Nutshell
pp. 113-114 · Read in the full issue
In a Nutshell
Palauans Say No.— ... We
are opposed to the use of land on Palau by the United States military.”
This was the gist of a declaration of the people of Palau District sent to the Congress of Micronesia’s Joint Committee on Future Status, Novem ber 20, signed by 50 elected and traditional leaders of that district, including High Palau Chief Reklai.
The declaration said the people of Palau have no desire for military installations and personnel on their land and fear a possible repeat of the suffering and misery brought on during World War 11.
No Rush For Self-Rule.—
American Samoa should be ready for self-government in four to six years, Governor John M. Haydon agreed in Honolulu last month. Despite the overwhelming referendum vote on November 7 against asking for elec tion of governor and lieutenant governor in 1974, it is still a pos sibility for 1976. With a budget un derwritten by the US nearly three times that of Western Samoa, it is quite understandable that the voters of American Samoa know which side their bread is buttered, and like it that way.
MORE TO SPEND.—Tofa Siaosi, Western Samoa’s Minister of Finance has presented a record budget of nearly SWSI3 m. Almost $9 m. will be spent on maintenance items and $3.3 m. for development projects. About $lO million will be obtained from liquor sales, stamps and postage, electricity sales and fees from wireless mes sages. The rest will come from loans—ssoo,ooo from New Zea land and $1.5 m. raised locally.
Forbidden Export.—Anyone
who catches and attempts to export the rare butterfly, the Alexandrae, which is found only in the Popon detta area of Papua New Guinea, will be prosecuted, warns the PNG Agri culture Department. The warning follows the detection of an attempt by two men to export eight butterflies which they had caught. Maximum penalty for anyone trying to export the insect is a $2OO fine.
BISHOP’S IDEA.—The Anglican Bishop of Papua New Guinea, the
Rt Rev David Hand, has called for the introduction of non-military national service for all male school leavers in the country. He made his call in a strongly-worded statement condemning proposals in the House of Assembly for the establishment of a national lottery, describing the pro posal as “folly” and a negative re sponse to the problem of gambling and in particular of chain letters, which have being doing brisk busi ness in Papua New Guinea. He be lieved that the national interest would be better served by a strong call to all sections of the community for what he called “good, plain, honest hard work.” He said there should be a “determined enforcement” of vag rancy laws and compulsory, non military national service should be in troduced for all males after leaving school.
COOK IS. COINS.—Cook Islands Coins to the value of Ic, 2c, sc, 10c, 20c, and $1 were issued in November.
They were all designed by the well known New Zealand artist, James Berry. New Zealand notes will re main in circulation, but when suf ficient of the new coins have been received, the New Zealand ones will be phased out. The coins bear a profile of Queen Elizabeth II wearing
a diamond tiara of festoons, scrolls and collet-spikes. The inscription reads “Elizabeth 11, Cook Islands 1972”. On the reverse side the SI bears the impression of the mythical god, Tanagaroa; the 50c coin a swimming bonito; the 20c a fairy tern; the 10c a bunch of oranges and leaves; the 5c a hibiscus flower; the 2c two pineapples and 1c a taro leaf.
Cook Is. Flag.—The Cook
Islands are also to have their own flag, according to the Cook Islands News. Cabinet has appointed a com mittee, comprising the Premier and six others to oversee the designing of a suitable flag.
It is expected that a competition will be held so that a wide range of ideas can be considered.
AID FROM TAlWAN.—Western Samoa’s Prime Minister Tupua Tama sese recently went on a state visit to Taiwan and Britain. While in Taiwan, he negotiated with government and business leaders there concerning Taiwanese help for Western Samoa in the establishment of a tuna can nery and other industrial projects.
NEVER SAY DlE.—Although a referendum rejected a Common
wealth proposal for an animal quarantine station on Norfolk Island, seven members of the island’s council have organised a petition to have the decision reversed. An editorial in the Norfolk Islander alleged that “senior citizens” were being intimi dated into signing the petition under the threat, without official found ation that they would lose there Australian pensions if they did not sign and that shopkeepers faced in creased duty charges.
Locals Make Good.—The
Nipa Sura Company Pty Ltd, which is owned by New Guineans and runs a group of trade stores, has an nounced that it will pay a 10 per cent dividend plus a bonus payment after two years of operation.
NO COFFEE BARS.— The Coffee Council, which operates the Inter national Coffee Agreement from Lon don, has suspended the quota system for the remainder of the “coffee year”, to the end of September next year. With quotas removed, Papua New Guinea’s coffee growers will be able to sell freely. A decline in world stocks has forced suspension of the system.
CLAN BATTLES. —PoIice have ar rested hundreds of tribesmen in the New Guinea Highlands in an effort to stop clan battles which have been fought all over the Highlands for a variety of reasons. There were bitter battles near Kerowagi between Dage and Pagua clansmen who are warring over land claims. Six men were admitted to Mount Hagen Hos pital after a fight at Keltiga over the theft of a pig, and one man was killed and 40 injured in skirmishes at Laiagam in the Western Highlands following the murder of a 15-year old boy of the Tsambi clan. The boy had been beheaded. A fight took place in the Mount Hagen streets after a man had been injured in the hotel when a bottle was thrown.
Seventy-six houses and a trade store were burned down and one man killed when men of the Yamboran and Waiminigin clans clashed in the Tsak valley near Wapenamanda over pigs paid as bride price. One clan felt it had been insulted when members of the other clan said their pigs were of poor quality.
Kusaie Separatists. There
will still be six stars on the flag of Micronesia to stand for six districts even after the Marianas secede, if an enthusiastic group on Kusaie succeed in their aim for separate district status for their island. On a recent visit to Kusaie High Com missioner Edward E. Johnson and
District Administrator Leo Falcam were greeted with a banner saying “Welcome to Kusaie District”. Kusaie is part of Ponape District. It has a population of about 5,000.
BACK TO SAlPAN.— Saipan, in the Marianas, looks like being the perma nent home again of the Congress of Micronesia. The congress has not met there since February, 1971, when the chambers were destroyed by fire.
The first session of the newly-elected congress will meet in Saipan in January, in new buildings.
A Captain’S Holiday.— The
go slow by aircraft refuellers at Nadi Airport had a “beneficial” side effect, for Captain C. Hill-Willis, general manager of Pacific Navigation Co Ltd, Tonga. He was in Sydney in mid-December arranging for a re placement for the Tauloto, but had to be back in Nukualofa in time to pilot the cruise ship Oriana into port. As aircraft were over-flying Nadi he decided to play it safe, fly ing to Auckland, joining the Oriana there, and having a couple of days leisure on board before piloting the liner into the harbour.
Nauru-Japan Link.— Air Nauru
has inaugurated a service between Nauru and Kagoshima, Japan, with its Fokker F2B. The route is Nauru, Ponape, Guam, Naha (Okinawa), Kagoshima. The airline has traffic rights to both Naha and Kagoshima, and will operate once weekly initi ally. Air Nauru offers a direct route between the Central Pacific and Japan, and the airline hopes to attract both tourist and business travellers.
PHOSPHATE SALES.— The British Phosphate Commissioners have con tracted to buy a total of 1,350,000 tons of phosphate rock from Nauru for Australia and New Zealand in the current financial year. Initially the contract was for 750,000 tons with the option of a further 100,000 tons. Before the present recession in the world market for phosphate, Nauru sales to these countries had been running at around 2,000,000 tons annually for many years.
NIUE FlLMED. —Niue’s marine and wildlife is going on the screen.
Four scientists and two photographers from the Dominium Museum in Wellington have carried out a filmed survey of the island’s coral reefs, marine creatures, birds and land crabs. Two films will be made, one for scientists and conservationists and the other for tourist publicity. A World Health Organisation team has also been on the island handing out
about half a million anti-filariasis pills.
HEROES GO HOME.— A report in the “Daily Breeze” of Torrance, Cali fornia indicates that the remains of five US marines who died in the battle for Guadalcanal in 1942 have finally been interred with full military honours in America’s Arlington National Cemetery, In 1970 a skeleton was found bearing the metal identification tags of one of the men, and the rest were found after a sub sequent search. Months of scientific work went into establishing their positive identity.
Nature’S Engineering.—Hur
ricane Bebe threw up a pile of coral boulders forming a new natural cause way on the seaward edge of Funafuti’s surrounding reef. It joins the islets of Fongafale and Munamanu, and is about 20 ft high by 100 to 200 ft wide.
Minister Resigns.—Mr Vijay
R. Singh, Fiji’s Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Social Welfare, has resigned but he will re main a member of the House of Representatives. He plans to open a legal practice in Suva.
This operating microscope made in Paris was given to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva by UTA/Air France, whose Suva manager Mr Dominique Texier, presented it to the Medical Super intendent of the Hospital, Dr S. C. Ram rakha. The instrument, worth $4,000, is used in delicate operations such as certain neuro-surgical procedures, operations on the middle ear, suturing of small blood vessels and nerves. In the picture, taken during an operation, are Dr Ramrakha (left) and Dr R. Rushworth, a neurological ex pert from the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.