Islands

From the

Press

An announcement in Tohi Tala Niue, Niue Island A lot of layers are now available for sale at the Livestock section of the Agriculture Department at $4.00 per bird. Actually these birds cost $5.00 but since they are now at their maximum laying capacity their costs have been reduced.

From the Voice of Vanuatu, Port-Vila lananen Village, Tanna, prides itself on being a village which adheres to custom. No church has made its mark on lananen village life. Their God is HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. And they are awaiting his visit. British High Commissioner Mr Richard Dorman recently visited lananen . . .

Children from the school gave the British High Commissioner a letter. They had written it to the Duke. It asked the Duke to let the village know when he would be coming to visit. The letter has been forwarded to Buckingham Palace.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby It seems some young expectant mothers in East New Britain are out for blood in more ways than one. Some young men of the province, faced with the prospect of unwanted parenthood, have found a way to refuse that responsibility. The fellows who are alleged to have contributed to a pregnancy are appearing in court and requesting a blood test on the unborn baby to prove their involvement. The test, according to provincial health official Mr Pondola Pohai, is complicated and requires highly skilled men “This sort of excuse sounds very scientific and I don’t think we have the right people in East New Britain to carry out any of these scientific tests,” he said. And, according to village court officials, many cases are left unsettled because the alleged expectant father insists on the blood test.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby A union leader wants the publication of horse racing guides stopped. The Wau-Bulolo Workers Union President, Mr Uncle Thom, has called on Media Minister Mr Sali to halt the publication of the guides. Mr Thom said many public servants and other workers were spending too much time betting on horse races.

From The Fiji Times, Suva Former Alliance backbencher Shree Ramlu is upset about the state of Labasa’s roads. And he says there are craters in the town so big that, in one place, fish are swimming in them.

From the Pacific Way Lecture by Francis Bugotu, new Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission, at the University of the South Pacific and reported in the USP Information Bulletin, Suva.

People who think their country owes them something are the result of false tuition. We owe our countries everything. There is evidence in the region today that many young diplomates and graduates returning home who, because they have degrees and diplomas, think their countries owe them top jobs.

The sense of service seems to be lost. The graduate from the acquisitive school is early frustrated by life, and thinks the easiest route is through politics. The much-talked about ideal of the Pacific Way was once attainable when life was for living, but is now unattainable because we all want to become big names. We who call ourselves leaders have been bought over by

politics and money. Some politicians would pass as clowns in our old societies which understand the Pacific Way, and the foreign observer laughs at our mimicry . . . People are so keen on titles and voting themselves fat salaries they forget what they are supposed to be doing serving others. The situation shows a definite wrong direction in government and politics which needs looking at.

From comments by acting Chief Justice J. M. Callander in the Western Samoa Supreme Court in a judgment on election petitions reported in the Samoa Times, Apia.

It disturbed me to see people solemnly lay their hands on the Bible and give false testimony. This court will ruthlessly deal with those who perjure themselves. Without the truth the rule of law disintegrates, the fine mat of purity and truth falls apart, and things sacred become meaningless. There are three great rocks upon which modem Samoa is based: the rock of the Fa’a Samoa with its ancient and wise codes of belief and behaviour; the rock of Christianity, with its tenets of godly, truthful and proper human beliefs and behaviour based upon the Ten Commandments given to Moses for all men; and the rock of Law, whether that of the statutes or of the judges, insisting that conduct conform to correct and accepted principles of human behaviour, known and recognised in the community as vital to the preservation of peace and good government.

From the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga Miss Carmena Blake of Ruatonga last Friday night was crowned as the most beautiful girl in the Cook Islands. Carmena will be twenty years old next month. Carmena was chosen Miss Cook Islands out of 11 contestants and she was sponsored by Dickerson Robinson Group Company. While mother, Mrs Rosie Blake “bawled her eyes out” after the announcement, her father Roger Blake told her to go home and get changed and get back to selling hamburgers at the Boy Blue Takeaways.

An advertisement in The Observer, Western Samoa A box with the contents of a black purse with $5O in it and 100 forms belonging to the WSLAC (Western Samoa Life Assurance Corporation) was removed from a red car at the Reclaimed Area on Monday 30/8/82. Would you PLEASE RETURN the forms to the above company as they are very important WSLAC, Carruthers Building, Beach Road.

From Radio Vanuatu, Port-Vila A Maewo man suspected of practising witchcraft to poison people has had his house burnt down and garden crops destroyed, allegedly by relatives of a young girl who died last Friday. Our report said that for sometime this old man from Baitora village threatened with poisoning members of this family.

It went further, that last Friday, when the young girl died, her relatives took it that she was poisoned by . Their anger resulted in the burning down of his house and destruction of his crops. This old man is alleged to have caused other deaths in the past.

From the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga Two vehicle importing firms have found parts missing from Japanese cars which have been transhipped via Tahiti. Motor Centre’s general manager, Don Dorrell, said so far they have found four batteries missing out of the 11 cars they unloaded from the Tiare Moana yesterday. One of the directors of Pacific Motors, Snow Mulhane, said all of the radio aerials on the 6 cars they imported were missing. Don Dorrell said it was only on very rare circumstances that parts were missing from vehicles arriving direct from Japan in containers.

From the Bulletin of the Republic of Nauru Members of the public are reminded that under the Public Health Ordinance 1967, it is a criminal offence to deposit or cause to be deposited any empty tin, bottle or other receptacle, or any refuse in any street, road or other public place or on any other person’s property. If convicted, one is liable to be fined up to $2O and/or sent to prison for one month.