Under-Sec. and Planters

Late News: Under-Sec. and Planters In Profitable Meeting

Rabaul, Aug. 10.

BY singular good fortune, the visit of Mr. John Howse (Under-Secretary for Territories) coincided with the second annual meeting of the Planters’

Association; and the Planters’ president (Mr. Don Barrett) arranged a number of important and helpful talks.

Mr. Howse said that committees, on which planters would be represented, were being set up to deal with the price of copra and the Stabilisation Fund.

Mr. Barrett told the Under-Secretary that the Association, in view of the num ber of “controls” did not think it was practicable to abolish the PCB and im mediately to hand copra sales and ship ment over to private enterprise. Some body with over-all authority would have to function while the British copra con tract operated.

Mr. Howse said that, although the Government wanted private enterprise to run the shipping, it recognised that the Directorate of Shipping must function until private enterprise provided some thing more efficient.

Mr. Howse promised to study a strong case presented by the Association against the proposed 18 months’ contract for native labour. The planters urged a mini mum period of two years.

The Association complained of serious pests affecting coconuts and cocoa in the Gazelle Peninsula area, and inefficiency on the part of Agriculture Department officials: and Mr. Howse undertook to examine the situation.

Mr. C. B. Bailey has been appointed a member of the Fiji Copra Board during the absence from the Colony of Mr. W.

G. Johnson.