Nutshell
p. 15 · Read in the full issue
In a Nutshell
New Senator
Senator Lionel Cherrier, 43, has taken his seat in the French Senate as the representative of New Cale donia. He is a New Caledonia-born industrial chemist. Senator Cherrier replaces Senator Henri Lafleur, who died suddenly in Paris in October, aged 72. Senator Lafleur represented the island in the senate from 1947 till his death. He had extensive interests in New Caledonia, where he was leader of the anti-autonomist EDS party.
Restless Volcanoes
Two volcanoes in the islands were restless in late December and January but at the time of writing there had been no disastrous lava flows. Huge clouds of dust were seen coming from Mt Yasua’s western crater on the New Hebrides island of Ambrym and there were minor eruptions in the eastern crater. Stones thrown from the crater were so hot cigarettes could be lit from them.
The French seismologist Dr Blot pre dicted three months ago Yasua would erupt in December. Karkar (Dam pier) Island’s volcano in New Guinea’s Madang District, which caused alarm last August, began erupting again in January. Smoke rose to 1,000 ft and stones were spewed 400 ft into the air. There was no lava flow and the eruption was on a much smaller scale than the one in August.
School For Press
A Diploma of Journalism course began at the University of Papua New Guinea in January. The one year course, the first of its kind in PNG, is attended by 30 journalists from the Office of Information and the National Broadcasting Commis sion. The New Zealand Government has transferred Foreign Aid funds committed for 1975-76 at Welling ton Polytechnical College to Port Moresby, following a request from the PNG Government. The NZ Government agreed as it felt it was appropriate for cadet journalists to be trained in their own country. NZ Commissioner. Mr Brian Poananga, presented SNZ6O,OOO from his gov ernment to the UPNG in December to establish the course for the next two years.
Teargas In Hospital
Teargas from a grenade thrown by a police officer at a crowd of New Year revellers seeped into the Port Moresby Hospital and caused “some discomfort” to patients, the police reported. A crowd, celebrating the New Year, set up a road block near the hospital early on New Year’s Day and, when confronted by police, invaded the hospital grounds.
Soldiers from the nearby Murray Barracks and hospital security guards helped the police to evict the revellers. It was reported that the New Year celebrations were one of the quietest and most trouble-free on record. This was attributed to the ban on liquor sales.
War 'Echo' Kills Four
A Japanese shell, left over from the Pacific War, and found by a group of men on Pata island in the Truk district of Micronesia, exploded on Christmas Eve, killing four of the men and injuring three others.
The men were trying to cut open the shell to use the explosive for fishing.
Demolition experts found 41 shells and a torpedo in three feet of water.
New Man In Nauru
Named in December as Australia’s new High Commissioner in Nauru, Mr A. L. Fogg has arrived in the republic. He succeeds Mr L. G.
Sellers, who has been there since 1972. A senior officer in the Aus tralian Foreign Affairs Department, Mr Fogg has served in Australian foreign mis-ions in Singapore, Cairo, Jakarta and Washington. His last job was with the Services Branch of Foreign Affairs. He is married and has two children.
Legal Switch
Mr D. C. Williams, until recently Attorney-General in American Samoa, has been appointed an asso ciate justice of the Micronesian High Court, succeeding Judge D. K.
Turner, who has retired. Judge Williams, aged 35, was in Samoa for five years, coming from Oregon in the USA where he had a law prac tice. He will be stationed in the Marshalls District.
Hotel Strike
More than 600 hotel workers were out on strike in Fiji in the middle of January. The strike began over a dispute about a social fund and then spread when 150 workers from the Tanoa, Skylodge and Rakiraki hotels, the first to be involved in the strike, were sacked. The hoteliers said they were prepared to reinstate only 80 to 90 per cent. Ten hotels, all in north-west Viti Levu, were affected.
Independent Anglicans
The Anglican Diocese of Mela nesia, up to this year a “subsidiary' of the Australian and New Zealanc Boards of Missions, was scheduler to go independent on January 26 anc will be split into four dioceses, those of Central Melanesia (Guadalcanal San Cristobal and the Eastern Outei Islands), the New Hebrides, Santa Ysabel and Malaita. The Rt Re\ John Chisholm will be created Arch bishop and he will be assisted in the ceremonies by three auxiliary bishops, the Rt Rev Derek Rawcliffe the Rt Rev Dudley Tuti and the R Rev Leonard Alufurai.
"Witch" In Court
Emele Marama, an 18-year-old gir from Delainabua village, near Suva who had a reputation as a witch was asked by a group of villagers tc identify the person whom they be lieved had caused the deaths of twc people by witchcraft. Emele, whc claimed she had powers given by th( shark god Dakuwaqa, performed t ceremony and named a man. Angr} villagers threatened the man, stonec his house, and he went to the police The witch was sentenced to a seven month gaol term suspended for three years. Her fee for exercising hei powers was 20c.
A Drum Beat
The BSI News Sheet, vehicle ol the Solomon Islands Information anc Broadcasting Services, ceased pub lication with the December 20 issue which was a pictorial issue recalling the main events of 1974. Its place is being taken by a government controlled newspaper called The Solo mons News Drum.
The Ven Archdeacon Jabez Leslie Bryce Tongan, who has been elected to succeed the Rt Rev J. T. Holland as Anglican Bishop in Polynesia. He is the first in digenous priest to be chosen as Bishop in Polynesia.