Nutshell

In a Nutshell

iMOAN JUSTICE.— The Justice apartment has indicated that Mr G. )nne, the former puisne judge in estern Samoa, has accepted the post chief justice of Western Samoa. ‘ is expected to arrive in Apia mid >vember.

)Rrents In Tonga.—Nukua

a, Tonga’s capital, has ended its / season with the wettest September record and October looks like making more records. September al was 12.82 in. and falls in the it 10 days of October totalled 11.75 the third heaviest on record for tober. Saturday, October 7, had '3 in. The year’s total to October was 81.12 in. The annual average 70 in. Apart from temporary :aks in the weather, the Fau’amotu

airfield has been closed to traffic for most of September and for six days in the early part of October.

RACE REACTION.—There was an angry retort by Mr T. I. Bull, Federal organiser of the Australian Waterside Workers’ Federation to the suggestion by GEIC Financial Secretary Mr D. M. Freegard (PIM, Oct.) that an attempt was being made to deny employment to the poorest country in the Pacific on the grounds of race and colour. One of the unionists due to visit the GEIC for talks in December, he felt the support given by his union to trade unions in the Pacific generally would have pre cluded any thought of motivation based on race or colour. “In acting for the ITF in matters of seamen’s wages and conditions we have the intention only of upgrading the circumstances of workers where they have no negotiating strength of their own,” said Mr Bull,

Nauru-Micronesian Accord.

President Hammer Deßoburt put on his other hat as Head Chief and Chairman of the Nauru Local

Government Council, to draft an agreement with Transpac Lines of Micronesia President Bernard Helgen berger in Melbourne in October.

Tempers flared in Majuro when the Nauru Pacific Line raised its rates between Australia and Majuro 13 per cent immediately the 15 per cent surcharge imposed in Transpac’s interest had been dropped. The rise had nothing to do with cashing in on the situation—increased stevedor ing costs in Australia was the villain according to an official statement.

Transpac will still be able to offer

cheaper delivery by transhipping at

Majuro rather than Guam the joint communique concluded.

Png Food Shortage.—In The

Highlands of Papua New Guinea they are entering the normal “time hungry”, when native food gardens have still to produce their new crops.

This year many gardens in the West ern and Southern Highlands were wiped out by a combination of frosts and drought—the worst frosts since 1950. The new frosts hit areas as low as 4,000 ft.

The drought has affected all of South-east Asia this year, but in

even the Star Mountains have short of rain, the great Fly is not navigable, and the shore of Lake Murray receded for body knows just what affect the frosts had on the Highlands ation, because there were not extensive government contacts exist today. But in October it ne obvious that the higher parts e Western and Southern High were suffering a food shortage would continue until Christmas, » government declared a state of gency, and is taking in hundreds lousands of dollars worth of and vitamins to be shared ;en from 30,000 to 130,000 landers from now to Christmas, mch as $2 million will be spent aod, transport and new plants.

Can Is. Mishap.— Six Men

iuafo’ou Island (Tin Can Island) mga’s northern group must have :d recently that they were still ng the mail out to ships e cans which gave the island its lame. Canoeing out to the Mari in rough seas with mail, they swamped and the canoe cap . The Mariposa picked them up took them to Pago Pago to wait ship home.

Merston Shipwreck.—

;gay, a 75 ft motor launch of gross tons, was wrecked at icrston Island, in the Cooks, on ber 2. The crew escaped unhurt he vessel was completely wrecked, oard were S. H. Duffield, master, vife Ann, and Gay Rogers, all Birmingham, England. They travelling from Tahiti to Fiji.

EIYAL FILM.— The colour film le South Pacific Festival of Arts, Ided last month in PIM as a r-colossal TV extravaganza may just short of being exactly that, it is nevertheless a round-up of Festival performances sufficient to e those who missed the festival F wish they hadn’t. Copies have gone to the participating itries so that those at home can what it was like. It has been »ht for TV screening in New and, and it is expected to make mpact in Europe.

A Hebrides Air Crash.—A

lan was killed and six people in d, two seriously, when an Air anesia Islander aircraft crashed tly after takeoff from Tanna, en :e to Vila, on October 19. From same airstrip in October 1966 it people, including pilot Paul ton one of the principals of Air anesia, were killed when an Air anesia Drover crashed shortly r takeoff.