MALOLO FIASCO

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 855, 26 December 1929, Page 6

MALOLO FIASCO

SUVA SMARTS UNDER AFFRONT VIGOROUS PROTEST After having incurred no little ex- ' pense and considerable inconvenience in arranging for a fitting reception to i the American tourists on board the i steamer Malolo, residents of Suva j were very indignant when last-minute 1 arrangements in regard to the vessel’s j itinerary compelled the abandonment of most of the plans made. In a copy of the “Fiji Times” just j to hand a full account of the reception and festivities that had been ar-! ranged in honour of the tourists is, published. In the editorial columns strong exception is also taken to the ! affront placed upon the residents of j Suva by the American Express Com-1 pany, which chartered the vessel and ! who are responsible for the tour. According to the original schedule the vessel was to have arrived at Suva early on Saturday, December 7, and arrangements were immediately made for that day. On November 25 a cable message was received advising j that the vessel would arrive at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 6. one day ahead of schedule, and would depart at five o’clock the same afternoon. Despite protests cabled to the organisers the amended schedule was adhered to and the vessel arrived a day earlier and spent only a few hours in the port. It had been arranged that a small fleet of native canoes would meet the vessel and escort her into the harbour, and that, at . nine o’clock, the visitors would embark and be taken for a 35-mile drive through magnificent mountain scenery, virgin forests and native villages to the Rew-a dis- ■ trict. Following the luncheon on board ; at 1 p.m., a series of native dances was to be given in national and ceremonial costume at Albert Park. To conclude the native ceremonies a firewalking ceremony was also to have been held in the Botanical Gardens, to which the passengers only would have been invited. £IOO TO BE SPENT These arrangements had been arrived at following an interview which the elected members had with the Governor, his Excellency agreeing that the sum of £IOO would be placed at the disposal of the committee set up to carry them out. Various local functions were put off so that nothing should clash with the Malolo arrangements. “The shortening of the time to be spent in port necessitated a revision of these arrangements,” says the “Fiji Times.” “The arrangements for the canoes and native dances have been cancelled, and substantial compensation paid to the natives, who have given considerable time and incurred expense in practising and arranging the dances. As a result all that could be done was the scenic drive and the throwing open of Government House grounds for inspection. NOT EVEN AN APOLOGY “There is only one thing for Suva to do, and that is to drop the whole affair and allow the clever Express people to arrange their own entertaining.” states the "Fiji Times” in an editorial article on the subject. "We do not emphasise the exceeding bad taste shown by the Express people. It is apparent to all. The welcome which the ship and her passengers would have received here would have surpassed in extent and interest any other experienced during the trip. But now this promising picture has been turned to the wall, and the residents of Suva, smarting under the affront, will not feel inclined to respond as they otherwise would. We believe the agents for the Matson Company have incurred quite a heavy expense and this appears to be merely wasted money. We very strongly protest against the attitude of the Express Company. They were coming here as our guests, and have forfeited any right to the ‘bread and salt.’ We hope such a fiasco will not form a precedent. The action, in short, amounts to a breach of agreement without even an apology to soften the blow.”