From the Islands Press

Item in 'The Tonga Chronicle': The “loop” is at present the most popular method of effective contraception in Tonga, says a Family Planning spokesman. This is in contrast to the overall world situation where the pill is the most used method, as reported in the Chronicle. The second most popular method in Tonga is the condom, to which increasing numbers of couples are turning.

The pill is now number three in usage. A fourth method, rhythm, or more exactly ovulation determination, is being studied in a select group of specially instructed, highly motivated women who, for moral reasons, cannot accept any other method.

Item in the 'British Newsletter', New Hebrides: A large shark, which had been worrying the people of Havannah Harbour and Leleppa in West Efate was caught by the French police and local people. . . .

During the hunt, which began on April 23, the shark was twice hooked on a rig attached to an oil drum. The second time it straightened the hook and was so angry it attacked the oil drum leaving a large dent in it. It was thought to have escaped but was evidently exhausted because the next morning it was found washed up on a Leleppa beach. It was hauled ashore and found to contain 34 baby sharks.

News item in the 'American Samoan News Bulletin': American Samoa’s traffic accident problem is getting worse. . . . Public Safety Commissioner Barney Issel said his department has a number of new patrol cars on order and that patrols will be increased as rapidly as possible. He also plans to order radar machines to strengthen cases

against speedsters.

Extract from a news report in 'The Fiji Times': Two Lautoka men were given a 15-month suspended prison sentence after they pleaded guilty to committing unnatural sex offences . . . The magistrate said he did not propose to send either to gaol because once their offences became known, it would upset the prison routine and would expose them to invitations.

Letter from Percy Chatterton, MHA, in

the Port Moresby 'Post-Courier': I would like to record my horror and disgust on discovering that the ABC has succumbed to the revolting custom of pronouncing “indigenes” as a word of three syllables. Indijeans, forsooth! What are they? Some Asian form of hot pants, perhaps.

As a Pommie, I am filled with shame to learn that this barbarous concatenation of sounds originated in my homeland. Whatever the ABC may choose to do, I intend to go on saying “indigenes” in four rich, rolling syllables, and I call on all right-minded citizens to join me.

Extract from a letter in 'The Tonga Chronicle'

defending police officers who had "indiscriminately

belted school pupils on their heads with a stick": This is merely a parental punishment and is not severe in nature. This is the type of punishment parents usually give to their children when they misbehave. ... It must be borne in mind that school pupils of today are unpredictable in their behaviour.

Announcement in 'Colony Information Notes', Tarawa: Six dogs who remained in the custody of the Bairiki Police for one day, unclaimed by owners, were executed today after a warrant, made out to the effect, was issued. The dogs have been a nuisance in Bairiki for the last few weeks, attacking stray pigs at the western end of Bairiki and fighting dogs who are well looked after.

A warning is given that the same fate awaits other dogs of similar descriptions.

Official Papua-New Guinea Press release: Two local government councils in the Highlands, Mendi and Dei, have recently passed rules to regulate customary marriage settlements. Maximum bride price for a single girl in the Mendi Council area will be $lOO in cash, four pigs and four pearl shells. For a divorced woman or widow with no children the maximum settlement payable will be $5O, three pigs and three pearl shells and for a divorcee or widow with one or more children the maximum settlement payable will be $3O, two pigs and two pearl shells. In the Dei Council area the bride price for a single woman must not exceed $3OO.

For a woman who has previously been married, the bride price must not be more than $BO. If a woman marries for a third time there need be no payment.

Item in the Methodist 'Missionary Review': There are strong indications that the new govern ment (of Fiji) and its leaders are giving much more emphasis to spiritual and moral values than has been the case under the expatriate administra tors of the past. This is not to ignore the integrity with which most of their work was done. Yet the secularist outlook of the colonial servant has only occasionally taken proper account of the sense of the numinous which characterises the Fijian, the Indian and the other Pacific Islanders who make up the

overwhelming majority of the dominion's population.

Extract from a letter in the 'Norfolk Islander': Although I have been away from Norfolk Island for 50 odd years, I was born and bred here and have returned on three occasions. . . . After a stay of six months this time I am very concerned with the way the island is going. Grog and the dollar are becoming the god today. The island is slowly but surely being taken over by mainlanders who are only interested in a quick dollar, and my fellow Norfolk Islanders don’t seem to realise what is taking place. The people are losing their identity and the island its character.