Continental wins

new air route

Continental/Air Micronesia has been awarded the Saipan-Japan route. President Ford’s approval of a unanimous recommen dation from the US Civil Aeronautics Board ends years of wrangling between Continental/Air Micronesia and Pan American World Airways which often degenerated into plain mud-slinging. The matter was pushed back and forwards by various agencies dealing with the application.

Mr Robert F. Six, chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines, said it was the most important event for the airline since it started service more than eight years ago. The economic growth of Micronesia was largely dependent on the development of tourism from Japan, which, in turn, rested on single carrier service between all districts of the US Trust Territory and Japan.

The new link will foster development of tourism throughout Micronesia. Continen tal/Air Micronesia links the Trust Territory with Guam and Honolulu.

Nz Turns Down

Tonga-Samoa Plan

The New Zealand Government has rejected an air route proposal made by the National Airways Corporation for the Western Samoa Government.

Representatives from the Ministry of Transport and the NAC in Wellington recently visited Western Samoa to discuss the NAC report on the proposal with Samoan and Tongan leaders.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Transport said in Wellington that the ministry had rejected the report because it was worried that the two groups could not run Polynesian Airlines alone. Western Samoa and Tonga had intended to run a “mini” regional airline covering Samoa

Tonga, Niue and the Cook Islands.

They also planned to take over flights from Auckland to Apia if Air New Zealand stopped its services between Auckland and Pago Pago.

A spokesman for NAC, Mr Paul Winter, said he was not upset by the NZ Government’s refusal to accept the proposal. The report was merely provisional. Certain areas still needed to be looked into carefully. They were mainly political and immigration. It was up to the governments to decide what to do about the airline. NAC was merely acting as consultant, but was prepared to advise if asked.

Nauru To Sue

Nz Maritime Unions

Nauru plans to sue New Zealand maritime unions for losses suffered when its cargo ship Enna G was tied up in Wellington for months recently by a union black ban on her.

The move has been announced by President Hammer Deßoburt. The case is expected to be heard in the New Zealand Supreme Court later this year.

The dispute with the unions arose over working conditions of the ship’s crew of Fijians and other Islanders.

Hard Workers

On Suva Wharf

Work on the wharves at Fiji’s three ports of entry, Suva, Lautoka and Levuka, will all be under the control of the Ports Authority of Fiji from October 1. The authority took over Suva wharf on July 1 in a “smooth and orderly” operation.

Since then there had been an increase in productivity. In the first week there was a record of 21 containers an hour unloaded from the Paralla. The Union South Pacific, another container ship, was un loaded at a record rate of 240 tons an hour the same week.

The authority has a permanent work force of 383 labourers for overseas ships, and 110 for local shipping. Two authority executives, Mr Henry Jones, head of the labour section, and Captain Fritz Falkner, Suva wharf manager, have attended crash courses on stevedoring at the Port of Singapore Authority’s training depart ment.

Suva Girls As

Nauru Air Hosties

Two Suva girls have been selected as the first Fiji-born hostesses for Air Nauru.

They are Mavis Toganivalu, 20, and Maria Hazelman, 19. Both are single.

Mr. Jephcott...Not saying too much.