Saturday, September 30, 1972
Fijian girls won't wear hotpants afterall
Girls at the new flagship Beachcomber Hotel at Deuba model their uniforms in the resort's dining room. The girls are (from left) Loraini, Jeanette, Stinson and Emeleini.
The hotpants outfit Jeanette is wearing raised great public interest when the Fiji Visitors Bureau education officer, Adi Davila vunivalu, criticised it.
After talking to the staff for two hours about the importance of remaining Fijian, they still told me that they had been forced to wear these hotpants outfits, she said.
If it had been made known to me then, that non-Fijian girls would only wear them, I would not have bothered to say anything.
The Fijian girls working as receptionists will wear a sulu under under a shorter dress of the same styling and colour as the hotpants. Loraini is wearing a two-piece outfit designed for the waitresses.
Emeleini's floor-length dress is the alternative uniform for the receptionists.
The secretary of Navua Local Authority has said it had nothing to do with the new hotpants uniforms.
Mr Mahboob H. Ali said public health regulations governed uniforms for catering staff for hotels.
Senate seeks emergency housing help
The Senate yesterday asked the government to start emergency housing schemes to beat the accomodation shortage.
Senator Ramanlal Kapadia said Fiji would need a more extensive programme of housing development if the housing problem was to be tackled with any degree of success. And Senator Anaseini Qionibaravi asked: :What does the new Suva-Nadi road mean to a man who is living in a house which has been leaking for the last few months?
The Senate approved a motion from Senator Kapadia expressing deep concern at the housing shortage and asking the Government to introduce crash housing schemes.
Brigade gets a new Fiji Commissioner
The St John Ambulance Brigade in Fiji has appointed Lieutenant -Colonel George Mate as its new commissioner. He succeeds Mr Wilbur Donovan, who has retired as commissioner but is still a member of the brigade. Mr Donovan came to Fiji in 1921 and worked for the Government.
At a ceremony to welcome the new commissioner, Mr Donovan handed Lieutenant-colonel Mate a letter from the queen, awarding him the Order of St John. The St John Ambulance Brigade now has 5000 Fiji members.
Coming engineers
Suva City Council's undermanned engineering department will grow next month when two qualified engineers arrive. They are Mr J Oliver and Mr R Loo. The acting city engineer, Mr Michael Ballentyne recruited them in Australia earlier this month. One of the new engineers will be responsible for roads and structures, the other for drainage and sewerage.
Namoli creek scheme wins approval
Lautoka Town Council has approved a $650,000 scheme to take the kinks out of Namoli Creek.
The twisting, winding creek will be straightened out and 51 acres of prime land reclaimed from it. The consulting engineering firm of Harrison, Grierson and Partners examined the project's feasibility. It proposed realigning Namoli creek and reclaiming the land for industrial use. It recommended also that the reclaimed area be under the control and supervision of one authority, possibly Lautoka Town Council.