From the Islands Press

Item from BSIP News Sheet: An old Ulawa custom of killing trees by shouting has just been revived and its success has caused much surprise among young people of the area. News of this custom, possibly the only one of its kind, has been received from Mr. Edward Lioha, of Ahia village, Ulawa, and his story has been verified by some Ulawa islanders in Honiara . According to Mr. Lioha, the custom is used if a group of people want to get rid of a tree for a special reason, such as to clear an area for a garden, if the tree is too big and hard to chop down. Every morning for about a month an old man or woman goes quietly to the tree and then utters a piercing yell. After some time it loses its leaves and branches and dies, due, it is believed, to the succession of shocks it has received while asleep.

Letter in GEIC 'lnformation Notes', Tarawa: We appear to be joining the large international club of polluters of the ocean, the filth that daily flows out with the tide from Betio harbour being our membership card. Several years ago Betio Harbour was blue and sparkling and safe to swim in but it is now a turbid soup. The biggest polluters are ships that clean out their fuel tanks in the harbour. ... I presume if a ship bunkering station is set up at Butaritari we will see that beautiful lagoon covered in a filthy brown oil slick if there is no legislation to prevent dumping of dirty fuel oil in the lagoon or in the ocean near the island. ... It is interesting to note that the ocean is having her revenge on polluters of her waters. She is now producing fish with ulcerations, benign tumours, malformed bodies and fin and lip cancers.

An advertisement from The Fijian Hotel in 'The Fiji Times' asking taxi drivers to confirm bookings from hotel visitors: We would draw taxi drivers’ attention to the misunderstandings that may occur due to language problems, names and the spelling of same.

Head nodding and arm waving may not neces sarily indicate willingness by a guest. Tourists coming to Fiji are to all intent and purposes in a foreign country. They need the same patience and understanding that you yourselves would

expect if visiting their particular territories.

Extract from a letter from W. T. McCoy in The Norfolk Islander': This writer believes the time is over-ripe, and now decaying, to raise concerted voices from the resident public of Norfolk Island in efforts to amend the present form and system of administration. If you doubt we are still saddled with the retrograde step take a look or cast in your mind the present number of highly-paid officials ensconced in the offices of administration. You will then realise that, in addition, the public is also bridled with heart breaking expenses to keep the wheels of administration

turning. Even this could be overlooked if this costly business could only show something of value to Norfolk Island, This naturally leads to the question—are all these highly-paid officials necessary?

Letter in 'Our News' published by the PNG Department of Information: I would like to know why Papuan and New Guinean girls never show their manners? Here in Madang there are too many girls that have no manners at all. For instance, Tusbab High School girls, whenever I say ‘Good morning’, they never say ‘Good morning’, but put their noses in the air. Now how can we leam to live in unity, brother and sister, in our country.

News item in the 'Micronitor' in US Trust Territory: Construction of a Lagoon Side Bar to complement the already completed and occupied 12-room facility of the growing Eastern Gateway Hotel complex is progressing smoothly. When complete, the bar will cater to guests in an atmosphere of tall drinks and quiet conversation. This will be the first bar of such a nature in Majuro where the usual bill of fare is shameless music and ragtime women in loud profusion.

News item in 'American Samoa News Bulletin': A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said toda reports that from 70 to 200 head of cattle, descendants of a herd brought to American Samoa by the Navy more than 20 years ago, are roaming the northwestern mountainside of Tutuila are grossly exaggerated. Glenn Anderson, a former Californian dairy rancher and now the department's authority on the subject, said men who participated in a round-up Saturday spotted only a few head —which promptly high-tailed it into the heavily-wooded area. He said they were all old cows and could hardly form the nucleus of a cattle industry which the department plans to develop on the Manu'a island of Tau.

Extract from article by J. R. McCreary, Associate Profesor of Sociology, Victoria University, in the 'NZ Listener 7 : It is easy to poke fun at some of the material which has found its way into Pacific classrooms. There was the small Melanesian boy, living on an outer island, battling with the sum, “One train travels 200 miles, another train travels 420 miles. How far do the two trains travel together?” . . . There was also the schoolroom, with the jungles of Melanesia bordering the playground, where a frieze surrounded the wall entitled “The Seasons” showed lambs gambolling in spring, leaves falling in autumn and snowmen dotting a bleak landscape in winter. . . .

But is the School Certificate syllabus or that for the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate really more appropriate for secondary school scholars?