Developing South Pacific Islands: N.Z. Responsibility

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 20, 15 November 1948, Page 3

Developing South Pacific Islands: N.Z. Responsibility

With the more general realisation of the need for unifying the activities of New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific Islands, and following the findings of the Pacific Science Congress held recently at Canberra, has come a further contribution to this topical subject of the development of the South Pacific Islands. It is a report by the principal of Massey Agricultural College, New Zealand (Professor G. S. Peren), and gives some indication of what might be accomplish-

ed in further development, with particular reference to agriculture. A bulletin published by the College reproduces the report which Professor Peren presented to the Massey College Board of Governors on his return from a visit of over a month to points of agricultural interest in Samoa, the Cook Islands and Fiji. That visit was made largely to secure liaison with agricultural authorities and a general ap* predation of the agriculture of the islands, in line with the. College’s desire to do what it could to help island agriculture. The latter, has a direct bearing on the work of the College, in view of the sfudents who from time to time come to the Coll

lege from the Islands for training. The difficulties of liaison among the islands, due largely to their diverse is one of the problems Professor Peren sees in any attempt which might be made further to zone and regulate production, provide regular shipping and air freight for perishable crops, and

to weld the island into an economic unit where the natives would be encouraged to take a greater interest in agriculture. In spite of the difficulties of involved native land tenure and native customs, it is suggested that New Zealand should look ahead- and plan the training of further technical officers for those islands under its jurisdiction. The duty of those officers would be to develop and co-ordinate the growing of further suitable crops, improve storage facilities, and to endeavour to encourage the Islanders away from their laissez-faire attitude towards sustained work.

“In the matter of markets, these islands are very largely at the mercy of chance,” states Professor Peren, “Except in the case of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company in Fiji, it is difficult for them, with their lack of organisation and shipping, to compete with the highly-organised interests mass-producing in areas as tropical Africa. One bonders, therefore, whether, in addition to more co-operation from New Zealand, it would not be possible to extend the principle of the price, at least to those islands under New Zealand jurisdiction and to -produce marketed in New Zealand.

H lt must always be remembered that the populations of all these islands, for which we are responsible, are increasing at a rapid rate, and that we have started them along the road leading to our own form of economy and way of living. They have now been in contact with our civilisation, for so long that they are dependent on’4t to a large degree. They are suspended between two civilisations and cannot be left to their own devices. _ They have gone too far along our road to turn back, arid, in my opinion, we have a moral duty to safeguard their economic interests. Whether one likes the suggestion or not, I believe it essential that we should tackle the problem of the more efficient marketing of their produce.’ If this is not done, I fancy that one of these days our hands will be forced so far as the Cook Islands are concerned; a serious drop in the prices of their principal products would result in a grave position developing, and necessitating some form of financial assistance. “So far as the Islands as a whole are concerned, however, it seems to me essential that, as a prelude to any agricultural development, some suitable form of economic teamwork must be thrashed out.”