ISLAND NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 285, 1 December 1928, Page 13

ISLAND NEWS.

FIJI RETURNED MEN.

GOVERNMENT REFUSES

RECOGNITION.

(Prom Onr Own Correspondent.)

SUVA, November 22.

The Government of Fiji has refused to recognise the claims of the members of -the Third Contingent to free admittance and service for themselves and their families at the War Memorial Hospital on the ground that only those who actually served in "a theatre of war" are eligible such privilege. Intense indignation is felt throughout the colony at the decision and there is talk of asking British intervention. Drought Broken. Conditions throughout Fiji have been in a precarious state for some time owing to a drought. The country suffered Severely, as nuts would not mature and fall. Water everywhere wag scarce and things looked very gloomy. In Suva there Was only water in sight for two Weeks, but on Saturday the rain came and has been falling steadily ever since and appears to be general. It came just in time ,to avoid a calamity. A Fearful Death. Indians are famous for being fatalistic. A terrible tragedy occurred illustrating this last week-end. A woman named Sabbama had a happy home, but without cause became violently jealous ol her husband, a Madrassi named Ramkishna. She waited until near the hour when Ramkishna was due home and saturated her clothing with kerosene. Then she calmly waited until he hove in sight. Then a match was swiftly applied and in an instant she was a mass of flames. She never cried, but stood there like "a niliaf of fire" until she collapsed and fell—a smouldering mass of charred cinder. The remains were rushed to the hospital, but life was found to be extinct. Splendid Gift. The Anglican Procathedral of Holy Trinity has been in want of a new organ for some time. The steamer Norfolk brought a dne instrument by Rest Cartwright and Son, of London. The action is pneumatic throughout, a reed stop has been incorporated, and generally the organ is regarded as a most modem and excellent instrument. It transpired that while the gift was made anonymously the dOnor is Dr. Hamilton Beattie, Who some years ago presented the church with a full complement of gold church vessels for the Communion. The cost of the organ is over £1400. New Consuls. The Hon. Henry Marks, C.8.E., has been appointed Consul for Denmark in Fiji, while Mr. S. H. Ellis, 0.8. E., a local solicitor, has been approved of as Consul for Belgium, with a sphere of jurisdiction including Fiji, Gilbert and Ellis Islands colony, Solomons Protectorate, Tonga, and other islands under the jurisdiction of the High Commissioner of the Western Pacific and the New Hebrides. Kethodist Annual Conference. The annual conference of the Methodist Mission is now sitting with an attendance of four white missionaries, representing the Indian section, and eight white missionaries representing the Fijian section, and also about fifty native ministers and other workers. The Rev. R. I* Mac Donald is presiding. The reports are all very satisfactory and show improved results throughout the group* The chief need was aggressive Indian preachers, for lack of whom that section was somewhat languishing.