January 31, 1974

troleum stations continued with sales but the company’s Fiji manager, Mr Graham Wiley, said they were under heavy pressure because the other stations had closed.

JANUARY 23

FIJI should re-examine the air-sea rescue system it inherited from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the PM Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara said yesterday. “We should take into consideration the use of light aircraft and helicopters for future rescue operations,” Ratu Sir Kamisese said. He was giving evidence to a court of inquiry into the loss of the ships and

JANUARY 24

THREE Roman Catholic brothers from India who came to Fiji to set up a boy’s town at Nasinu have decided to shift the site to Queen Road past Lami. Brother Oliver said they were not happy with the King’s Road site from the beginning. He said the Government had provided a bigger and better site.

JANUARY 25

CREW members of the ill-fated, were never drilled for an emergency, a court of inquiry heard in Suva, The ship’s quartermaster, who was a member of the crew for seven years said that in that time he had never been instructed about measures to take in an emergency. “I was never told what to do nor how to assist passengers in time of danger,” Mr Waisale Vai said.

JANUARY 28

THE new Fijian National Party wants two thirds of the seats in Parliament to be reserved for Fijians. In a party document, it refers to the “shock of the onslaught of independence” and says Fijians were made not taught to walk, run and fly at the same time.” The party submitted grievances and demands, to the GovernorGeneral, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, on Saturday morning after a protest march through.

JANUARY 29

FIJI light heavyweight boxer, Salusalu Viavia, was knocked out in the second round of his Commonwealth Games fight on Sunday night. Hard-punching Northern Irelander, Gordon Ferris, floored Viavia for the count. Fiji singles bowler, Sid Snowsill, suffered a further loss in the 7th round of the Games bowls. He was beaten by Welshman, Maldwyn Evans.

SO far as we know there is not a branch of the Flat Earth Society in Fiji but perhaps there is scope for one.

JANUARY 30

YESTERDAY was a bad day for Fiji athletes in the track and field events at the Commonwealth Games. Tony Moore sprained his ankle in the long jump qualifying rounds and Miriama Tuisorisori fell in the 100m hurdles semifinal. The best Fiji athlete was Mereoni Vibose, who threw the javelin 45.84 metres and finished 7th out of 12 finalists.

JANUARY 31

A SURPRISE government decision to clamp down on tea imports may force Fiji tea drinkers to change their favourite brand for a locally blended brand. Merchants criticised the government’s decision to restrict imports of blended tea from yesterday to protect the tea, Nausori, from competition. Local preferred the Ceylon blend.

A Suva dealer, for instance, has apparently not yet caught up with the fact that Fiji changed to decimal currency last January.

His wares are still being advertised in pounds, shillings and pence.