“Amalgamation”

THE question of amalgamating some of the administrative machinery of Papua and New Guinea was discussed at the re cent conference of Australian Pacific Administrators, but nothing of a concrete nature was agreed upon. The discussion served rather to emphasise constitutional difficulties in the way of amalgamation.

It was agreed, however, that each Terri tory should send to the others a kind of intelligence report setting out whatever was likely to be of common interest re garding present policy, contemplated changes, new forms of development, etc.

The Administrators generally appear to be against the idea of a single territorial service; but presumably a system will be evolved almost immediately under which each Administrator will accept officers from other Territories subject to the con sent of all the Administrators concerned.