Islands

From the

Press

Part of an editorial from the Marianas Variety News and

Views, Saipan

Though Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in the United States in 1864 almost 120 years ago some individuals in this American flag territory still practice this ancient form of inhu manity. It’s called hiring a Filipino as a maid or a farmer for $l5O a month. Some folk here on Saipan claim to be liberating the Filipinos by bringing them here to do their dirty laundry.

But in reality one group of people is taking advantage of another by paying less than the minimum wage.

From Hahine’s column in The Times of Papua New Guinea describing the reaction of readers to published material about “women and power”

I heard from a male friend that this particular topic was the subject of a heated debate in a certain bar last week. It is the confirmed opinion of some males that no matter how far women go in education they will never attain the same top levels that men do simply because they were bom women. I’m glad to be able to note that there was an opposing view at this debate, but we will never know the outcome of the argument. Apparent ly it got out of hand and ended in a brawl, fam Tam, Port-Vila, Vanuatu, describing the construc tion of the first road link to a remote village At Metun in North Malekula, Village Chief Paul was so happy at seeing the Public Works Department bulldozer entering his village that he halted construction of the road so that the villa gers could celebrate the breakthrough. According to the foreman, Mr John Mafau, the chief was told that the eight-kilometre road had still to be completed but he ignored the information and said “Never mind we can do the work later. The fact is that you have reached our village and we are so happy. So let’s celebrate.”

The Cook Island News, Rarotonga Yesterday’s Cook Island News reported that a man had appeared before the High Court charged with the theft of $2OOO from the National Bank. The reference to Mr P . . . was not correct . He was not charged with any criminal offence, but with a traffic offence. We apologise for any embarrassment or inconvenience The Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby A murder trial at Waigani had to be delayed for a couple of hours earlier this week because the Chief Justice, Sir Buri Kidu, had to dash off to Government House to be sworn in for his new term. His first term expired the day before.

A piece of community advice from the Marshall Islands

Journal, Majuro

Elson says: There is nothing like planning ahead. Family plan ning is very important, even if you are not married. Find a nice quiet place this weekend and share your dreams with that some one special.

From the Flotsam and Jetsam column in The Fiji Times, Suva Once upon a time the Posts and Telecommunications Department looked up their account books to see who hadn’t paid up, and found no less than the Fiji Electricity Authority was one of the defaulters. So they took steps. They cut off the FEA’s phones

which, if you think about it, wasn’t such a very clever thing to do. After all, if you were the big energetic FEA and you became provoked like that, what would you do? Look up your books for P & T sections which were behind in their electricity bills? You guessed it, and . . . blam . . . without warning, the P & T lights went out.

From Akio Heine s column in the Marshall Islands Jour

nal, Majuro

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the hiring of a House Chaplain who will open the meeting each day with pray ers and will be paid $50,000 a year. Just think how they could have saved the taxpayers’ money by adopting Nitijela’s system of silent prayer. One prays for himself. And the good thing about it, too, is that you have only yourself to blame if your prayers go unanswered.

The Times of Papua New Guinea, quoting parliamentary Opposition leader lambakey Okuk after his return to

parliament from a by-election

While there are some who are pleased to see me in parliament, there are others are who are wishing that I had never come.

These are the ones who view me as a threat to their positions of power and glory. These are the very people who did not know what one penny looked like before they entered parliament. They entered parliament with the notion that such entry was a licence for them to trade, in order to acquire wealth. There are too many greedy souls in parliament, using an honorable institution as if it were the New York Stock Exchange.

Tohi Tala Niue, Niue Early morning saw a French cargo container vessel steaming offshore along the Alofi roadstead, apparently taking a look at the island. The Friendship Whistle had diverted enroute from New Caledonia to French Polynesia to gander at the island.

What an amazing inter-island container carrier it is, compared with the current vessels that serve us. I wonder what they thought of our little island? Another dumping ground perhaps?