Reports from the papers. Compiled by John Carter

Island Press

PITCAIRN’S Co-op Store has been re

vamped.

For the first two weeks during April, the store came under the saw and the hammer as first much of its existing con struction was flattened. Replacing the old was a major undertaking, totally de pendent on the skills of the community.

With an increased floor area and a totally different interior, the new look, bright clean shop with its twin checkout counters and stock displayed can best be described as a mini supermarket. The

only things missing being the trolleys,

wire baskets and uniforms for the check out operators.

Opening day saw the cash drawers pass the $lOOO mark and everyone agrees the end result of this public work and undertaking has benefitted all on Pitcairn. With the arrival of the ACT 4 supply ship, it won’t be long before the shelves are restocked and the co-op be

comes a central gathering place during

opening hours.

From The Pitcairn Miscellany, Pitcairn Island A LAE magistrate told police to use “commonsense” in making arrests during the curfew.

District Course magistrate George

Kiak said some of the people brought before the court had actually been arrested on their own premises.

One couple, he said, was standing out side their house.

But within their home boundary and

greeted police with: “Hello.” They were

both arrested and charged with violating the curfew order.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby ON a flight from Auckland to Tongata pu, I happened to be sitting by a couple who were returning home from a holi day leave in Australia and New Zealand.

They were intending to be away for three months, but decided they had had

enough after two months.

In describing their time away, they mentioned that the biggest shock they had was the terrible living conditions of their relatives. According to this couple, their relatives were worse off in Austra lia and New Zealand than they were in Tonga.

From Editorial Comment in The Times of Tonga, Nukualofa A BUSINESS executive says employers are concerned about new recruits who are poor readers, mathematicians and communicators.

The Motibhai Group’s administration manager, Mr Ram Lakhan Prasad, said business people were concerned about the lack of education of their new re cruits.

He said it was difficult to find able and skilled workers.

From The Fiji Times, Suva

A SECURITY guard apparently slept

while thieves broke into the premises he was guarding and made off with a safe containing almost K 16,000 in cash,

police said.

Central Province police commander Daniel Lingonge said that while the guard slept at his post, someone raided the premises of Aniwari Enterprises at Kwikila.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby FORMER senior Public Servant, Sir Paulius Matane, has predicted a trouble some future for Papua New Guinea.

“Greed, hatred, hunger for power and corruption throughout this nation seem to be the goal in life for thousands of people,” he said.

“We are spending directly along the road to destruction, to total chaos as has been experienced in many developing countries.”

Sir Paulius was speaking at the Balob Teachers College 25th anniversary

celebration at which he was the guest of honour.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby MRS KAMACHI Chandar, 52, of Nasi nu shows the coconut tree her family has come to revere because of its unique na ture and the family’s belief that their luck changed since acquiring the tree.

The dry coconut was an offering from a devotee at a special prayer function at the Chandar’s home temple. The coco nut developed a shoot five days after the ceremony and eight days later, bore tiny fruits without the plant ever flowering.

Scores of people have flocked to the Chandar’s home to marvel at the un usual tree. Some have taken fruits home.

Mrs Chandar said they planted the shoot next to the temple and were astounded to see four other shoots emerging from the single seedling. New shoots sprung and every three months and this week Mrs Chandar counted 10 plants.

From a picture caption in The Fiji Times, Suva IN last week’s edition of the paper, we reported on the departure of the Nor folk Island team for the South Pacific Mini Games which are being held in the Kingdom of Tonga.

At the same time, we recorded the fact that the team was taking up 200 pine trees as a presentation to the people of Tonga, from the Lions Club of Norfolk Island.

We would add here, that the Lions Club have sent three previous shipments of pine trees to Tonga but these have all been ear-marked by His Majesty the

King presumably for planting in and

around the Palace at Nuku’alofa.

Imagine our surprise when we re ceived the first fax from Brian Bates which said, “The King was thrilled with his Pine trees”!!!

From The Norfolk Islander, Norfolk Island

From the Papua New Guinea Post Courier, Port Moresby