FIJIAN AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 1, 3 January 1927, Page 14

FIJIAN AFFAIRS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) SUVA, December 16. St. Felix College—New Wing Opened. In 1912 the first portion of the Marist Brothers St. Felix College was erected at a cost of £3000. The building was of wood and of two storeys. It was found to be much too cramped for the increasing number of boarders, and so a further addition was decided on, and this has been completed at a cost of over £4000, the building being of concrete. On Sunday last the new wing, which includes I a roomy chapel and commodious quarters for the teaching brothers, was opened by his Lordship Bishop Nicolas, in the presence of a large assembly. A collection, taken on the ground, realised a substantial amount. A Big Task. Last week the Burns, Pliilp steamer Malinoa, which is about to enter the Xew Hebi ides tiade, was successfully slipped by the Public Works mechanical stall'. As the slip was designed for vessels of 500 tons and the JUalinoa weighs S9O tons deadweight the task was a big one, but the steamer was placed securely on the slip without any trouble, in the space of 12 hours. The steel cable took the strain without any accident. As the newly-appointed steamer Makatoa, which is to take the place of the Malinoa is not so large she will have no difficulty in being slipped. The Makatoa will take up the regular subsidised trips among the group as from January for a pterin of live years at a subsidy of £7000 per annum. Sly Grog Selling.

The tremendous increase in the use of whisky among the Indians has been causing people a great deal of anxiety of recent months, and the police have been busily engaged in trying to find out the source of the evil. There was, therefore, some satisfaction expressed when a storekeeper named Nagin, who had in April been fined £30 for selling hop beer considerably overproof, had been caught selling whisky. He pleaded guilty and was fined £100. Youti" Indian lads say that they spend all their spare cash on whisky, which is easy to obtain any time. According to the law no Indian can be supplied with livjuoi unless he possesses a permit, but the drinking habit has become general due to the lack of European police, for tlieie are only two European policemen in Sma whereas a couple of years there were six or more. ' c Novel Law Point. An uneducated Indian' milk vendor brought a case for damages against a European and the counsel for the defence took the preliminary objection that the writ was bad as the son of plaintiff had signed the writ as "attorney." The Supreme Court rule said that all writs must be signed by the plaintiff in person 01* by his solicitor or some one connected with liim. The son put in a registered Power of Attor- : ney, authorising him among other things to sue. The bench upheld the objec- ; tion although the bench acknowledged I that he was authorised to sue. The decision is regarded as bad as the attor- ! ney can clo such acts as the principal, else what value would the power confer? ■ The decision is a direct attack upon all j powers of attorney, and will likely be ' appealed against. ' j