SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 193, 4 May 1918, Page 7

SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS

INTER-STATE COMMISSION'S REPORT DISCUSSED. . (Rec. May a, S p.m.) ■ ■ ' London, May 2. The Commonwealth -Inter-Stale 'Commission's -report- on 'Pacific trade' has been widely dismissed. -There is the-best reason, for believing that France is willing and even eager to withdraw from the condominium governing tho New Hebrides, in return for territorial compensation elsewhere, preferably in AfricaUnited Service.. The Commission's report stated that at present the control of the South Pacific Islands by the. British Crown lacked cohesion and system, and suggested that tho question ripe for settlement wat whether some federated control should not bo devised at an early date. "An authority might bo established with but' slight change, if any, in tho respective Governments of the several tracts in the Pacific, but with powers of supervision and /co-ordination not at present possessed," the report stated. "Such authority would not be subject in any way to tho Commonwealth Government, but to the High Commissionership of tho Pacific, held or -not held in conjunction with the office of the Governor-General of Australia. This would-be a suitable kernel from which such a representative form of Pacific federation might naturally grow. Federated control should preferably have as its central seat the natural rendezvous of most Pacific trado and shipping—Sydney. . Fiji is not central for administrative and commercial pin-poses." The Commission suggested that in order to ensure a timely settlement of the question by the Government, a conjoint inquiry by representatives of the United Kingdom, Australia, and. New Zeahnd should be undertaken. The report directed attention to tho necessity of a bettor international agreement regarding the New Hebrides, and the importance of wiving the question of an efficient supply of labour for developing the trado of tho Islands. Tho Commission was satisfied that without considerable subsidies it would bo impossible in the future to develop the in-ter-Island trade, r,r that v;ith Australia and other parts of the Empire. If Australia could consnmo a substantial proportion of tho copra output she would have 110 difficulty in controlling tlio Island trade, 'f'li.e Commonwealth eouid with considerable 'omnipivial advantage afford to allow nearly rill the productions of tho Islands to be admitted free GERMANY'S RULE IN AFRICA AND SOUTH SEAS, (Rec. May 3, 11.15 p.m.) London, May 2. The Lower House of Convocation has adopted Bishop l-'rodshani's resolution expressing tho conviction that restitution of German rule in Africa and tho South_Seas-should not bo pormitted, and repudiating any scheme for exploiting so-called German colonies in the commercial interests of this country.—A as,* N.Z. Cable Assn.