FIJIAN CATTLE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 238, 8 October 1941, Page 4

FIJIAN CATTLE

EXPORTED TO TAHITI

A SHORTAGE OF PENNIES (OC ) SUVA, October 2. Although the cattle H-lnctrv is a comparatively new one in • Vj v , ;v it is now flourishing. While the- e have been continual importations of new animals, very few have been exported. A recent shipment to Tahiti, thei efore, is of interest, composed as it was of 40 animals, Friesians and Jerseys, the original stock of which had been imported from New Zealand or Australia. The cattle were shipped by the Fiji Pastoral Company, Limited, and were examined and passed by the chief veterinary officer, who also assisted tne company in choosing the animals. Special arrangements had to be made for their feed en route as there is no dry feed available in * lji, five tons of hay, chaff, bran and oa *i imported and shipped with thepi. Advice has since been received that the cattle arrived safely in Tahiti and met with the approva 1 of the buyers. It is hoped that further shipments may be made to adjoining territories when suitable animals for these places are available. From the original animals imported into the colony a flourishing butter industry has been built up, and practically no butter is now imported into Fiji, except tinned butter for outlying places.

Teachers Expelled

Some time ago 19 Indian students at the Davuilevu Teachers' Training College absented themselves from the school, following the expulsion of an Indian teacher who, it was alleged, had a bad influence on the boys. As a result the education authorities expelled these students also. The matter was the subject of discussitpn at the last meeting of the Legislative Council and was referred to a committee for investigation. The report of this committee has now been issued, and in it the Government lays down that it cannot tolerate any interference in the matter of its policy in education, but if these students will agree to abide by the rules of the college they can apply for readmission by October 20. The report points out that the students voluntarily excluded themselves and therefore had no case, but the Government did not wish to penalise them if they were the victims of bad influence or advice.

Awards won by members of the St. John Ambulance Association during the past year were presented by the Governor, Sir Harry Luke, K.C.M.G., at a gathering at Government House on September 26. The Director of Medical Services, Dr. V. W. T. McGusty, said that the movement had just completed its fourth year of work in Fiji. For a start various courses were arranged, and later a number of trained divisions were formed, and the association now had a large number of trained persons, including a nursing division, which is available for use in an emergency or at other times. His Excellency, himself a Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, gave a short address on the Order, which he said was by many centuries the oldest order of chivalry in the world.

Excess Prices Some storekeepers have lately been fined for selling goods at prices in excess of those the Competent Authority. In a great many cases the penny shorfege is responsible for the offence, as storekeepers have found it easier to charge a shilling for, say, a tin of salmon when the price is fixed at lid, than

refuse the sale because they cannot get pennies for change. In each case under review the excess charge was one penny, and it is hoped that by continually keeping the matter before the Government some relief may be obtained.

A Chinese member of the crew of a steamer recently in port was fined £30 by the acting-Resident Magistrate for being in possession of a quantity of prepared opium. The quantity in this case was a lib tin, which the police inspector said was almost beyond price at present. Customs officers had got all the

members of the crew to sign a declaration that they had no prohibited goods, but the opium had been found in the clothing of one of those who had signed.