Islands

From the

Press

From a letter from T. M. Tona expressing his opinion that quarters for domestic servants are racist and should be demolished, in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier I would like to appeal to the Government to consider demolishing the colonial “boi haus” in today’s language domestic quarters or sheds. The so-called boi haus was built in the colonial era primarily to project the master-servant relationship. This is no doubt a continuation of the inhuman practice of slavery in parts of Africa, America and the world.

From an article in Cook Islands News entitled “Rain Censored?”

Five members of the Censorship Committee were viewing a picture for censorship purposes on Tuesday night. The movie was based on Vietnam during their monsoon season and in the picture it was raining continuously. The censors joked about the rain and said “that’s what we need.” One of the censors then said they should reject the picture because it would make the Rarotonga people unhappy to see so much rain without there any falling in Rarotonga. As the censors were leaving the theatre, an unusual thing happened. It began to rain . . . The movie has been accepted!

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby, after water shortages led to a political attack on Prime Minister Michael Somare Opposition Leader Diro and his deputy Father Momis blamed Mr Somare for water shortages in the National Capital District. “I’m flattered that Mr Diro should think I have the power to make it rain,” Mr Somare said. “He obviously thinks I have supernatural powers, but unfortunately I am merely prime minister.” Mr Somare said he was particularly amused that Father Momis had joined Mr Diro in making the statement.

Considering his vocation, the good father should have closer links with the supernatural than other politicians, Mr Somare said. He offered to co-operate with Father Momis if there appeared to be a way of breaking the drought.

From a letter in Cook Island News, expressing fears of the effect of Westernisation and the subsequent increase in petty crimes I’ve heard from temporary residents, or tourists, how we people are so lucky to live in such a country as ours where one has the feeling of being safe wherever he goes. For instance, here’s one comment from a Swedish friend. “This is the only place where I can go to the Banana Court, get drunk and probably fall asleep beside the road on the way home, and I know for sure that if I had a $2O sticking out of my pocket, one kind person would come up to me, push the money back further into my pocket, wake me up and say . . . “Where do you live, so I can take you home?”

From Voice of Vanuatu A conversion campaign by the Presbyterian church on Tanna recently is said to be successful. Seven hundred villagers are said to have put away black magic. Jimmy Anson and Pastor Maki Manses recently visited the island. Custom chiefs and elders are among those converted to Christianity, the Port-Vila office announced.

From a Letter to the Editor in The Samoa Times, signed A Sad Sad Samoan In Samoa the only land that is freehold are expensive small sections and very little of it. The rest is customary land unused and impossible to acquire through purchase. To get a small section you have to crawl to your matai or take on a title which is a costly matter, and if you do manage to get a piece it is a shaky deal in which you have to give, give, give, or get kicked out. This is the uncertainty that makes the youth uncertain. All they can see is a bleak uncertain future.

From an article on public facilities, Voice of Vanuatu Tourists could be adding more than dollars to government coffers. They could be spending pennies. And at one of the hubs of government; Constitution Building. Port-Vila Council member, George Kalsakau, made this suggestion at the January monthly meeting of the Town council. I find it almost impossible to believe there are still no public lavatories in the capital, George Kalsakau said.

From an article entitled “Judge and His Court,’’ in The Observer, Western Samoa Who says judges enjoy back-door gifts from would-be defendants? Anyone who has second thoughts may try taking a roast pig and fine mats to the judge’s back door. The judge would undoubtedly send the pig, fine mats and all back even to the other end of Savaii and slam the defendant with four years instead of two.

From the Norfolk Islander, an article on East-West Airlines’ new fleet of jets and turbo-prop Friendships In announcing the new East-West “look,” managing director Bryan Grey said “The need to be modem was only part of the decision to go to jets. On the Norfolk Island run, the Turboprop F 27 could carry just 35 passengers instead of 50 for which it is built, because it had to carry enough fuel to go on to Auckland or Noumea if the often capricious weather closed Norfolk’s airport. Because of the high fuel consumption the fare carried a special fuel surcharge and passengers had to be weighed before flying. Too many fatties sometimes meant someone had to get off ... ’’

From a comment by columnist Akio Heine in the Marshall Islands Journal on “anti-Western” thinking ... No one ever forced anybody who was wearing grass skirts to wear better-looking and longer-lasting clothes. No one forced anybody who was cutting down trees with a dull stone axe to use a steel one if he has one. If anything, our forefathers saw all these great Western things and said “By golly, I’m going to get that one too.” And we’ve been saying “By golly, I’m going to get that one too,” ever since.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier The Ok Tedi strikers want a 300 per cent pay rise. And they want a week off work every four months to “socialise with women.”

From an editorial on the problems of crime in the Marshall Islands, Marshall Islands Journal Security patrols may be part of the solution but a more important part would be for the community to more actively discourage such destructive behavior. The people committing these crimes are not faceless machines. They are real people with names and others know the crimes are being committed.

We cannot expect people to develop the economy if they are constantly worried about being robbed or broken into.

From an item in The Samoa Times entitled “Easy

Money”

Members of Parliament, including Cabinet Ministers, last year received more than $500,000 by way of salaries and other benefits. Without the Ministers who worked full time the ordinary MPs were paid nearly $450,000. This worked out at some $12,750 for each MP. For the eight hours of sittings during the whole year this means the ordinary MPs receive well over $l5OO an hour . . . this rate is more than eight times the rate of pay of MPs in the richest nation on earth.