Micronesian Reporter 1961 V09 04

Micronesian Reporter 1961 V09 04. Micronesian Reporter (Report). Hagåtña, Guam: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. July 1961. p. 32.

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Abstract: Beginning in 1951, the Headquarters for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) regularly published a magazine that detailed its work in the region. From 1951 through the first issue of 1956, the magazine was known as the Micronesian Monthly; from the second issue of 1956 through the end of the run in 1980, it was known as the Micronesian Reporter. From 1951 through December 1967, publication cycles varied: For the most part, the magazine was produced monthly, though certain issues cover two or more months. Starting in 1968, the magazine was formally shifted to a quarterly publication cycle, which continued through the first quarter of 1980, when publication ceased.

The July–August 1961 issue reported on the first municipal election on Moen (now Weno) in Truk District, held under a new charter on October 25. Ten candidates ran for five seats in the First Truk District Congress. The process required nominating signatures, public posting of candidate lists, and ballots designed with pictorial symbols to aid illiterate voters. Each candidate appointed members to the village election boards, which administered the voting and ensured secrecy of ballots. Despite minor inefficiencies, the system was considered a success, and five congressmen were elected to represent Moen in the district congress .

The issue also devoted attention to the Second Annual Micronesian Leaders’ Conference in Guam. Delegates from all seven districts presented topics of their own choosing, with discussions on copra production, trochus fisheries, land and riparian rights, transportation, and public health. The conference endorsed electing a Micronesian member to the Copra Stabilization Board, expanding trochus transplantation, and ensuring reef resources remained under local control. Education and vocational training were highlighted, along with calls for more scholarships and improved inter-island communication. The event helped strengthen bonds among district leaders and with the Trust Territory administration .

Infrastructure and development projects featured prominently. Reports noted the acquisition of surplus Navy landing craft for inter-island transport and plans for new shipping facilities in Ponape. The need for dredging work at Rota harbor and expanded radio communication across outer islands was emphasized. Agricultural initiatives such as hog and poultry upgrading, plus prospects for cacao cultivation, were discussed as potential sources of greater economic self-reliance . Volume Nine, Number Four (1961) Index:

Anthropologist 3, 28 Canoes 20, 22 Economic 4, 19 Education 8, 12, 16, 19 Gaferut 20 – 22 Guam I, 4 – 5, 7 – 8, 21, 23 – 24, 27 – 29 Japan 18, 25, 31 Kanoa 11 Majuro 23 Marshall Islands 24 Naval 1, 5, 11 – 12, 27, 29 Navy 5, 18 Nucker 2, 8 Palau 1, 7, 16, 19, 29 – 31 Ponape (Pohnpei) 7, 9, 15, 18 – 19, 23, 25 – 27, 31 Sproat 25 – 26 Truk (Chuuk) 5, 8, 18 United Nations 2, 5 Yap 14, 18, 27