Islands

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From the caption to a picture in Solomons News Drum, Honiara 12 Tafuliae shell money and 2 more (not in picture) plus $ 1,113 in cash were part of bride price during a marriage at Vara Creek, Honiara. The 14 shell money were worth about $ 1,700. The marriage was between a boy from Are’Are and a girl from Kwara’ae. The normal bride price in Kwara’ae is 5 Tofuliae. The 1 4 shell money, plus $1,113 paid to the girl’s family were to ensure happiness and peace between the boy’s and girl’s families, after weeks of negotiations about the affair of the boy and girl.

From an editorial in Voice of Vanuatu, explaining the weekly’s change-over to newsprint from the glossy finish paper previously used May I welcome readers to the first ‘fish and chip’ edition . . . Why do I call it ‘fish and chip’. Here’s the secret. In countries like England, of which I’m very fond, this paper is used to wrap up fish and chips. It helps to keep them hot on the cold frosty evening walks home. You will find this paper has many uses. It keeps things hot and it keeps things cold. Wrap a tin of Fosters in a Voice and you’ll find it keeps colder longer. The absorbent new newsprint is excellent for use in the home. It is strong and resilient and will prove most useful if you get caught short with nothing to wrap your rubbish in. If you collect enough Voice of Vanuatu you will find them excellent for putting under mats to keep away the damp . . .

From a reader’s letter, entitled ‘Please Show Some Concern’, in Our News, Papua New Guinea Please allow me space in your column to comment on some policemen who are reckless when driving their police vehicles. I, as a highlander have witnessed nearly every police driver in the Western Highlands and Enga Province driving recklessly. I wish to advise their instructors that these policemen have a habit of holding the steering wheel incorrectly. Road blocks are being put up at "very corner of the road where they frequently check vehicles and :harge drivers for faults in the vehicle and breach of traffic rules.

This, I feel is reasonable, however there is nobody to inspect police vehicles. 1 am totally miserable about this matter and I want authorities concerned to inspect all police vehicles before they go an the road. The police force is in an awkward position of being lassie examples to the people. They should understand that their aad examples will be copied by the public if such attitudes :ontinue. Let me tell you of an incident which happened a couple af months ago in which a PMV and a police truck collided on the Hagen-Wabag road. The blue uniform cops were under the nfluence of liquor while holding steering wheels during official aours. This of course caused damage to the PMV truck and the aolicemen escaped without stopping to find out what had happened.

Please blue uniform cops, do not teach your fellow countrymen the vrong things. They will eventually copy your example and this will ead to a lot of problems.

From a report on a meeting of the House of Assembly n the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga Inatio Akaruru, Opposition Member for Pukapuka, hoped that the ncrease in the appropriation for the medical services would be used o get more doctors. He also thought that the Minister of Health vas wasting his time as a politician and he and Sir Tom Davis

(Premier) should return to their professions as doctors where they could serve their country better. ‘You are a good nurse,’ interjected Hon Sir Thomas in good humour.

From Solomons News Drum, Honiara Solomon Islands beat the Rest of the World by 122 runs in a cricket match at Town Ground, Honiara on February 8. The Solomon Islands team of seven was boosted by the inclusion of four players from the Australian State of Victoria.

From a letter by G. Kidipale in Solomons News Drum, Honiara To further enhance their position, the Australian staff (of the Honiara branch of the Australian Commonwealth Bank) have always resorted to such tactics as making their jobs appear formidable and complicated. In reality, nearly all bank work is mere routine stuff which any fool can do blindfolded like assembling a general purpose machine gun in a dark tropical jungle.

From extracts from Fiji parliamentary debates quoted in the magazine Fiji, published by the Fiji Ministry of Information Mr K. L. Matatolu, Opposition backbencher, parrying a verbal thrust from Government backbencher Mr Fred Caine; ‘My trade union colleague has just come up and I would like to advise him of the prayer which goes on like this: Lord help me to keep my big mouth shut till I know what I am talking about. I am talking about the tourist industry which he does not know anything about.’

Sir Charles Stinson, Government backbencher: ‘Sir, I consider it as absolutely pathetic and I say again pathetic this constant attack on the ministerial car pool. Surely, we have bigger things to think of and talk about.’

Mr J. R. Singh, Opposition backbencher: ‘May I reiterate that if this nuclear testing goes on and if the Japanese and the Americans dump their nuclear waste in the Pacific that would not only contaminate or kill our marine life but would pollute our atmosphere and generally endanger our very survival on these islands, and after that we may not have to worry about our budget debate any more.’

From an editorial in The Nauru Post, Nauru It is amazing that after thirteen years of independence Nauru still has secrets and perhaps has become even more secretive and less open in the conduct of its businesses. This is particularly so when we are non-military not even a shadow of a defence system. But it would appear that Government believes that there are things which the people should not know about. Perhaps they are right and some matters should remain secret from the public, but should the price of phosphate be one of those on the secret list because even Members of Parliament are ignorant of it. Are not the landowners even entitled to know at what price they are selling their phosphate or at what price N.P.C. is selling their phosphate?

From Tohi Tala Niue, Alofi .. . The event (a general election) is certainly interesting to a new generation of eligible voters who have taken into account what the last Niue Assembly has brought into Legislature this past three years. It has brought into force: old age pension for the over 60 year olds, lowering of driver’s licence from 16 to 14 years, prohibited Sunday fishing, mid-week socio-events such as picture/dance for elementary school-aged children and freedom of speech under a nom-de-plume to name a few.

From The Fiji Times, Suva A man was warned in Suva Court yesterday that if he kept touching girls’ bottoms, he would be brought to court again and fined. Hari Shankar, 34, of Suva, pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault . . . Passing sentence, the magistrate Mr Anthony Amstell said he knew the young girls’ bottoms were attractive. ‘But you can’t go around poking bottoms,’ Mr Amstell said. ‘Any more bottoms and you will be brought back and fined.’

From the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga Penrhyn copra farmers are now choosing to be pearl dealers. They revealed that pearls are easier in comparison. A spokesman from Outer Island Affairs said; ‘You get yourself clean and make money, whereas in making copra, you make money the hard way.’