Islands
p. 19 · Read in the full issue
From the
Press
From the Tonga Chronicle, Nukualofa Three men who caused a nuisance by begging in a public place ended up in jail. They are Finau Mapa, 30, and Taitusi Taulongo, both of Kolofo’ou, and Pimi Tupou, 28, of Kolomotu’a. The three accused, the first to appear in Court for begging, committed the offence on April 19 and appeared before the Nuku’alofa Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday... In passing sentence, Magistrate Helu condemned begging, which he described as an “annoying act”. He said that it was a comparatively recent introduction into Tonga, but it has increased at such an alarming rate that Parliament in 1975 passed a bill to attempt to cut begging by half.
From the Marshall Islands Journal ... the Islanders, who were once (and very well may still be) among the world’s best fishermen, have all (according to the American plans for future development) left their outrigger canoes to rot on the outer atolls and come into the centers to eat canned tuna and mackerel and rice and drive about in taxi cabs.
From the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga The English and the countries of the old empire call it cricket; the Tongans call it kilikiti, but in Samoa it is keriketi.. . still the King of Games but with no other semblance to the international matches of Lords and the Oval.
From Tohi Tala Niue, Niue Island Talaia Makaia of Namukulu was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty but his case was related to spiritual belief. Defended by Kapaga, Talaia pleaded that he had shot at a gravestone in retaliation as the said ‘deceased’ is reported to have haunted his sister. He was duly convicted and given a suspended sentence of two months and the firearm confiscated.
From an editorial in The Observer, Apia, on the decision of the Chief Justice that the matai system of
voting infringes the Constitution
.. . Former Clerk of House, Feesago Fepuleai, who is now High Commissioner in New Zealand is of the opinion that the decision and its ramifications would wreck the so-called “Faa-Samoa” (Samoan custom) to which the matai suffrage is linked. He says that this is unacceptable. The question is: To Whom? If the Faa Samoa, no matter how sacred, discriminates against people and allows one part of the multitudes to rule supreme ignoring the other three parts, then it is the Faa-Samoa which is unacceptable.
From a report in the News Drum, Honiara, of the launching of the first series of books in Pijiruby the
Pijin Literary Project
The Adult Education Officer of the Ministry of Education, Training and Cultural Affairs, Mr David Lilimae, said that politicians and senior officials of his Ministry do not support the idea of introducing Pijin language within the Primary School curriculum. He said national leaders would rather see English and children’s mother tongues be encouraged in schools.
From an article in the Tonga Chronicle on repopulating Tonga with poultry after Cyclone Isaac Consideration was given to importing modern poultry flocks to bolster the depleted Tongan flocks. But this was ruled impractical
and expensive. Such large birds have lost their ability to fly and find their own food, and they are not disease-resistant. Most importantly, Mr Murray said, these birds have almost lost the instinct to sit and hatch their young.
From a report by the Niue Consular Office in New Zealand to the Tohi Tala Niue of Niue Island I have often been asked about job prospects in Niue and so on. One guy in fact came up and said “What do you honestly think? Will Niue still be there in five years time?” He had apparently been given the impression by some of the Niueans here that there will be nothing in Niue and never will be in five years. Disturbing thought? No? Well, I guess as you want to call yourself a “Niuean” here or on Niue, the place will survive. Personally, my stock answer to that type of question is that as long as there are a few old diehards like you or I, as long as we’re prepared to stay and give meaning to our heritage and name as Niueans and carry the rest on your shoulders, Niue shall continue and will continue to survive well beyond the most pessimistic predictions.
From the classified advertisements in The Fiji Times Housing Authority requires a temporary competent carpenter.
From the Marshall Islands Journal, Majuro Hordes of Japanese newsmen have invaded Guam to join the search for a possible WWII straggler. Footprints and rope in a cave are the primary evidence.
From the Cook Islands News Nearly 30% of all deaths in the Cook Islands within the last 5-8 years have been due to diseases of the heart and circulation. The Health Department, when releasing these figures, added that the Cook Islands rate of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and gout have increased greatly over the last 10 years. The department attributes this decline in our health standards to the fact that our nation has changed from the “simple traditional life” to the “money-oriented society”.
From The Samoa Times, Apia Professor Murphy, of McGill University, Canada, who has been studying suicide patterns in 50 countries has confirmed that “the international statistics on suicides during the 1970 s do not show any other country to have a suicide rate in males aged 15-24 which is as high as the Western Samoa one”. Since 1966, there have been 245 suicides in Western Samoa. In 1980, there were 40 suicides, in 1981,42.
From an editorial in the Samoa Times on The Suicide Problem .. . The problem is how can we make our young people see themselves as if in a mirror. The promises of materialism (fostered by a highly materialistic educational system) and rising expectations inflamed in large part by the media especially television and the movies have in large measure distorted the values of our young people made worse by the cultural lag of our elders and our society. What we need is for an educational system to reflect the basics of Samoan society; respect for authority and tradition and the family.
About us from the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga We’re still the Cook Islands. That’s what a CIBNC reporter told a reporter from the Sydney-based Pacific Islands Monthly magazine who phoned to ask if it was true the Cook Islands has been renamed. Someone from a Brisbane publishing company phoned the PIM and told them the Cook Islands had been renamed.
The Brisbane caller could not tell the Pacific Islands Monthly what the new name was, but did say it would enable the Cook Islands to get more aid. When contacted for comment, the Prime Minister, Sir Thomas Davis, said we definitely haven’t changed our name and aren’t contemplating doing so. He said he doesn’t know how a new name can get more aid, adding: “The rose by any name smells as sweet.”
From a letter in The Norfolk Islander Sir: I do hope that whoever ate the 5 beef tails and the 4 packets of sausages that I lost from my carton of meat on this last ship, enjoyed their repast. I was looking forward to doing the same.
Yours etc, Jackie Ryan.