Nutshell

In a Nutshell

Return To Enlwetok.—Fol

lowing the expressed determination of the displaced people of Eniwetok, living on Ujelang Atoll since 1946, to return to their home islands by the end of 1972, whether the US Defence Department was ready to vacate the atoll or not, it has now been announced that the US will re turn Eniwetok Atoll to the trust territory at the end of 1973. Geo graphically, it belongs to the Marshall Islands.

Lottery Winner?—Papua

New Guinea, sick of seeing thousands of dollars spent on Australian lotteries, may set up its own national lottery. Chief Minister Michael Somare said in May: “Many thou sands of dollars are being invested by Papua New Guinea residents in Australian State lotteries. Large sums of money have recently been lost by Papua New Guineans on chain letters originating outside this country.” A local lottery would presumably keep some of such funds at home.

Highlands Hullabaloo.—

Fifty people were treated for cuts and one woman had an arrow wound in her hand after a tribal disturbance at the Goroka Show in May. A dancing group from Okapa village in PNG’s Eastern Highlands became irate when judges retracted an error in which the group, actually un placed, had been announced second place winners. They began firing arrows into the crowd who scattered wildly. Police fired tear gas to quell what was described as a riot, but no arrests were made.

Airline Roundabout.—Mr.

Murdo MacDonald, a 48-year-old Scot, becomes BOAC’s manager for the South Pacific Islands based in Fiji, from June 1, in succession to Mr. Charles Pollock who has held the job for three years and is now taking up a new post in Singapore.

Mr, MacDonald has, for the last 18 months, been BOAC’s marketing manager in Japan. He has worked for BOAC for 26 years.

Container Decision. The

Union SS Co. is expected to make a decision on a joint three-ship con tainer cargo service for the Pacific Islands in a matter of weeks. USS is considering a service with Inter

ocean (NZ) Ltd., using three 2,000ton Tarros class ships which could be brought into service this year.

SAMOAN CONSUL. Western Samoa is expected to take over its own welfare and consular work in New Zealand after setting up a High Commission in Wellington later this year. Up to now, the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs has been responsible for these duties.

Niue’S New Stamps.—The

Niue Island Government has com memorated the Suva Festival of Arts by issuing a set of four new postage stamps. The stamps, which depict an octopus lure, sika throwing, the Vivi dance and war weapons, were re leased on May 6, the opening day of the festival in which the Niueans played a prominent part.

FAT PORTFOLIO. Premier Albert Henry must have the fattest portfolio of any minister in the South Pacific including Australia and New Zealand. He announced cabinet appointments on May 9 and the name of a new minister, Mr. Geoffrey Henry, elected as an Aitutaki Island representative, who becomes Minister of Education, Justice, Lands and Survey. The Premier, retaining his old portfolios and gaining some new ones now holds portfolios for Premier’s Department, External Affairs, Immigration, Statistics, Civil Aviation, Advocate General’s Office, National Planning Board, National Development Corporation, Public Service Commission, Legislative Ser vice, Post Office, Radio Services, Finance, Customs and Inland

Revenue. Mr. T. A. Henry becomes Minister of Internal Affairs, Tourism, Public Works and Housing; Mr. T.

Numanga, ex-Minister of Education, is Minister of Police and Fisheries; Mr. W. Estall, Minister of Agricul ture, Marketing Board Co-operatives and Shipping; Mr. I. Akaruru, Minister of Health; Mr. A. P. Short, Minister for Electric Power Supply, Broadcasting, Newspaper Corporation and Government Printer.

DEADLY MEAL.—Five people in Walai village, about 60 miles east of Port Moresby, have died after eating poisoned fish. Almost the whole village was stricken after the meal of fish which was of a species regarded as normally edible. Twenty people, who were seriously ill, were taken by truck and ambulance to Port Moresby Hospital. Specimens of the fish have been sent for analysis.

WAGES LIFT. Local civil servants, government workers and employees of the Development Agency in the GEIC have been given pay increases back dated to January 1.

They range from 12 per cent, for the lowest wage earners to six per cent, for those in the higher wage brackets. The last pay increase was in October, 1968 since when the cost of living has risen by more than 20 per cent. The rise is an interim measure. The government has ap pointed a committee to review basic salaries and wages.

Sugarless Geic. Some

restaurants on Betio in the GEIC closed their doors in May because of a shortage of sugar, A shipment which should have arrived in the Colony’s ship Moana Raoi did not materialise. The sugar was not ready for dispatch when the Moana Raoi had to sail from Fiji. By the middle of May there wasn’t a grain of sugar available from either the Co-operative or from private retailers. It’s believed that the famine had spread to the other islands in the colony.

More For Councillors.—

Norfolk Island’s councillors have had their allowance doubled from $lOO a year to $2OO a new ordinance giving effect to the increase makes it retrospective to July 1 last year.

PNG CYCLONE.—Following the disastrous passage of Cyclone Hannah through Papua New Guinea early last month, Minister for Information Paulus Arek visited the worst-hit region of Tufi on the PNG mainland.

Announcing co-ordinated relief opera tions by government and military agencies, he said: “People who had very little to start with now have absolutely nothing left—their houses destroyed, food gardens and canoes

wiped out. At this stage, the future for more than 5,000 people in the Tufi area and the more than 800 homeless people in West New Britain looks very grim.”

RED BOOK BAN. —The Little Red Schoolbook has been banned in Papua New Guinea.

Acting Controller of Customs, John Baldwin, after studying the contro versial book for 11 days, proclaimed it a prohibited import and warned that anyone with a copy could be prosecuted.

NO ELECTION FUSS.—With little fuss and, certainly, without noise loud enough to be heard outside the island, Niueans have held their three-yearly general elections and Mr. Robert Rex, Alofi South’s representative in the Island Assembly, has been unani mously re-elected Leader of Govern ment Business. Mr. Rex is also in charge of Finance and Government Administration. Other members back in their old positions on the Execu tive Committee are Mr. M. Y. Vivian (Agriculture, Economic Development and Marketing and Education), and Mr. Enetama (Health, Justice, Radio and the Post Office). A newcomer to the executive, Mr, F. F. Lui, holds the portfolios of Works and Police.

The new Executive Committee takes on new responsibilities with the coming into force of the Niue Amendment Act, 1971, which trans fers governing powers from the Resident Commissioner to the Execu tive Committee.

Niue, therefore, has internal self government. The Resident Commis sioner, Mr. S. D. Wilson, remains a member of the Executive Committee.

Japan’S “Peace Corps”.—

Japan is to send its version of a Peace Corps to Tonga. Details of the plan, including the number to be sent and fields of co-operation, have yet to be worked out. This is the second agreement of its kind between Japan and a South Pacific territory; the first was with Western Samoa.

Medal For Rescue.—Using A

floating petrol tank, Simati Faaniu, of Nukufetau in the Ellice Islands, saved the life of Ellice Islands Dis trict Commissioner Mr. T. M. Ains worth at Nanumea Island last Sep tember. Mr. Faaniu has now been awarded the Royal Humane Society’s bronze medal and certificate. Mr.

Ainsworth was thrown into a rough sea when waves swamped his boat in the Nanumea reef passage. Mr.

Faaniu swam to his assistance but they could not make headway in the rough seas. He grabbed a floating petrol tank and, after a struggle of more than 20 minutes, managed to get the DO to the beach.

STOCKTAKING.—Members of the Lions Club on Norfolk Island have been compiling a record of people buried in the old colonial part of the Kingston Cemetery. Inscriptions on tombs have also been recorded and many old gravestones have been re paired. It is all part of the move by the islanders to preserve their historic past.

Business And Pleasure.—

For Fiji Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, a 10-day tour of parts of Australia, beginning May 21. with all the trimmings—dinners with Governor-General Sir Paul Hasluck and Prime Minister McMahon, trips to Mt. Isa and banana plantations and an overnight sea voyage to the Great Barrier Reef, not forgetting a 19-gun salute —was more than an official courtesy exercise. He made it plain, with talks he had with ministers such as Minister for Trade and Industry J. D. Anthony, Minis ter for External Territories Andrew Peacock and Senator Cotton of Civil Aviation, that he was pressing Fiji’s claims for such things as train ing in Australia for Fiji workers, a better tariff deal for Fiji’s goods, more capital investment, streamlin ing of immigration and entry into Australia and temporary jobs in Aus tralia for Fiji workers. While Ratu Mara was doing his thing, his wife Adi Lady Lala was charming child ren in nurseries, looking at trees in another kind of nursery and the other dozen jobs a touring Prime Minister’s wife does.