Islands
p. 31 · Read in the full issue
From the
Press
From ‘Pastor’s Corner’ in Pitcairn Miscellany on aspects of life on Pitcairn . . . Passenger ships are a thing of the past, so we rely on cargo vessels or freighters. Of necessity the rope ladder is longer and the goods more difficult to unload. So, little by little, life on this gem of the sea becomes more difficult. Will the time soon come when people of Pitcairn must vacate their island paradise? No one knows, but this is often a subject of discussion. What we do know is that since John Adams discovered the old Bounty Bible, this is a better place to live. We pass our peaceful and happy days on a far-off strand, looking forward to a new and better place called Heaven . ..
From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Easter Monday was celebrated with a Golo feast at Tubusereia village, Central Province. The feast traditionally held in memory of a dead person was part of a special weekend to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Good Friday, youths re enacted the death of Christ.
From an article on Tanna Island by Len Garae in Tam-Tam, Port-Vila He (Mr Joseph, Tafea Island Government Secretary) scans the long table of laplap, chicken, pork and various delicious dishes, and walks over to two huge well-cooked ‘naura’ (greyfish). ‘Who is the owner of these two naura?’ he shouts. ‘Doesn’t he know that it is illegal to fish for naura at this time of year? Well, he is certainly guilty, but I am not guilty to taste one.’ He buys one and laughs.
Everybody laughs. Mr Joseph is well known for his jokes.
Under the heading ‘Politics make poor man rich’ in The Times of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.
In Papua New Guinea in recent years it has been rare indeed for a politician to leave the political arena poorer than when he entered it.
From a photo caption in The Fiji Times Fijian Nationalist Party members march through Suva carrying placards with slogans ‘We want our land back’, ‘Fiji for the Fijians’ and ‘Free and compulsory education for the Fijians’.
From a letter from lalolaqi Heini Forsyth in The Samoa Times, Apia Are you making the point that I am trying to make our PM (Prime Minister) a scapegoat? Why should I make him a scapegoat? Who the devil do you think we can blame for the horrible mess we’re in?
If a ship is run into a rock, Mr Mehopes, and sinks should we blame the ship’s cook or engineer? Oh, no, Mr Mehopes, we must blame the skipper, the Captain of the ship.
From Uni Tavur of the University of Papua New Guinea There is too much talk by church groups and trade unions about a nuclear-free Pacific and not enough about Pacific independence.
This criticism by a UPNG student comes after last month’s forum on nuclear-free Pacific .. . NUS president, Mr Daniel Kapi, said: T find it hard to see the Melanesian Council of Churches and PNG Trade Union Congress hold conference after conference and then send a delegation to France to talk about a nuclear-free Pacific, without first talking about the independence of the Pacific Islands.
A nuclear-free Pacific and independence of the Pacific Islands come together in one packet. I know the recent delegation to France
talked about the independence of New Caledonia. So what? What about West Papua, they are part of the Pacific too.’
From Quick Look (contributed by Stan Poole) in the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga Kevin Marlow tells me he has had a letter from his son Kit, now practising law in Papua New Guinea, describing a case he recently took in a local court there. A villager took an action against a neighbour for stealing his cattle. It was heard before judge and jury and the verdict after due retirement was ‘Not guilty, provided he returns the cattle.’ The judge explained to the jury the weaknesses in that, and sent them out again to reconsider. They returned in due course with a new verdict: ‘Not guilty and he can keep the cattle.’
From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Divorce is rapidly increasing in PNG, according to social workers with the Department of Family and Community Services. They estimate they counsel up to 10 000 couples seeking divorce each year. They also say traditional bride price, which for many years served as security against marital breakdowns, is becoming less important.. . Figures from the social welfare division of the Family and Community Services Department indicate that in Port Moresby an average 3132 divorce cases are dealt with yearly.
From The Fiji Times, Suva A 24-year-old Suva taxi driver was bashed and robbed at the weekend for the second time in three months. Mohammed Yasif, 24, of Bua Bua Place in Nasinu was robbed of $25 earlier in January and on Saturday was beaten and robbed of $BO.
From Pitcairn Miscellany The total number of Pitcairners now living on the island is 47. With the addition of 7 non-Pitcairners, the grand total is 54 .. .
Completely unofficial is the fact that there are twice as many turkeys as there are humans on the island. And what is more .. . they were only introduced two years ago!
From the American Samoa News Bulletin, Pago Pago The local general manager of Union 76, Brandt Judy, yesterday presented 80 empty oil drums to be used as trash cans in the bay area . . . The drums will be cut and painted by the Marine Railway and should be on the roadside by this weekend. Posters with the Tourism Awareness Week logo and theme ‘Talofa, Keep our tourists smiling’ will be posted on the cans together with the saying ‘Union 76 Cares Fa’amama Samoa’. According to Tourism Consultant Jim Clarke the cans will be painted in a luminous color that can be seen at night.
In the campus underworld according to University of Papua New Guinea students’ Uni Tavur A search party (of student accommodation) consisting of the deputy Vice-Chancellor, sub-wardens and SRC president found three illegal residents and a few visitors. Also discovered were 37 empty male beds and 13 empty female beds.