South Pacific Move Of Great Significance

Chronicle (Levin), 9 June 1948, Page 3

South Pacific Move Of Great Significance

Press Association)

(Per

WELLIN (4TON, June 8. Deeisions- of vital interest to 3,000,000 islands peoples, were made by the South Pacilic Commission at its first session in Sydney last month, says a statement issued tonight by the Department of External Affairs. An eft'ectiv.e administrative and organisational foundation" has > been established for the work- of the Commission, the abjet'thvefpi; which was the welfare and .adyancement of the island peoples of the South Pacific, Erauce, Netherlands, United . Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and Australia had now piit into action the undertakings coneluded in the Canberra agreemeht last year, stated the Department. Immediate aetive attention is to be given to (1) increased food production to ' raise nutrition standards and experts ; (2) the eopra output to be speeded *up by the use of more labour and machinery; (3) fislrerv research; (4) improvement of present inadequate supplies with more ships to encourage output and relieve goods sliortages; (5) improving the health of mothers and babes; (6) the training of islanders in technical skills; (7) the stimulation of education by radio and film strips and the spreading of modern agricultural practice.

The Department stated that never before, south of the equator, had so many eountries eombined in such a wide eommou plan of regional cooperation. The long term ' project of the Commission was to bring the Paeific island peoples together in meetings where, by rubbing shoulders with each other, they might widen their horizon, discuss eonimon problems and, as the people most concerued, advise the Commission of the direetions In which it sliould go. Aetion had already begun by the appointment of an aeting-secretary. The general machinery had been set in mo1 tion to obtain people with the best scientific and technical knowledge, to direet . the South Pacific Research Council. The proceedings of the first session were held privately but it is the Commission 's intention that normally meetings at which the economic and social welfare of the islanders was under consideration, should be_open to the public. The permanent headquarters of the Commission will be either at Noumea or Suva. A eommittee will soon visit these places to decide.

A working eommittee which had been appointed will carrv on between sessions of the Commission. Among its tasks will be the selection of a socretary-general, deputy secretarygeneral, deputy chairman of the research council, and full time research workers. The Commiksion has decided to ask member Govemments to call for' applications for tlie three principal' officers and submit to the - acting secretary-general in Sydney, the, names of those persons whom they wish to nominate, bv July 20, 1948. The salaries of these officers are: — Secre-tary-general £2000, deputy seeretarygeiieral £1500, deputy chairman of the research council £191)0,; all free.of local 'taxation. - OtheT coridifeionh of appointmcnt, such as 48 days leave per annum, travelling and rent allowanees and necessarv qualifications, are obtainable on appli cation to the Department of External Affairs. "• As to the tliree full time members of the research council, a similar procedure is. to be"- followed by member Governments. The salaries of these officers will range from £1000 to £1600 free of local taxation. • ■ The six Governments are sharing all thc costs. A working fund of £40/)0C has been established. The Commission 's next session will be held at Sydney on October 25 next.