very few flights by UTA through Nadi were at full capacity.

Fiji Dockworkers

Want Pay Doubled

Fiji dockworkers have filed a log of claims asking employers to pay 51.50 an hour to casual labour, and $1 an hour to permanent employees.

The present hourly rates are 50c and

46c respectively.

The log was filed by the newly registered Fiji Waterside Workers’ md Seamen’s Union, of which Mr Pamela Veitata is secretary. Mr said the claim was to offset ipiralling costs and raise the wage evel to that recommended by the H iji Ports Commission of Inquiry.

Jnlucky First Call

= Or Container Ship

The Columbus Line container ship, Columbus Capricorn, ran aground )n the reef north-west of Betio just >efore she was to enter Tarawa la goon on February 9. She freed her elf on the afternoon high tide.

An earlier attempt to refloat her >y pumping out 2,000 gallons of vater failed. The only damage was i bent propeller. The ship was able o sail to Los Angeles, where the >ent propeller was removed and traightened, and a new propeller itted.

The Columbus Capricorn was on icr first call at Tarawa. She had nore than 20 containers of general argo for the colony. • Angaur Island in Micronesia yill soon have its own ship, which vi\\ cost about $BO,OOO. The ship is >emg bought from Yacht Systems lawau Inc. It is 60 ft long, has a ibre hull, dual diesel engines, an uxiliary power generator, and a peed of 10-12 knots.