News in a Nutshell

As port facilities continue to be upgraded in Noumea, it has been suggested that New Caledonia should be developed as a centre for inter national trade fairs, which would promote the sale of French products in the South Pacific.

Expounding this suggestion, Mi Maurice Lenormand, member of the Territorial Assembly, stated this would help to make use of the ex tensive new berthing and storage areas now jutting out into the main harbour.

In the months ahead, it is planned that shipping will be moved away from the old main wharf of 428 metres and the adjacent 200 metres used by regional traders. By late 1975 the new port installations in Noumea are scheduled to be handling heavy tonnage roll-on roll-off ships having access to a storage area of 20 acres for containers.

Births Postponed!

Western Samoa’s nurses went on a “limited” strike in August in protest against the Nursing Board’s refusal to register some members of the Samoan Nurses’ Association as mid wives. Only nurses who qualified as midwives in New Zealand are registered as such. Strike action was limited to midwifery duties including the delivery of babies. The nurses are demanding a midwifery school.

War's Echo

There was a big bang at Embi in PNG’s Northern District in August when the Defence Force destroyed more than 70 tons of World War II bombs and ammunition, part of 200 tons recovered in a three-week search.

The rest was destroyed over the fol lowing two weeks. A ground search over 30,000 sq metres in the Embi and Borio areas uncovered 26 500 lb bombs, seven 1,000 pounders, mortar bombs, grenades and small arms ammunition.

The Fatal Seven

Ross Dunhill (31), a Queenslander and ex-RAN pilot, was killed on July 31 when his single-engined Cessna 206 belonging to the Lutheran mis sion in PNG crashed about six miles north of Geraina in the Morobe District. He had been in PNG only

four months. He is the seventh air crash victim killed in seven plane crashes in the Morobe District in the last seven months. Seven people have been injured.

Barmaids 7 Bar Lifted

The Fiji Government is lifting the ban on the employment of women as barmaids. An amendment to the Liquor Ordinance will be considered by the House of Representatives in October. The new proposals aim to “curb the incidence of drunkenness”, streamline the distribution and sale of liquor, increase penalties for drink offences and “provide a congenial at mosphere” for drinkers. The govern ment hopes the employment of bar maids will “act as a moderating in fluence on public bar patrons”.

Employers Beware!

Employers in the Solomon Islands who withhold wages from employees who owe them money run the risk of prosecution. There have been complaints to the Labour Department

from employees, particularly those

running credit accounts in shops where they work. They allege their wages are never paid in a lump sum, but only as small advances from time to time when they ask for pay. That practice is unlawful, and court action will be taken, if necessary, if there are further complaints.

Family Welfare

A new organisation, the Family Welfare Association, has been set up in Port Moresby to promote family planning education. The secretary, Sister Dawa Masere, said that as well as providing advice on contra

ception, infertility, sex education,

pre-marital and marriage counselling, the association would also deal with problems such as malnutrition. It will also encourage the training of health and social workers in all aspects of family planning, encourage the con trol of contraceptive standards, and work to make them readily available at reasonable prices.

Unhappy Christmas

About 2,000 Tongans are required to leave New Zealand by Christmas.

This is the third order given to those who have overstayed their per mits in NZ. Originally they were

supposed to leave in April, but when that became a physical impossibility they were granted a further exten sion till August 1. Departures are be ing arranged in stages to minimise in convenience to employers.

Four Tragic Deaths

American Samoa had a succession of tragic accidents in August. First of all the bodies of Soai Toso, 65, and his son Poasa, were found in a pool. Poasa was missing and the father, searching for him, apparently fell into the pool while looking to see if his son had fallen into it. Then Simi Raufagu died when he slipped and fell between the main Pago Pago dock and the tug, Talitiga, while re moving a line from the tug. loelu Agasiva died in hospital from burns received in an explosion at the Lava Lava golf course. A man was at tempting to cut open an empty petrol drum with a blow torch. The drum exploded when the torch ignited petrol fumes.

Exiles Return

About 50 people of Eniwetok, who have lived on Ujelang for the last 27 years, after being displaced through US nuclear tests, were to return home in September for the first time. They were to meet a top-level US delega tion to discuss plans for cleaning up and rehabilitating the atoll.

Eventually 400 people could go back to Eniwetok, but in the long-run it will boil down to whether the US Congress will provide the necessary cash.

Norfolk Remembers

Norfolk Island will issue four stamps on October 8 to commemo rate the bicentenary of the discovery of the island by Captain Cook in the Resolution during his second round the-world voyage. The stamps will be 7c (portrait of Captain Cook), 10c (watercolour drawing of the Reso lution), 14c (a mature Norfolk Island pine) and 25c (Norfolk Island flax plant). Two Christmas issues will be made on October 18—7 c and 30c, each featuring a nativity scene from a pearlshell decorating the pew end in the St Barnabas Chapel, carved about 1880 by native trainees at the Melanesian Mission.

Cooks 7 Boots Missing

Captain Cook’s boots have gone missing “somewhere in Melbourne”.

The boots he wore two centuries ago were on display in the glass showcase where they were kept in Captain Cook’s Cottage, Fitzroy Gardens,

Melbourne. The acting Town Clerk of Melbourne, Mr Thomas McCaw, said: “The boots weren’t worth much as footwear, but had great historical value”.

Png In The Ring

The Papua New Guinea House of Assembly has passed legislation bring ing boxing and wrestling under con :rol “for the protection of both the :ontestants and spectators”. Police 3ermits are required for bouts; there nust be strict medical checks on ighters, and a doctor must attend ;very match. Liquor may not be sold it fights, and the police have power o stop a contest if a breach of the )eace is threatened.

Muru Visitor

The Chief Minister of the GEIC, tfr Naboua Ratieta, travelled further [field than Nauru when he paid his irst official visit to the tiny republic n July. As his visit coincided with he inaugural flight by Air Nauru to he was invited, with his wife, o go along.

President Hammer Deßoburt told um that Nauru would upgrade the Funafuti airport. Mr Ratieta also sked for employment in Nauru for

GEIC people, particularly for people in the catering service.

He spoke to GEIC people working on Nauru and told them they were “lucky”. It was important that they behave in a responsible manner so as not to jeopardise the chances of others wanting to go to Nauru to work.

Crash Kills Niuean

Mr Leleni Paul, 44, a Niue islander living in Wellington (NZ) was killed when his car plunged over a 60 ft embankment into a pond in Welling ton on the night of August 17. He was driving his car from the Can non’s Creek Tavern with two com panions when it fell into the pond.

His passengers, Mr Hicki Toimata and Mr Kepi Jackson, were un injured.

Generous Unionists

The Fiji Trade Union Congress asked the New Zealand Federation of Labour for a contribution of $2,000 to enable it to develop its facilities.

The NZ unionists responded with a gift of $5,000. All they asked for in return was a balance sheet showing how the money had been spent.

Artifact Smugglers

Investigations by Dr Brian Engloff, acting director of the Papua New Guinea Museum, have unearthed an artifacts smuggling racket by French men using a specially-fitted aircraft which airlifted a large number of valuable custom pieces from Port Moresby. The artifacts, Dr Engloff alleged, were obtained from remote villages, in some case at gunpoint.

Tribesmen were also cheated out of valuable ancient idols, axes, shields and masks which were concealed in secret cavities in the plane.

President Twice

The Rev Setareki Tuilovoni became President of the Methodist Church in Fiji for the second time when he was installed at the Centenary Church in Suva on August 25. He succeeded the Rev S. G. Andrews who continues as connexional secretary. The church celebrated its 10th anniversary as an independent conference.

Bishop Resigns

The Bishop in Polynesia, the Rt Rev John Holland, whose see is at Suva, has resigned for his own and his wife’s health reasons. He came to Fiji in 1969 from New Zealand where he was Bishop of Waikato. English born, he went to New Zealand in 1937.

A Busy Family

The seven Kellup brothers, of Madang, are using their traditional skills to build up a thriving boat building business, with associated works. They have a slipway, capable of taking boats up to 20 tonnes, which will be improved to take vessels up to 50 tonnes.

They established the business in 1971 when, with the help of the PNG Department of Business Development, they leased four lots of land from which to conduct the business. The slipway is in constant use, servicing one boat a week.

Private boat-owners are queuing to use the slipway, which is the cheapest commercial slipway in Madang.

The brothers also have a fitting-out wharf, which they hire to ship-owners too for loading and discharging vessels.

Another Airline

Mr Ray Guerrero, a Saipan busi nessman, hopes to have a new airline operating in the northern Marianas and Guam in November. He intends to use a Canadian-built Twin Otter 300, which is designed to operate from short, unimproved airfields.

The airline, to be known as Mari anas Airlines will initially serve Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam and Pagan. The area is already serviced by two other airlines, Air Micronesia, and Air Pacific International, of which Mr Guerrero was northern Marianas manager. The entry of Marianas Airlines will make routes in the area the most competitive in the US Trust Territory.

Agents 7 Fees Up

Inflation has caught up with islands’ agents in NSW. For years their buying commission has been 2i per cent, but they have also offered many free services. These included placing orders with about 70 manu facturers for islands traders. All they received from that was brokerage from the manufacturers. Now, the 2T per cent rate is 4 per cent (from August 1). The lines previously commission free, now carry a com mission of H per cent. But the agents will still offer a number of free ser vices, which includes meeting clients in Australia, arranging accommoda tion, buying and selling shares, and putting children into school (see p

Stork's Vacation

Tonga’s birth rate is decreasing slightly. In 1973 the birth rate was 25.8 a thousand, compared with 27 4 per cent in 1972. The total popula tion at the end of 1973 was 95,587, compared with 69,436 in 1963.

Ten wide eyes view the strangest thing they've ever seen, an elephant. Safe to say that it will probably be the only one they'll ever see if they stay at home in the Cook Islands. This heart-warmer was taken by Jim Shaw as he passed a Rarotonga cinema.