On October 18, 1972, The Fiji Times published the
following reports:
Ba woman and son hacked to death
A mother and son were hacked to death and two other family members critically injured in a five-minute orgy of violence at Moto, Ba, yesterday.
Ten canecutters stood watching the carnage. Only one men tried to restrain the assailant.
Those killed were Parwati (40; w/o Saga Dewan) and her son Mun Samy (21; s/o Saga Dewan).
A younger daughter of the dead women, Pushpa Wati (23), and a cousin, Krishna Murthy Gounder (31; s/o Chinappa Gounder) were admitted to Lautoka Hospital suffering multiple injuries.
Mr Gounder, a teacher at Ba Sangam Primary School, had a hand severed and suffered cuts to the head.
MsWati suffered deep cuts on her thigh.
Aust may relax its duty-free controls
The Australian Government might raise the value of duty-free goods Australians could bring from Fiji from $100 to $300, the president of the Ba Chamber of Commerce, Mr Mahendra Patel, said.
Mr Patel has returned to Fiji after three weeks in Australia as a guest of Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister, Mr Doug Anthony.
Mr Patel said he pressed for the issue because inflation had reduced the purchasing power of the dollar.
“I received very favourable reaction from Department of Trade officials in Canberra,” he said.
An Australian coming from Fiji can take into Australia $100 worth of goods duty-free.
Mr Patel said he met several Australian manufacturers who were interested in moving into Fiji.
Survey ship sails under a new flag
The last time Charle H Davies spent time in port in Suva was about three years ago.
She returned last week, but with a different name and under a different flag — she is now the HMNZS Tui.
New Zealand leased the oceanographic survey ship from the US Government two years ago.
Since then the Tui, which replaced a converted minesweeper of the same name which New Zealand has since scrapped, has been hard at work around the New Zealand coast.
The Tui spent three days in Suva on her way home from Honululu where she worked with US Navy ships on acoustic experiments to do with anti-submarine warfare.
PM’s wife stresses power of chiefs
Hereditary chiefs still influence Fijian people more than their elected representatives, according to Adi Lady Lala Mara.
Adi Lady Lala, wife of the Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, and paramount chief of Rewa, was opening a two-day meeting of the Rewa Provincial Council at Nabudrau Village.
She stressed the need for co-operation between elected members of the council and the hereditary chiefs.
Any clash between them could damage the smooth running of the provincial administration, she said.
On the other hand, their co-operation would enhance the operation of the council.
This was why, earlier this year, Rewa Provincial Council created a new branch of itself by co-opting tribal chiefs who now formed the “Senate” of the council.
Agent calls for potato control
A Ba farm produce booking agency wants the government to ban farmers from selling Sigatoka potatoes direct to shopkeepers.
The managing director of ER Raniga and Co, Mr Rasik Raniga, said all such sales should go through the National Marketing Authority.
He said violators should face prosecution.
Mr Raniga said the market was flooded with potatoes now.
He added local potatoes should sell cheaper than imported ones.
Suva’s tennis finals due on Sunday
Suva District Lawn Tennis Association will play the finals of all its championships next Sunday, starting at 10am.
After two postponements because of heavy rain, the championships began last Saturday and Sunday when most of the matches were completed.
Results: Men’s singles, quarter-finals C Benson bt Madhavan 6-1, 6-2; G Hosking bt R White 6-3, 6-4; T Dixon bt T Fraser; Satyanand by R Lakhan 6-3, 6-3; semi-finals c Benson bt G Hosking 7-5, 6-1; T Dixon bt Satyanand 7-5, 6-4.
