The Disabilities Of The Solomons

Why ‘Trade Scheme’ Is Continued

OME of the problems which confront the British Solomon Islands Administration were in sated in statements made by De rtmental heads during the sit igs of the BSI Advisory Council February.

For example, there are no general iders now in the Solomons —only Government enterprise called he Trade Scheme.”

When replying, on behalf of the rvernment, to various financial d economic points raised in de te, the financial Secretary (Mr.

M. MacLeod Smith) summarised ; history of the Trade Scheme, m its inception in 1943 as an ergency measure. He said that ivernmenti never intended that * Trade Scheme should become a •manent Government Institution, er the war was over. Very con erable effort had been made to •suade commercial firms which re operating in the Protectorate ore the war, to return; but the ;otiations were not successful, jater, about 1948 to 1949, another ■y strong attempt was made to ; Messrs. Burns Philp and Co., i., interested. Burns Philp, at i time, took the view that they i already locked up a good deal their capital elsewhere; they arded the Protectorate as one of i more expensive of their enter ses, and were not anxious to re n. :t was feared that selling the ade Scheme to one firm would rely be transferring a monopoly m public ownership to private nership and, rightly or wrongly, vernment considered it a duty

to retain ownership of that monopoly. In 1949, Government concluded that, for the time being, it was impossible to persuade any of the pre-war firms to return, and proposed to give the Trade Scheme £ o me measure of permanency by Passing special legislation to incor- P orate it. Though it was then in tended, from force of circumstance, to make the Trade Scheme per manent, it was not desired to do so.

The view Qf the Administration was that, in p r i nc i p i e> it was not a good thing for Government to trade, and this A^ministra L ion did not wish to

trade unless it was found to be necessary. The present position was not satisfactory to Government, to the public, nor to the Trade Scheme itself.

The Financial Secretary said that he did not think that Trade Scheme’s disadvantages, while operating under Government con trol, were fully appreciated. Gov ernment had often insisted that the Trade Scheme should take cer tain actions which, as an ordinary commercial enterprise, it would probably not have taken. He re ferred inter alia to the setting up of branches at Auki and Gizo, which was desirable as a matter of policy, but had not particularly helped the Trade Scheme; to the Kurimarau charter to Trade Scheme; and to

the need for increased capital Trade Scheme had no power t( borrow, and Government was no in a position to borrow on its be half.

The Administration was resolvet to change the present positioi which satisfied nobody. The Ad visory Council, or Standing Com mittee, would be consulted befon any final decision was made.

Referring to problems of card transhipment at Tula g i, th( Financial Secretary assured mem bers that Government was greatl] concerned over the position a Tulagi, which is regarded as highli unsatisfactory. It should in fair ness be remembered that tranship ment at Tulagi had had to be verj hurriedly improvised.

He thought there had been som< misunderstanding about the func tions of the Customs Department The latter was responsible for see ing that the cargo landed, whicl was subject to duty, was properl] accounted for and duty paid on it; but it was not a forwarding agent

Law And Health

The Attorney-General (Mr. P. N Dalton) spoke of Company legisla] tion, and reminded members of ttic complexity of Company law. Thf Fiji Companies Ordinance had more than 350 sections and occupied over 250 pages of print. The draft ing of a Companies Ordinance foi the Protectorate would unavoidable take a very long time, but n nf were instructed to draft such ar ordinance he would do his best. I The Senior Medical Officer (Dr W. H. McDonald) referred to the Tuberculosis survey made in the first three months of 1952. At tempts were being made to isolate and treat cases. It was intended to bring some of the most modern drugs into use.

Need For More Officers I

The Chief Secretary (Mr, R. J, Minnitt) referred to the Com* munity Development projects at Hauhui and Kia, and said that the objective was to imbue the people with a spirit of communal enter prise and readiness to employ their own resources in the develop-! ment of their villages.

Speaking of members’ requests for more Administrative Officers in the outer districts, he said that the Protectorate could not afford any more officers at present. Gov* ernment would like to do more, but in this, as in all things, it must cut its coat according to its cloth, It was hoped before the end of the year to appoint a District Corn! missioner Outer Islands who would spend most of his time visiting these outlying communities.

He said that much preparatory! work remained to be done by thi Senior Education Officer, at present on leave, before the Education Regulation could be fully imple mented. Government welcomed the; opportunity for close consultation:

d collaboration on education with e Missions. Adequate facilities r Teacher Training Schools were ry necessary, and the matter >uld be discussed with Missions as an as possible.

Shortage of staff and of accom- Ddation for training purposes had

riously hampered the Agricultural

jpartment. The SAO had last year scussed at Keravat (New Guinea)

the question of training there for BSI people, but Keravat was faced with similar problems.

The Government regarded the question of native welfare in Honiara as most important. The Community Centre, weekly picture shows and organised football leagues were some of the measures devised to help. A number of native

employees already had gardens and he understood that all who had wanted to cultivate a garden had been helped, There was also the problem of finding suitable land within reason able reach of living quarters, and this could usefully be investigated by members of the proposed Town Advisory Board.