Activities of South Pacific Commission

During November, Dutch and [tish New Guinea were visited by Secretary-General of the Com jsion, Sir Brian Freeston. He ited many centres and made per lal contact with administrative and hnical authorities, and observed at t hand, the progress of various ernes (for example, the Nimboran nmunity development project in tch NG) which the Commission actively supporting. ♦ ♦ ♦ )r. A, H. Kroon, newly-appointed scutive Officer for Economic De >pment to the Commission, arrived Commission headquarters, from Hand, in December. He is a :ch agricultural scientist with long erience of agricultural develop it in Indonesia; and in association i Dr. E. M. Ojala (Deputy Chair i of Research Council) he will responsible for carrying out pro s for fostering the economic elopment of Pacific territories. ♦ ♦ * he Sixth International Grasslands igress, held in Pennsylvania, USA, August, gave particular attention he improvement and management

of tropical grasslands. An Australian expert, Mr. S. L. Everist, who attended, arrived at Commission headquarters in Noumea in Decem ber to discuss the Commission’s pasture and animal improvement programme for Pacific territories, in relation to grasslands. * * * Considerable research on tropical agriculture is being undertaken in Queensland at various stations; and M. Jacques Barrau, one of the Com mission’s technical officers, in order to study at first-hand the work going on there that would be of value to territories in the South Pacific, recently spent five weeks in Queens land. * * * A six-months investigation of leprosy in Netherlands New Guinea, undertaken at the invitation of the authorities there, has been completed by Dr. Norman R. Sloan, of New York, who was appointed leprologist to the South Pacific Commission last March. Dr. Sloan returned to Com mission headquarters at Noumea early last month. He says that the incidence of leprosy in some areas

of Netherlands New Guinea is high enough to constitute a major health problem. The authorities are fully aware it exists and are initiating a long-term campaign to bring the disease under control. The natives generally realised leprosy was a serious disease, and kept advanced cases in .strict isolation outside villages.

Dr. Emile Massal, Executive Officer for Health, has returned from France to headquarters, after six months’ leave. On his way back, Dr. Massal made a rapid visit to Guam and the Trust Territory of Micronesia to contact administrative officers and Health Department

personnel.

* * * Mr. D. B. Roberts, who is organising a supply of suitable read ing matter for Pacific Islands literates, has gone to Netherlands New Guinea. He recently has made tours in New Caledonia, Fiji, Western Samoa and the Cook Islands. * * * Dr. K. Neijs, Ph.D., has taken up duty as an Adviser on Literacy to the South Pacific Literature Bureau.

Mr. Roberts is head of the Bureau which was set up early this year by the Commission to promote the dis tribution of simple literature among

island peoples.

Next Sp Conference

In April

Over 70 delegates from 18 Pacific Islands territories will assemble at Noumea next April to attend the second South Pacific Conference.

The Conference is an auxiliary body, set up to provide a direct link

between the Commission and Island peoples it serves. The o gates, who will mostly be indigen peoples, will come from far aj as the Marianas in the no Netherlands New Guinea in west, Tahiti in the east, and Tc in the south. They will cons problems relating to the welfare progress of their own peoples.