Islands

From the

Press

An advertisement in the Fiji Times, Suva The new 132kV electricity transmission line linking Suva and Lautoka to the Monasavu hydro project will be brought into service commencing midnight on 31 March 1981. This line has been designed for hydro-electricity which is generated using water. In case of minor leakages in the first few days of service, power consumers are advised to move beds and furniture away from under light fittings and power points and to place containers to catch drips. . . .. and a letter to the editor appearing in the same paper two days later On March 31 I placed an advertisement in this newspaper regarding the commissioning of the Fiji Electricity Authority’s 132kV transmission line. This was, of course, intended to be a harmless April Fool’s Day joke. To anyone who did not find it funny I offer my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Kevin Cairns, Lautoka.

A letter signed Granny, prompted by allegations of radio programme censorship, published in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby In the light of present confusion over what programmes the National Broadcasting Commission should allow the public to hear, may I suggest that all future broadcasts should be preceded as a brief announcement indicating that they have the “Good Broadcasting’’ seal of approval. Further, that they have the personal endorsement of the NBC Chairman, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Festival of Light, the Daughters of the American Republic, and Aunt Hortense of Twickenham. Alternatively, the NBC could channel some of its energies into establishing a second network reserved exclusively for all political broadcasts, all plays not adapted from the Enid Blyton original, all programmes of a religious nature, and any other contentious material, such as sporting broadcasts by Ray Seymour and recipes from Kene Kala.

A parliamentary report from the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga, quoting a ruling given by the Speaker in parliament I was going to suggest that the amendment to the amendment may be made to the second part of your amendment only, because the previous part of the amendment, to delete ‘October’, is already included in your amendment. That is the part I was going to allow to amend the amendment. As a matter of fact you may make four amendments to a main amendment. So an amendment to the previous amendment has been moved. The first part of the amendment cannot be accepted because that part has already been included in the first amendment. So therefore the part of the amendment to delete the words ‘March 1978’ and insert the words August 1978 is the only part of this last amendment that we will accept. We will now deal with the amendment to the amendment and then we will go on to the main amendment and from there to the clause as amended.

A statement in the Post- Courier, Port Moresby, in which the Papua New Guinea deputy prime minister, Mr Okuk, defends his right to have business interests My background is business and therefore I cannot live my life without having business. In fact it is a right of a leader in our society to own more so that he can give more.

From the Seen and Heard column of The Nauru Post Heard the following on Radio Nauru: Announcer apologising to listeners as she could not bring them the world news as scheduled.

The reason given was that there was no one at the wireless station to tune them in.

From the Samoa Times, Apia Members of a church at Savaia, Lefaga, are angry because they believe that their minister had been defamed in an article recently published in the newspaper Tau tua Mo Samoa’. . . One prominent matai angrily challenged the youth of the village to find the editor, bind him up and carry him with a pole between his tied legs and hands to Savaia ‘to be questioned as to who wrote the article’.

From The Fiji Times, Suva On Wednesday we said the name of a four-legged chicken in Nausori was Mohammed. The bird itself was not called Moham med but is the pet of Mrs Saliman Bibi’s youngest grandchild, Mohammed Riyaz.

From the ‘Police’ column by Sergeant Bernie in the Norfolk Islander ... I have been deeply distressed this last week after we, the Police, discovered that a group of young men on this island have been breaking into shops and stealing goods from those shops. Several members of this community knew this was going on but were not prepared to come forward and have it stopped earlier. (I hope this never happens to them if ever they go into business.) From a letter by Krishna Datt in The Fiji Times, Suva As in Jamaica, marijuana could become Fiji’s most profitable agricultural crop. Marijuana may create some problems but it could rid us of many others, such as unemployment which could be reducing greatly, as I’m sure many people would be interested in farming marijuana. It is always a lucrative business. The introduction of marijuana in Fiji would surely boost the tourist industry. Many of the tourists would not mind getting ‘high’ legally.

Fiji could then be truly called ‘the paradise of the Pacific’

From the Norfolk Islander, Norfolk Island FOUND AND LOST. At the last NATS Play Reading held at the school a lady’s pink evening bag was left in the Supper Room.

It can be claimed by contacting Eric Williams. Some months ago I lent my beach umbrella to some lady for use at some function. I cannot remember who the lady was and as it has not been returned she has obviously forgotten who she borrowed it from. This note may turn on a light. If so Eric Williams would be pleased with the return of his umbrella.

From an ad in Cook Islands News, Rarotonga FOR SALE: Datsun 1608 Saloon Born in May 1973 and answers to the name ‘Brownie’. A regular member of the Motor Health Centre where its fitness is confirmed by a trouble-free Heart or ‘Blood Pressure’ ailments. Recently contracted a tropical skin disease that is common in these parts, but a good and knowledgeable technician could reproduce its former appearance.

For inspection Ph 2532 anytime!

From a letter to the editor in The Observer, Apia, Western Samoa Regarding the news I received this week about my termination from the Public Service. I wish to say thank you very very much to the Public Service Commission. I had been wanting to get rid of being engaged with the Health Department where I have been wasting my time to put things in order but there was nobody to support me as an ordinary public servant. Special thanks to my Administrative Officer who I know off by heart, the very person who is running the Puppet show . . .

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port

Moresby

Now hear this. P & T does not have a direct line to the dead. An angry Port Moresby exchange operator says he and his colleagues are being driven around the bend by callers trying to phone long dead relatives on 000. There are often eight to 10 attempted hook ups a day, he says. And in what must qualify as a worthy contender for quote of the year, he says: ‘No one in the world can talk to dead relatives by phone. We wish to advise the public we are not a morgue.’