Happy days
Sir: I was interested to read Richard Ter- rell's letter (20 March) since I lived in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands from 1952 to 1961 during my husband's tenure as Resi- dent Commissioner of the (then) colony.
As Mr Terrell says, there was virtually nothing to steal; we could, and did, go away and leave our houses completely unlocked. In fact, it was almost impossible to secure the houses, especially those built out of the materials from the coconut tree.
At the central colony prison on Tarawa, the fence around it was more to keep other people out than the prisoners in! The pris- oners were out working all day — one of my house maids bore a beautiful baby to the prisoner who was our gardener.
Sadly, I don't know what the result of that 'humane' treatment was as far as crime statistics was concerned, then or now.
Elaine Bernacchi
3/7 Highgate Avenue, Fendalton, Christchurch, New Zealand
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