The Island Press
p. 47 · Read in the full issue
Reports from the papers, compiled by John Carter.
EAST NEW Britain MP Ereman To- Baining said yesterday he was fooled by Government Ministers into signing a let ter informing the Parliamentary Speaker he was joining the Government. “I did not write that letter, and although it carries my signature, I must admit I did not read it before I signed it,” he said.
The letter read: “I am writing to advise that I have now joined the Government and would like you to arrange sitting in Parliament so that I can be seated with other Members of the Government.”
From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier , Port Moresby.
ARE YOU a wild and crazy person? Can you walk and smile at the same time? Like to have fun while you work? Do you like meeting visitors, being provided with a meal and getting paid for it? We could have a job for you in our restaurants and bar, so call me on Ph: 25800. Dull and boring people need not apply.
An advertisement for The Rarotongan Hotel in the Cook Island News A SENIOR officer of one of the city’s main trading banks was the leader of one side of a big brawl at Mulinuu on Saturday in which at least three people received head wounds from thrown stones and bottles.
The brawl apparently started after one of the bank officer’s party was beaten up by members of the other side. Unfortu nately for the other party the bank offi cer’s group outnumbered them at least four to one.
When the opponents became hard to find the rampaging members of the sec ond party turned on a van standing nearby and smashed the wind screen and even tried to smash a motorbike belonging to the other side.
From The Samoa Times, Apia BULOLO MP Mathew Bendumb was or dered out of Parliament yesterday be cause he was not wearing a tie. Mr Bendumb stood up to ask a series of ques tions of Prime Minister Mr Wingti but an MP raised a point of order about his dress.
Standing orders require all MPs to wear a tie when attending meetings. Mr Ben dumb said he had just been turned out of a hotel and was unable to dress up prop erly. But the Speaker insisted that he leave the chamber. About 10 minutes later, he was back wearing a tie.
From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby
A MAN IS in hospital with a head wound after being attacked with a husked coco nut. Superintendent Galuvao Tanielu said the man wounded was asleep at the mar ket when another man walked up and hit him on the head with the coconut. No rea son has been given for the attack, he said.
From The Samoa Times , Apia DISCOS, DEMOCRACY and “new reli gions” have all been bemoaned by the Youth and Home Affairs Minister. And Mr Burege blamed the loss of the traditional way of living on the educated elite.
“The educated elite, instead of looking at how our grandfathers had practised re ligion, dancing, traditional leadership, ed ucation and so on and using their knowledge to improve them have in stead promoted new religion, night disco dancing and new ways of having leader ship through voting.”
From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier , Port Moresby HERE AT Pulau we have discovered that our hens are two fold really. Not only do they lay eggs, but are our only forecast of weather. Three to four means it will be hot and humid; five to six per day means it will be warm and sunny; one egg means it will be wet.
From The Pitcairn Miscellany, Pitcairn Island.
A CURIOUS thing happened on the night of August 24. Miss Tia Sika was hosting the evening program on Radio Tuvalu and was about to announce a $70,000 grant from the Canadian Government to buy a new transmitter for the station. Suddenly, the transmitter failed and Radio Tuvalu was off the air. Assistant technician Ma tanile losefa and Tuvalu’s telecommuni cations chief, Peter McQuarrie, were quickly on the scene, replacing fuses and getting the station back on air. Everyone agreed the grant had come just in time.
From Tuvalu Echoes, Funafuti A PUBLIC WORKS Department carpen ter injured at work in 1984 has to wait for his $6383 compensation because the Min istry of Employment and Industrial Re lations says it is short of money. The ministry has agreed to pay the worker un der the workmen’s compensation scheme but says payment can be made only after it receives extra money.
From The Fiji Times , Suva
LAE’S BID TO shake-off its crime troubled image suffered a setback at the weekend. An innocent club-goer was stoned to death, a pregnant woman was raped and a family robbed in an armed hold-up. But the police came through with flying colours. In each case they were able to make arrests.
From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier , Port Moresby.
FOUR STUDENTS from Cambridge University in England have just com pleted two months of study on the island as part of their work towards their degrees.
Miss Hilary Chapman and Mr Nigel Has kins have been studying the distribution, behavioural patterns and life cycle of the fruit bat or peka. Hilary and Nigel have estimated the total fruit bat population at 4000 to 5000, although according to local experts there are at least 11,000.
From the To hi Tala Hiue, Niue THE FIRST CLUB has announced the date for its long awaited “Drag Queen” competition. It is happening this Friday.
The theme for the night will be “Vice- Versa”. In other words males will dress up as females and vice-versa!
From the Cook Island News , Rarotonga PRIME MINISTER Ezekiel Alebua has spoken highly of the work being carried out by the Guadalcanal Cultural Centre in finding out about the true history of Guadalcanal people and Solomon Islands as a whole... In his speech to mark the visit to the historical sites, Prime Minister Al ebua said: “Our people have been living on assumptions for a very long time, thinking that we originate from apes or belong to the ape family. Unveiling of some of the things that did happen many, many years ago, should prove this is not so, and find out how the people lived and what types of tools they used.”
From the Solomon Islands The Nius , Honiara THE TEENAGE son of a policeman at Saidor in Madang Province has been ar rested after a police raid on his father’s house uncovered apparently stolen goods.
Madang police commander Joe Dra pok said several armed men held up a trade store owner at Saidor and stole K 350 cash and trade store goods valued at more then
K3Oo.
From the Papua New Guinea Post Courier, Port Moresby