News in a Nutshell

Judge A. P. Lutali beat incumbent A. U. Fuimaono by 172 votes in an election for the American Samoan post of delegate-at-large to Washing ton. He had a majority in five of the 10 counties. There were three informal votes; 994 registered elec tors failed to vote. Just before the poll, Fuimaono filed a suit against former Governor John M. Haydon, claiming $1 million damages for alleged defamation, violation of civil rights, and conspiracy to violate civil rights. He claimed the damages over matters in an open letter to him by Haydon on October 14 and in a cable to Attorney-General Donald Williams on November 8. In his suit, Fuimaono described Haydon’s charges as false and malicious”. He claimed Haydon made the charges because he had “exposed Haydon’s hypocrisies and unlawful acts while Haydon occupied the governor’s office”.

Norfolk Limits

The Norfolk Island Council recently recommended that the resident population be limited to 2 000 by 1980, and a tourist figure of 20,000 a year, or 1,200 beds by the same year. The recommendation on numbers is in line with the Butland report, which, however, had suggested 1983 as the target year for the limits.

Professor Gilbert J. Butland, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England, NSW, made the survey of future population growth at the request of the Department of the ACT, which controls Norfolk Island.

Strange Reunion

A former Australian consul in Noumea, Mr David G. Wilson, takes up his post in February as Aust ralia’s first Ambassador to North Vietnam. This new posting could lead to a strange reunion if a certain Australian journalist reappears m Hanoi. That journalist is Wilfrid Burchett who, because of his activi ties in the Communist camp during the Vietnam war was refused an Australian passport to return to his homeland in 1970.

Travelling on a North Vietnamese passport, Burchett crossed half the world from his home in Pans to get as far as Noumea, and it was there that Mr Wilson had the task of blocking his entry into Australia.

Eventually, a private plane flew him

home, though Burchett waited for a new Labor Government before gaining an Australian passport,

Overseas Lure

Tonga’s wages structure should be overhauled, as unskilled workers preferred to look for employment overseas rather than work for a pit tance in their own country. That is v j ew Q f the Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industries, Baron Vaea In his repo rt for 1973 he sug gested a mo re realistic wage struc ture, a better classification of trades tQ gj ve trained men the incentive to i mprove t h e ir skills, and a compre tensive labour code classifying all tvpes G f work and conditions, ™

Jqngans Keen Emigrants

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the United states, with Fiji Indians second, according to the American Consul in Suva, Mr Bernard Fennell.

The Tongan rate this year has been

about 30 a month, mostly in families.

There are only two ways of emigrat ing to the US —by having a vocational skill needed there, or by having relatives who are citizens. Most Tongans wanting to go qualify for the second reason. The most nopular reason for emigrating is to earn more money. Cars are often the No 1 purchase priority.

No Rabbits For Png

Rabbits will get into Papua New Guinea only over the dead body of the Minister for Agriculture, Dr John Guise. He says history can record him as “the most irresponsible minister to walk on two feet if I allow rabbits to be introduced to Papua New Guinea .

Speaking at a ceremony at P9pondetta Agricultural Training Institute, he said rabbits could multiply so rapidly that they could turn PNG into a desert. Australia learned the lesson about rabbits the hard way.

Money For American Samoans

Some American Samoans who served with the US Army, may be unaware there is a bonanza waiting for them. About 60,000 reservists have a share in SI.I million, but the army does not know how to B et * n touch with them. They earned the money for drills and training attended from October 1, to December 1,, 1972. They are entitled to amounts, ranging from $l6 to $240 each.

Landslide Tragedy

Nine people died in one of West ern Samoa’s worst tragedies mi November when they were buried as? they slept in their house at Falevao..

They were Lagi Filoimalo, 32, sevenr of her children, and Upuolevavaiu Tufuga Gaolo, 52, who had sought} shelter in the house during a heavyv storm. The woman’s husband riloi malo Lemana, and three other mem escaped because they were awake and: at the front of the house when tons of rocks, logs and mud cascaded om to the house. The storm, oyer the north coast of Upolu, caused many landslides and destroyed and damageo many houses and other buildings.

Water Shortage Eased

American Samoa’s water shortages which plagued the group for foui months, ended about mid-Novemben President Ford, on September 30j had declared the territory a Pastes area. Cannery workers had been idld since September 7 because of thr water shortage. During the cnsit, Western Samoans were prohibited from visiting American Samoa ok unrestricted seven-day permits. Actmr Governor Frank Mockler, in a lette to the Prime Minister of Western

Samoa, Fiame Mataafa, said that because of the water shortage Ameri can Samoa was suffering economic decline. Another side-effect of the drought was the refusal of Mr Mockler to issue a business licence to Bumble Bee Samoa Inc. Only when water supplies were assured would a licence for another tuna com pany be considered. Bumble Bee, seeking a licence for a tuna canning plant, said the plant would use 200,000 gallons of fresh water a day, and if fresh water was used to thaw the frozen fish another 75,000 gallons would be needed.

Not Faa Samoa

The first visit by a Western Samoan to an Auckland hotel was a disaster.

In addition to a sentence of four months’ imprisonment imposed in November he faces further punish ment in Western Samoa for the dis grace he brought to his family. The man, Enelagi Tofa, admitted having tried to hit Detective Superintendent E. G. Perry with a full bottle of beer. The incident occurred when Perry tried to stop Tofa pushing an elderly man.

The magistrate said the blows Tofa aimed at Perry could have caused serious injury. Tofa’s counsel, Mr G. C. Gotlieb, said his client’s appearance in court would probably be a lesson to other Samoans to treat alcohol with respect. Tofa’s father was a fairly senior chief, and Tofa would face further punishment for the shame he brought on his family.

Church Independence

The Diocese of Melanesia will be come an independent province on January 26, with inauguration cele brations to be held in Honiara to mark independence after 125 years as part of the Anglican Province of New Zealand. The new province will be known as the Province of Melanesiae.

The head of the province, Bishop John Chisholm, will be created archbishop during an inauguration service on January 26. Three assistant bishops, the Rt Revs Derek Rawcliff, Dudley Tuti and Leonard Alufurai, will be installed as diocesan bishops for the four new dioceses of the New Hebrides, Malaita, Santa Ysabel and Eastern Outer Islands in the BSIP.

Parking Fees For Png

The PNG cabinet has given local government councils the “go-ahead” to introduce parking zones and fees.

The Port Moresby City Council has already drawn up proposals for the introduction of fees—lo cents for one or two hours in different parts of the city. Fines of $lO for parking

infringements and $5 for non-payment of fees will be imposed. Instead of using parking meters the council proposes a system of dated and coloured tickets which will be issued

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Minister for Local Government.

Mr Boyamo Sah, said the government welcomed the scheme which, at little cost to the public, “would make traffic movement more orderly and provide the council with a good source of revenue.”

Vaiiiarif Apprfriation

Valuable Arrktuaiiun

Nauru has given the University of the South Pacific at Suva $200,000 to be spent as the university council decides. The cheque was handed over in October by Nauru s President Hammer Deßoburt, who is Chancellor of the University. The gift was to mark Nauru’s appreciation of the university’s work and to indicate the republic's support for it, the president said adding that the council would be the best judge of how the money should be spent.

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Road Programme

The PNG cabinet has approved a $153 million five-year national road programme starting in July 1975.

Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Mr lambakey Okuk says it is the first stage in a PNG transport plan for integrated development of road, sea and air transport. The plan covers 25 road projects.

To be started or developed in the plan are: The upgrading and sealing of the Highlands Highway from Lae to Togoba, and the construction of the

Hiritano Highway to the Purari pro ject.

Major expenditure on the Southern Highlands, Gulf and Bomai (Kundiawa-Wabo) Highway, and the £ n g a Highway from Togoba to Wapeil amanda. „ .. , , TI . .

Expenditure on the Western High *ay from Oriomo to Weam; the National Highway fjom Keiema through Murua Kamtiba, Menyama ’ se *’ to Bulolo and Lae.

The Goilala Highway from Aro pokina through Tapini and Garaina to Wau and Bulolo; the Papuan Highway from Port Moresby to Alotau; the Northern Highway from Ganai through Musa and Oro Bay to p op ondetta and Kokoda.

The Coastal Highway from Lae a i ong t he north coast to Vanimo; the Sepik Highway from Wewak through Maprik Dreikikir and Lumi to Aitape The Bewani Highway from Vani to Green Rive * , he y Ramu High from Wa(erai ’ s to Aiome; f he Ch fmb u Highway f. ■om Madang to Kundiawa.

The simbai Hl * hwa V from B °B ia to Tabibuga and Kimil; the Western Highway from Kiunga to Frieda; the Okapa Highway from Kainantu to Wabo.

The Milne Highway from Alotau to Musa; the Manus Highway from Lorengau to Kali Bay.

Th e New Britain Highway from Gloucester to Rabaul; the Pomio Highway from Rabaul to Powell Harbour.

The Bulominski Highway from Kavieng to Mallium; the West New Ireland Highway from Lemacot to Mallium.

There's a new use for vehicle inner-tubes on America's anti-missile target base, Kwajalein, in Micronesia —inner-tube water polo, which had its birth in the United States in 1968. It's popular with boys and girls from seven years to the sixties. It's not as easy as it looks. An opponent can be dunked out of his tube if he has possession of the ball. Apart from matrimony, it's the only game where the rules specify mixed teams—three females and four males to a team.