‘Cooks, Fiji, paid

their own way’

You should correct one of the errors in the article by Marie- Therese and Bengt Danielsson about the South Pacific Festival of the Arts in Papeete (PIM Sep p 22). It is not true that the French Government paid the air fares for all foreign delega tions. Whoever they might have paid for, it was neither Fiji nor the Cook Islands.

Three hours before the plane took off for Papeete from Raro tonga the Cook Islands delega tion did not have their tickets.

Each member of the party had to personally guarantee to re

pay his or her share of a government loan eventually, and at the last minute, given to the delegation. This they did, and raised part of the SNZ4O,OOO needed by giving concerts in Papeete. 1 do not know exactly how the Fiji delegation managed to pay their fares but I am most reliably informed that they did not get the money from the French Government.

C.W. Webster

Auckland, New Zealand.