Islands

From the

Press

: rom a commentary in The Times of Papua New

Guinea, written by university lecturer Polonhou

’okawin who is a regular contributor ‘olitical parties in Papua New Guinea are important not because hey are well organised and encompass the masses, but because hey are poorly organised. They have no mass support and yet they etermine the fate of the government and the people.. . . They ave become the resting place for national politicians in their earch for greener political pastures. he Fiji Times, Suva, Fiji l classical music fan, listening recently to Radio Fiji’s Classic Half lour, heard the Rhenish Symphony announced. The broadcaster lid three of the four movements would be played the first amposed by Mr Allegro, the second by Mr Scherzo and the third y Mr Schnell. larianas Variety News and Views, Saipan, Mariana (lands he governor’s information officer said she had to cancel her ibscription to the Pacific Daily News last week because her office Des not have the money. Now she borrows the paper delivered to le legislative affairs section, with which she shares office space, to id out which of her press releases have been published. he Observer, Apia, Western Samoa uestions are being asked round town this week following reports at the Prime Minister (of Western Samoa), Tupuola Efi, on his ay from New Zealand to the Commonwealth conference in New elhi, travelled in the cheap economy class section, whereas ‘his iend’ Mr Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, was ting up there in the first class section of the same flight. after from a reader, published in the Papua New uinea Times-Courier, Port Moresby, PNG hink far too many women and girls spend far too much time and oney in the pursuit of looking pretty. All most of them need is a itable haircut or style and just a touch of makeup to make the ost of what they have. All the rest makes them look like painted ills. They may as well wear a mask and a wig. ’om the Pago Pago Times, Pago Pago, American amoa ie damages action stems from an incident in which a reserve lice officer allegedly beat a man into a state of unconsciousness th a typewriter and a glass dish.

From the Seen and Heard column, The Nauru Post, Nauru Rarely heard, one Solomon Islander conversing in his own language to a Tuvaluan who was replying in his own language and the conversation holding good.

From a news sheet calling itself Rabaul’s Only Sunday Paper, published by Witika the Wampire in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea Vulcan Concrete are amalgamating with the town’s dental clinic.

Feeling sorry for our dentists who have no amalgam and no high speed drills they have supplied cement for fillings. At last reports, Bougainville Copper are sending up a mining drill to assist with dental repair work.

From a letter to the editor in the News Drum, Honiara, Solomon Islands, from two drinkers who found a beer bottle with two labels on it Both of us have been average drinkers for nearly 16 years but have never found a bottle like this before. If nobody has ever found a bottle like this before, then maybe we are the lucky ones to find this first in the ministry of liquor drinking.

From a court report in Tohi Tala Niue, Alofi, Niue Island, describing the jailing of a 23-year-old clerk for theft In his own defence he pointed out that he had only committed the crimes to complete the practical side of a course to become a private detective. He said he committed the crimes so he would know how criminals work and how they avoid detection. He assured the court they would never see him again as he was now a qualified private detective.

From an editorial headed Crawl Before You Walk in the Samoa Times, Apia, Western Samoa Prior to and shortly after independence, localisation was the rallying cry of the just-freed nation... . The leaders hurriedly placed the available local talent in positions previously held to be too responsible for them. That policy was misguided and the country has paid and is still paying for that mistake now... .

Pushing people too quickly into positions of responsibility is far more harmful in the long run than delaying doing so for the sake of preparation.

And an editorial comment, related to the same subject, appearing in the Papua New Guinea Post- Courier, Port Moresby, PNG The special minister for state, Mr Aparima, says no real localisation has occurred in the public service since self government. . . . Localisation is important, but more so performance. It is to be hoped the minister’s determination to shake up the public service results also in an injection of hard work into the bloated beast and a trimming of its fat.

Onlooker’s weekly column Here and There in the Fiji Times, Suva, Fiji We hear that disaster struck the first Worm Derby held in aid of the town’s library at Remuera, New Zealand. Almost a third of the 50 competitors died and several others pulled up seriously ill, overcome by the strain of the race. Wiggly Worm won, but hot favourite Tom Worm played up at the start and broke in half.

However, most of him went on to finish second.