Australia
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
Fiji Tuna Clipper Form
Protest by Mr. Evatt
ALTHOUGH most Australians will 1 pleased to see the American turn clipper arrive from Fiji to fish soutEd ern New South Wales waters for dollar earning tuna, for some extraordinam reason, Mr. Clive Evatt (NSW Chiei Secretary) describes it as a “body blow the NSW fishing industry.”
Mr. Evatt, a brother of the more famoic D i:V E Y att ’ and with the same politico affiliations, was until the recent NSW eleos tions, Minister for Housing. His greateo claim to fame was in laying foundatioi stones. Scarcely one house or block ■ flats erected by the NSW Housing Com mission escaped without his name appear mg in gilt letters on the corner stom Whereas the Doctor, politically, maka occasional efforts at sweet reasonableness: his younger brother uses the tactics of ; steamroller. Soon after his appointmer; as Chief Secretary he announced that as government instrumentalities under hi jurisdiction would forthwith take the 9 business away from private banks an transfer to Rural Bank of NSW. Aftd a howl from the people concerned, Labovt Premier McGirr was forced to counter mand the direction. This must have hwi both Mr. McGirr and Mr. Evatt.
In respect of the arrival of the turn clipper from Fiji, Mr. Evatt had this t say (September 7); “There should be an immediate outer; by local fishing interests concerned againr this intrusion, which apparently has be©; sanctioned by the Commonwealth Got( eminent. As Chief Secretary I will taMj this matter up with the Commonwealth Government, to see that the interest of the Australian industry are protectedb THE clipper belonged to South Sei Marine Products, (headquarters i Suva, Fiji) pioneered by Mr. Harolc Gatty. The tuna were to be caught ii Fiji waters and taken to a canning plan, in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Unforc tunately, for some reason that remaini unexplained, the tuna in Fijian wateis will not take the prepared baits as thej do m other parts of the world, and thl Pago cannery put out only one batch o canned tuna (it is at present in charg* of a caretaker). It is hoped that the turn on the Australian eastern coast will tf more co-operative.
South Sea Marine Products has non gone out of business and the Australiae investigations are being carried out tef Island Packers Inc., the American half o the original joint company. Mr. Gatttd has resigned from both companies am the new general manager is Mr. Doo Hayward, who recently completed nego; tiations with the Commonwealth Direo; tor of Fisheries (Mr. F. F. Anderson a Considerable amounts of tuna are a:£ ready caught and canned off the eas,f and south-east coasts of Australia; bu< in comparison with the United States-? where tuna fishing is a 100 million dollsJ industry—Australians are not turn minded, Australian tuna fishing is done by trollI( ing. The American clipper will be thl first in those waters to use pole fishim with live bait.
When the visiting politicians returned tr Australia from Papua-New Guinea r©-: cently they stated that Mr. Cottrell Done mer is retiring from the position o Director of Agriculture; but that he imi tends to remain in Papua to introduce among the natives a co-operative rice; growing project. Part of the basis is thsr all profits shall go back into welfare plafiu for the benefit of the workers.