The Island Press

Reports from the papers, compiled by John Carter

From the Cook Island News , Rarotonga: The triangular S 2 coin will probably trigger off a new trend in the introduction of higher value coins, reports an authori tative British numismatics magazine. The August edition of Coin and Medal News says that the prize for pioneering the first three-sided coin must go to the Cook Is lands. The magazine describes the re duced scalloped-edged Tangaroa dollar and the polygonal five dollar coin with its highly distinctive gold colour as “startling new coins” that have been struck at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra.

From Tuvalu Echoes , Funafuti: The due date for payment of head tax in Funafuti was the last day of June. More than 700 residents paid their tax to Fun afuti Island Council. Head-tax for females is $4 and $6 for males. A penalty of $2 will be imposed on those yet to pay.

From a letter by G. Henry, of Mel bourne, in the Papua New Guinea Post Courier , Port Moresby: We have been on holiday in PNG for 14 days. We consider that there could be great opportunities for tourism in this country if only the incidents of violence were sub stantially reduced. To find that every house in this city has security locks and bars on all windows is deterring to tourists, to say the least.

From the Cook Islands News , Rarotonga: Unclaimed monies paid by Govern ment to employees dating back to 1977 have now amounted to $62,000 dollars, according to Assistant Finance Secretary Mr Alister Rutherford.

The sum of money owing to individu als are from wages, overtime payments and tax refunds which have not been claimed for, and are at present being held by government.

From the Cook Islands News , Rarotonga: “Too many men in this country beat their women when they are drunk and they

come to me with excuses,” Chief Justice Sir Graham Speight told their court.

Chief Justice directed these comments to 25 years old Taia Tera charged for caus ing grievious bodily harm to a female of Aitutaki. The court heard that Teva, who has a record of beating up females, “still has not learnt any lessons.”

Tera was sentenced to eight months in prison with a reminder from the Chief Justice to “keep your hands off the women.”

From The Fiji Times , Suva: Three Morris Hedstrom Supermarket cashiers in Suva were arrested and de tained at the Central Police Station after the wife of the Commissioner of Police al leged they were discriminating against her.

Mrs Ela Lewaicei, the wife of the Com missioner of Police, Mr Josefa Lewaicei, complained to the police that one of the cashiers had given her a plastic bag that was inferior to a bag given to another customer.

From the Papua New Guinea Post- Courier , Port Moresby: Leaders with good Christian principles and a proper marriage and moral track re cord should be in government. That is the call by students from the University of Papua New Guinea. Their Students Rep resentative Council president Mr Moses Murray said a good and honest govern ment had its roots from moral stand points.

From The Samoa Times , Apia: The 13 American college presidents who visited Western Samoa this week could not find sufficient words to describe the unique Samoan hospitality that was accorded to them.

They were impressed not merely by the beautiful scenery and the various recep tions given in their honour but also by the hospitality of the Samoan people.

“I’m going to come back for a longer visit,” said one. “The Samoan hospitality is unbelievable,” said another.

From Young Ideas , a quiz section for children in the Fiji Times: This week’s question: What is a repub lic? Rishal Chandra, 3, School of Nine, Suva; “It is an army with guns”.

From the Solomon Nius , Honiara: Honiara was extremely dry in June, 1987, with no rainfall recorded, according to the Solomon Islands Meteorological Services (SIMS).

From The Norfolk Islander , Norfolk Island: In sacred memory of the trees wan tonly destroyed in Cobb’s Paddock at Steele’s Point.

Even the Terns are crying for their lost homes. “Only God can make a tree”.

From The Drum column in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier , Port Moresby: A Port Moresby firm waiting for two months to receive a reply from the De partment of Labor about approval for po sitions, called the office to find out the reason for the delay. The company was told that all typewriters in the department had broken down and letters could not be written.

From a report in Solomon Nius , Hon iara, of a 9th independence speech by Prime Minister Ezekiel Alebua: It seems to me that the first decade of Independence had been a time of expand ing the size of government, increasing its costs, and reducing its effectiveness.

My vision for the next decade is to see all those trends reversed, so as to have a smaller, hard-working, more cost-effec tive government making a real contribu tion to the competitive success of our economy.

Papua New Guinea Post-Courier’s Grass Roots comments on the post-election scene