News
pp. 31-33 · Read in the full issue
The
In A
Nutshell
A Raw Deal In Moresby
Papuans were dominating the business life of Port Moresby, and many New Guineans living in the city were planning to return home.
The member for Enga, Mr Anton Parao, making these claims in Papua New Guinea’s National Parliament, called for the abolition of the present City Council in Port Moresby, and its replacement by a joint commission.
Caledonian Road Toll
Road deaths in New Caledonia during 1976 totalled 47, with 845 persons injured.
The toll was slightly down on 1975 which produced 53 road deaths and 857 injured.
These figures were released by the Caledo nian road safety council. Eleven of last year’s fatalities were on roads in Noumea, with the remaining 36 occurring inland.
The territory has a total road network of just over 5,000 km, including minor bush routes. At the same time, it is estimated that there are about 50,000 motor vehicles in New Caledonia, including some 4,000 motorbikes. This means about one vehicle for every three inhabitants.
Greenhorn Envoys Do Harm
The appointment of “immature and in experienced officers” to overseas diplomatic posts would not provide a good image of Papua New Guinea, according to the Member for Gazelle Open in the PNG National Parliament, Mr Martin ToVadek.
Mr ToVadek said that if the Depart ment of Foreign Affairs and Trade lacked adquate numbers of trained personnel to fill overseas posts it should look further afield to other public service departments.
“If the age and experience of a person
does not warrant his appointment to a diplomatic post overseas, then such a per son should not be appointed,” he said.
Mr ToVadek called on the government to consider leaving the discretion of ap pointments of high commissioners and am bassadors to the Prime Minister and the National Executive Council.
The PNG Minister for Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sir Maori Kiki, has an nounced the government’s intention to set up its own diplomatic training college. The decision was taken despite offers by the UK and Australia to train PNG diplomats at little or no cost.
Sharks Take Two Children
A six-year-old girl was killed by a shark in December at Ranon, North Ambrym, New Hebrides.
Linda, daughter of Billy and Nellie Bonsebu of Ranon, was diving about five yards from the beach. Almost all of her body was taken by the shark.
This was the New Hebrides’ second shark tragedy in a month. The first was at Rano Island, North Malekula, when a 12year-old boy lost his life.
Train Disaster Victim
One of the more than 80 people killed in the New South Wales train disaster in January was 36-year-old Mr Rodney Cotter Henderson, son of Mr F.C.
Henderson, former assistant administrator in economic affairs in Papua New Guinea.
He leaves a wife and two children. The train, on its way from the Blue Mountains to Sydney on the morning of Tuesday, January 18, left the rails at Granville and struck a stanchion of a bridge carrying a road across the railway lines. The bridge collapsed on to the train.
A Word To Wise Tolais
Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Provincial Affairs, Mr Oscar Tammur, has urged Tolai people working in the North Solomons Province to “respect the people of the North Solomons and their customs and to abide by the laws of the provincial government’’.
Speaking at Arawa on a recent visit to Bougainville, the Minister told a meeting of about 200 Tolais; “While you are here you are ambassadors of your own province and anything done against the people of this province will bring disgrace to your own people your own leaders.”
Mr Tammur called upon the Tolai elders of the North Solomons Province to ensure that unemployed people from East New Britain are sent back to Rabaul and not allowed to wander around in the main towns to cause trouble.
The minister was asked by a newly established Tolai association to brief the Tolai communities in North Solomons Province on latest developments in their home province of East New Britain.
Mr. Itor A. Harris (left), Speaker of the Ponape District legislative, US Trust Territory of the Pacific, pays a courtesy call on Mr. Resio S. Moses, newly appointed District Administrator of Ponape District. Mr. Moses was appointed to his new post by the acting High Commissioner after serving two terms in the House of Representatives Congress of Micronesia- Mr. Harris has been 12 years with the legislature, including 10 years as its Speaker He said that the new District Administrator was " known " for his integrity and honesty”, and he looked forward to "better co-operation" between the district administration and the legislature.
“Discriminatory, Unjust”
The Papua New Guinea Teachers’
Association branch in North Solomons Province has described as “discriminatory and unjust” a decision by the provincial education board, to stand down all married female teachers from their jobs.
President of the branch, Mr lobu Lailai, said the board’s chairman, Mr Hani Popon, had made the recommendation following reports he had received of a cer tain female teacher who had continually failed to do her job properly, due to marital problems.
“Female teachers should not be vic timised or denied their rights to work simply because of the failure of one or two members of the teaching service,” Mr Lailai said.
Melanesian Cultural Body
Participants in a recent UNESCO seminar on the collection of oral tradition held at Honiara, Solomon Islands, decided to establish a Melanesian Cultural Council to co-ordinate research into and preserva tion of Melanesian traditions.
The council’s constitution will provide for areas that are not strictly Melanesian to take part in the work.
Elected to the governing body of the council were Jacob Simet, Papua New Guinea (chairman), Mr Lawrence Foanaota, Solomon Islands (secretary, English), and Narai Saniel, New Hebrides (secretary, French).
Thirsty Rioters
A Chinese shopkeeper in the Shortlands in the Solomons refused to sell liquor to three men because it was after trading hours. The men, joined by a crowd of more than 100, started a riot. The shop was looted and burned down, $131,000 was stolen and the shopkeeper’s wife and child were struck. A government vessel was chartered to take the men to court where fines were imposed and some of the defen dants bound over. Those fined were from the villages of Maliae, Koliae and Nuhu on the island of Teulu.
Wage Rise In The Cooks
A 30% increase in the minimum wage for Cook Islands workers has been announced by Mr G. F. Ellis,
Minister of Trade, Industries,
Labour and Commerce.
The new wage for workers of 18 years or over is 51 cents an hour.
The previous minimum, set in Oc tober 1974, was 39c. Wages for younger workers will be increased
proportionately, depending on age.
Announcing the increase, Mr
Ellis said the new minimum would be reviewed in October in view of
the probability of rapidly rising
prices in the coming months.