Nutshell

In a Nutshell

Png Peace Moves.— The Papua

New Guinea Government is trying to stop tribal fighting in the Highlands by setting up a tribunal to probe the reasons why tribal fighting starts, how it could be stopped and how legal procedures could deal with hundreds of offenders arrested after fighting. The tribunal would com prise representatives of the Chief Minister’s office, the Law Depart ment, the division of District Ad ministration of the Administrator’s Department and the Department of Police. The move by the government comes at a time when Papua New Guinea is preparing for nationhood.

At the same time 1972 saw more than its share of tribal fighting in any 12 months.

Lamp For Pitcairn.—H M S

Majestic has delivered an Aldis sig nalling lamp to the Pitcairn Islanders, a gift from the Royal Navy. Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin, Controller of the Navy, arranged the gift after the Governor of Pitcairn, Sir Arthur Galsworthy, had made a few “in quiries”.

HOME-GROWN A N C H O R.—A bunch of bananas, a sack of coconuts and 1,000 lb of line served as an anchor to stop the drift of a disabled 28 ft Cook Island fishing boat.

Yellow Fin, in January, while await ing rescue in rough seas midway be tween Aitutaki and Rarotonga. After the engine flooded, loaba Marsters and his two companions took this action while awaiting help in the early hours of the morning from a calibration aircraft from Rarotonga.

Poor visibility prevented the plane from sighting the Yellow Fin so the Cl Government tuna fishing sampan, Ravakai set out and eventually located the crippled boat with the aid of flares and towed it back to Raro tonga. 16 DIE IN CRASH.—Sixteen people were killed and 49 injured when a bus carrying guests to an Indian wed ding party was in a collision with an other bus near Suva on Sunday, Janu ary 21. The wedding party was on its way to the city to throw flowers into the harbour as part of the ceremony.

This is Fiji’s worst road accident.

SAMOA TO CUBA!—In line with international airports everywhere, Tafuna, American Samoa, now gives

passengers boarding airliners the full anti-hijack treatmeant. They will be subject to personal searches and ex amination of hand luggage.

NO RATS OR BETELS.— If you are a patient in (or a visitor to) the Nonga Base Hospital near Rabaul, take note that you’ll be very un popular from now on if you spit your betel-nut juice on the walls.

The acting hospital superintendent is conducting an anti-betel-nut campaign.

He reckons the red splashes ruin the walls. He said (in a press handout on January 3) that he is also trying to educate patients to keep the hospi tal clean and free from flies and rats.

Modern Tok Tok.— No More

messages in cleft sticks, no garamuts, no shouting messages from mountain crag to mountain crag. Kundiawa, in the Chimbu district, has got its own new government broadcasting station, built at a cost of $218,000 and in future will be doing the job in Pidgin and in the vernacular. No fewer than 10,000 people turned up in the little mountain headquarters of this High lands district when the station was opened in mid-January by the Mini ster for Agriculture, Mr lambakey Okuk, who also happens to be Mem ber for Chimbu Regional.

Rare Eye Disease— Two Eye

doctors from the University of Cali fornia have recently completed ex aminations and treatment of the peo ple of Pingelap, US Trust Territory.

Studies have shown that about one per cent of the people of the Ponape District atoll suffer from what has become known as the “Pingelap is lander eye disease”, which is characterised by colour blindness, rapid eye movements, partial blind ness, a sensitivity to sunlight and nearsightedness. It is believed that this particular type of eye problem is found only on Pingelap.

POLICEMAN GAOLED.— Constable Esaroma Bale (22), of Ba, Fiji, was gaoled for nine months for false pretences. He “booked” three Indian farmers at Vuqele, Tavua, two for keeping unbranded cattle and one for failing to confine cattle, and “fined” them on the spot. Then he spent the money on drink. Fines totalled $l4, well below the amounts imposed by the court when the farmers were eventually “officially” dealt with.

RUGBY TOUR.— The Tonga Rugby Union will send a national team to Australia in June and July for a first full-scale tour. In the past, tours from Tonga have been to Fiji and Western Samoa only, except for New Zealand in 1969.