Nutshell

In A Nutshell

IN a late report received in early May, a PIM correspondent in Hong Kong said it appeared likely that an inquiry would be held, after all, into last year’s sinking of the Lakemba. The correspondent said that the inquiry would take place in Hong Kong, but no date had been fixed (see p. 1 09, this issue). • Leonard Staples, 45, of Lord Howe Island, who has been charged with having murdered his 13-weeks old daughter, Teremoana Tehani Staples, on March 5, will appear in a Sydney court on May 14. Staples ap peared in court on the charge on April 3, but his case was adjourned. • A Canadian woman, Miss Sybil Dennis, 40, lost for seven days in April while attempting to walk Papua’s rugged Kokoda Trail, died from exhaustion not long after being found by a search party and before her rescuers could get her out by helicopter. • The Niue Island Assembly has approved in principle the establish ment of a philatelic bureau to boost the small island’s economy with stamp sales. The bureau will be run by a combine of Burt K. Todd and Co. and Finbar Kenny International Corporation, which also has rights in the Cook Islands. The bureau will be income tax exempt and plans to operate a light aircraft between Niue and Western Samoa to service phila telic orders, Niue has no air service at present. • PlM’s story (Apr., p. Ill) about Captain David Fifita and 13 Tongan seamen stranded in Gis borne, NZ, unable to get work, has a happy ending.

When the NZ Department of Labour refused the travellers work permits, the people of Gisborne decided to give a hand they staged a concert for the Tongans, raised some money and distributed free gifts of food and clothing.

Enough money was raised to buy a new engine for the Tongans’ yacht Aositolonoma and the island ers sailed on to Auckland, where they originally hoped to go.