Outh Pacific Commission

Scientists Planning Better Food for Atolls

JWO scientists, Dr. and Madame L. R. Catala, who have spent six months investigating the ology and economic development Pacific atolls (including ways of oducing more food for their in bitants) returned this month >m the Gilbert and Ellice Islands the headquarters of the South cific Commission at Noumea, New ledonia. rhis project is one of high priority over forty comprising the work Dgramme of the South Pacific mmission in the fields of health, momic development, and social /elopment. It was undertaken to list administrations in improving i economic stability of about 1,000 people living on several hun- Jd coral atolls—mostly in the Ibert and Ellice Groups, French eania, Cook Islands and Fiji, inhabitants of atolls are most in id of help because of their limited ources to produce food. Gen -lly, their arable land is small and ! soil poor. following consultation with m ested Administrations, the Com ssion laid down certain lines of earch to provide for; — l programme of coconut palm im ivement designed to increase Ids and resistance to pests and ease; l food plant programme, includ study of the breadfruit tree, the elopment of wet land taro, the reduction of bananas, the pro ;tion of other foodstuffs, es ially those requiring additional :ility such as sweet potatoes, etables and citrus fruits; Tie supplementary nutrition of s; he improvement of poultry in ght, egg-laying capacity and ;dom from disease; he development of shell fisheries planting trochus and pearl shell, I investigation into the possibl es of sponge cultivation; survey of handicrafts with a v to their development as a rce of income. pproved subsidiary investiga is included the use of solar stills the distillation of water from vater, and exploration of the sibilities for atolls of hydro ics (the growing of food plants vater charged with chemicals), 0 conduct preliminary investi ons, Dr. and Madame Catala blished their headquarters last *ch at Tarawa. With them was R. R. Mason of the Fiji De ;ment of Agriculture, who partly sted in soil and agricultural fil iations, and studied a pro ;d site for a small agricultural ion on Tarawa Island.

It is anticipated that the report on this investigation will be ready early in 1952.

Housing Expert on Pacific

Survey

Pofessor J. P. Thijsse, Of

the University of Indonesia, who is an authority on tropical housing, is at present engaged in making a building survey of Islands Territories for the South Pacific Commission. He has been in Ra

rotonga and Samoa and is now in Fiji. Thence he goes to New Caledonia, Papua and New Guinea, and Netherlands New Guinea.

The survey is to determine those types of native dwellings and pub lic buildings most suitable for the widely varying climates and condi tions of the area. Investigations take into account such factors as availability of materials and labour, and costs, and furniture needs.

The survey may occupy 8-10 months, and the report will be sup ported by plans and photographs.

Where his recommendations involve a change of design, possibly in corporating ideas and practices from other tropical areas, Profes sor Thijsse will endeavour to retain

as far as possible traditional styles and building techniques.

He has had 30 years’ tropical experience, and with three other members of a United Nations hous ing mission, he recently completed a survey of housing problems in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaya and Indonesia.