Islands

From the

Press

From the News Drum, Solomon Islands The Ministry of Home Affairs remind everyone that December 1 is not a public holiday, although it is shown as one on the 1980 government calendar.

From a Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Notice in Tohi Tala Niue, Niue The Public is reminded that all fish which the Traders obtain from this department is to be sold for Not more than $2.50 per kg unless fish is cooked or processed otherwise. Consumers who are over charged are invited to launch their complaint with the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries in Alofi immediately.

From The Times, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea As soon as Finance Minister Mr John Kaputin stood up to indicate his prc-Budgel press conference was over, a radio was tuned in to the frantic harangue of the Melbourne Cup commentator. Mr Kaputin paused to listen to the result before entering Parliament to hand down the Budget. He wryly denied trying to boost the economy with a million or two on an outsider with a hot tip. It was a slightly strange scene, the economic gurus of PNG dropping their Budget papers to attend to that most Australian of cultural events.

From Voice of Vanuatu, Port-Vila A Tanna teenager climbed to the top of a tree. She is alleged to have leapt to her death after a love dispute. Police are investigating the death. A coroner’s report is proceeding. The girl was unhappy about her forthcoming marriage, the police understand. Police said the death occurred in the Middle Bush areea. The girl is thought to have fallen 16 feet, the police spokesman said.

From Atoll Pioneer, Tarawa, Kiribati A refrigeration superintendent and other officials of the Fisheries Division left for Tamana yesterday to pick up bottles of ammonia from off the Korean fishing vessel which ran aground there some months ago. The people of the island have been worried that the ammonia is dangerous to the children who constantly play on the vessel.

From a letter signed by ‘John Brechtefeld’ in the Nauru Post, Nauru On December 6 1980 a General Election will be held in all the constituencies to select 18 candidates to become Members of Parliament. To those who are eligible to vote, now is the time to undergo a cross examination. 1. EXAMINE THE CANDIDATES with the greatest amount of knowledge (i.e. how much he knows) against those who ‘have not’. We cannot afford candidates with the least knowledge to become an MP. 2. EXAMINE THOSE CANDIDATES who has been sitting on an MP chair for more than two terms and try to identify fruits of their works.

IF NONE, DO NOT RE-ELECT THEM. 3. DO NOT BE INFLUENCED BY CANDIDATES who PROMISE you a job, or a house when in reality you know and he (the candidate) knows that ‘EMPTY VESSELS MAKE THE LOUDEST NOISE’ . . . LET YOU BE THE JUDGE!

From Voice of Vanuatu, Port-Vila Barclays Bank International seemed to have captured the bill for the tops of the Christmas present list. Having struck a cupro-nickel crown piece in honour and commemoration of the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday, it has arrived in Port-Vila just in time for the most significant gamblers’ Christmas present ever in Vanuatu. It is the

first double-headed coin known to Voice of Vanuatu. Corrections are welcomed. The coin depicts the Queen’s head on the reverse side and on the obverse the head of the Queen Mother which has radiating from it bows and lions. The Queen Mother’s family name is Bowes-Lyon. Only 100 FNH. They are limited in number and available from the Port-Vila branch of Barclays Bank.

From the Samoa Times, Apia, Western Samoa News coverage of the Third World by First and Second World reporters was severely criticised by the editor of The Samoa Times, Leulu Felise Va’a during a panel discussion in Honolulu last week . . Many Third World countries say that Western news services either trivialise their experiences, reporting scandals, disasters, and the like, or else write about them through an industrialised, capitalist nation point of view . . . Va’a said that Western reporters sometimes have little knowledge about the countries they are writing about and are not able to understand or sympathise with the enormous struggle that is a part of the

development process . . .

From Tohi Tala Niue, Alofi A Solomon Islands MP who has moved a motion to ban alcohol in Solomon Islands was recently convicted for stealing a bottle of rum at a party.

From an editorial in The Nauru Post, Nauru Driving around the island these past few weeks one hardly sees the ‘ubiquitous’ can, which has been an eyesore. This is indeed a most happy sight, environmentally speaking, but alas let us not be led to think that environmentally speaking there are no other problems. For there are indeed other pressing problems such as the phosphate dust flying freely and indiscriminately through, all over Aiwo District, and which interferes with the health and comfort of the residents, and the toxic waste material from the calcination plant which are dumped in the vicinity of the residents of Buada District. In the meantime, while other problems, environmental or otherwise, are piling up, the numbers of ‘illegal’ dogs on the island are forever increasing. But what are the authorities doing about this matter, to safeguard the health of the people? With the increasing number of vehicles on the highway these days, The Nauru Post says one of the priorities of any government is to install street lighting in the districts, without any unnecessary delay for the safety and well-being of our pedestrians.

From Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Air Niugini has destroyed 1600 copies of the special South Pacific Festival of Arts edition of its Paradise in-flight magazine because of a topless picture of two European women. Pictures of the two in later copies of the magazine are being blacked out as they come in. One of the women intends to seek damages, legal sources said yesterday, claiming the pictures were taken and published without consent.

From a letter signed by Gka Kama Ramis in Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Every day I see a group of young men wearing rugby jerseys and other sports jerseys, walking around Arawa. Sometimes they wear rugby club’s full uniform. My friends, don’t show off. Do you want to show the people that you are professionals? My friends, do you ever feel hot in those thick jerseys? It would be better if you wore them at night and on rainy days.

From Uni Tavur, Port Moresby, the University of Papua New Guinea students’ news sheet Mr James Wala, vice-president of the Education Students Society, said the reason boys abuse girls was obvious. Male students were frustrated because they had little opportunity to mix with the girls.

He said he believed the fault was with the females. They should socialise with, and respect, the male students’ he said.

Letter from a correspondent to the Samoa Times, Apia, Western Samoa May I say a few words to those people who don’t know how to respond when they have dialled a wrong number? Please, folks, have the courtesy to say ‘Sorry, wrong number’. Don’t demand to know who I am or what my number is. And please don’t slam the receiver in my ear without a word as if it were MY fault. . . How about a little respect please?