Editor’S Mailbag

Notonesia

No one is fully satisfied with the name Papua New Guinea as a good title for that country. It could even produce trouble in days to come. It is not satisfactory politically, geographically or linguistically. I wish to propose a name that could well meet all requirements.

In the Pacific region we already have Melanesia, meaning Black Isles, Indonesia, meaning Indian Isles, Micronesia, meaning Small Isles, and Polynesia, meaning Many Isles. These names have no political overtones whatsoever, derive from ancient Greek, are fully acceptable and likely to remain so. Therefore in place of Papua New Guinea I sug gest the name Notonesia, which sim ply means Southern Isles.

George A. F. Knight

Auckland, NZ.

Nature's Grand

As an artist I have travelled all the oceans in search of a part of the world which is still beautiful to live in. I have found the South Pacific Is lands to be still the healthiest part of the world.

When King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga said (PIM, March pi 9); “In the event of a world war, there will be no safe place in the world to live. It is better to maintain peaceful relations with other countries”, I am sure no one could disagree with him.

I say that no human being can sur vive without nature. In my opinion, bureaucracy is an enemy of nature. I am sure that the law-makers will agree with me that the only laws that are good laws are those designed to protect nature.

Concerning the “Slugged Yachtie” (PIM, Editor’s Mailbag, February, March), I find it ridiculous that yachties of all people should be hit with a discriminatory tax in the Solomon Islands. Most yachties live in harmony with the environment, consuming only the barest minimum. It seems to me that airport taxes probably started the same way.

Nationalism seems to me out dated. Each country is responsible

for every other country. All rivers run into the ocean.

Fight bureaucracy and new laws, unless they are made to protect nature.

Nature has been raped for too long.

Maya B. Kra'heumanu

C/o PO, Neiafu, Tonga.

Bishop Epalle

I would likp to refer you to an er ror made in the article “Sin!

What’s Sin? Ask Solomons Catholics” (PIM, Jan, p. 51) written by Harry Jackman.

The error is in the reference made that Bishop Epalle of the Roman Catholic Church was axed down at San Cristobal.

Being a man born and brought up on the island mentioned, and having known my history well, I believe that Bishop Epalle was axed down on Santa Ysabel and not San Cristobal.

I demand that this error should be corrected in your PIM.

Amos Waiaru (Rev)

Aoba, New Hebrides.

An item in PIM (January) headed “Sin? What’s sin?” contains some false information.

Bishop Epalle was killed on Santa Ysabel. an all-Anglican island, ex cept for a few Seventh-day Adven tists, and not on San Christobal as the authors wrote. The Catholic Church in the Solomons is only the second largest of the churches active there.

Harry Mehare

P.O. Box 19, Honiara.

• Correspondents are asked to leave sufficient space between the lines in their letters for the sake of clarity and to enable easy insertion of corrections or alterations. A signed letter has a better chance of publica tion although a nom-de-pluine may be used if publication of the name would be embarrassing. A signature must ac company a letter, though not neces sarily for publication.