Spc Research Council Plans For 1954

fITHE fifth annual meeting of the X South Pacific Commission’s expert advisory body, the Re search Council, was held at Noumea headquarters, New Caledonia, June 8-11. Chairman was Mr. D. R. A.

Eden, General Manager of the New Zealand Reparation Estates in Western Samoa.

Twenty-two members attended: 18 economists, doctors, agr i culturalists and educationists working in Pacific territories, and four specialist officers in charge of the Commission’s work programme of economic development, health and social development.

Work carried out by the Com mission since the Research Council last met in June, 1952, was re viewed, and plans were made for its continuance during 1954. These plans will form the basis of dis cussions by the Commission at its twelfth session, to be held at Noumea in October.

Pacific Copra Survey

The copra industry in French Oceania is now being investigated by the Com mission’s coconut officer, Mr. W. Y. D.

Pieris, who left Noumea for Tahiti on June 19.

French Oceania is the eighth Pacific territory visited by Mr. Pieris in his investigations of the copra industry for the SPC. Mr. Pieris believes that copra storage is a major problem of the area.

Each year producers suffer heavy losses, due to shrinkage and deterioration of copra through mould and insect infestation.

There is urgent need for the development of a well-ventilated, insect-proof copra store of cheap construction which can be easily sealed for fumigation purposes.

Cattle Breeders’ Interest In

Santa Gertrudis

Cattle breeders in New Caledonia have shown keen interest in the articles that appeared in the Commission’s “Quarterly Bulletin,” April, 1!)53, relating to Santa Gertrudis cattle, a new breed specially developed for tropical conditions at the King Ranch, Texas, by the crossing of European and Indian species. Several station owners are considering importing sires to improve their herds.

In Fiji also, the early importation of Santa Gertrudis stock for a local grading up scheme is contemplated.

The improvement of stock and pastures in South Pacific territories forms an important project in the Commission's work programme for economic develop ment in the area.

Improving Pacific Food

Resources

The Commission is studying ways of improving the production and utilisation of subsistence foods in the South Pacific.

Last April it appointed M. Jacques Barrau for three years as technical officer to work on this project. (Next Page)

M. Barrau, who was formerly Director of Agriculture in New Caledonia, will concentrate on subsistence crops, assemble information on existing methods of

preserving and processing foods, taking into account the close relation between village agriculture and food production.

Leprologist Returns To

Headquarters

Dr. N. R. Sloan, United States leprologist appointed by the Commission last year to undertake leprosy investi gations in the South Pacific, returned lo headquarters on June after surveying leprosy conditions in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, American Samoa, Western Samoa and the Cook Islands.

Previously he had carried out a six months investigation of leprosy in Netherlands New Guinea.

Pilot Community Development

Project

The Commission's publishers are now

printing a report on n pilot communitj development project carried out undei Commission auspices on the island o!

Moturiki in the Fiji Group.

The report is by Mr. Howard Hayden then Director of Education in Fiji, wht was chairman of the advisory groui directing the project.

Other Commission Reports

In Book Form

Two volumes on social anthropology “Social Anthropology in Polynesia,” bj Dr. Felix M. Keesing, and “Socia Anthropology in Melanesia,” by Dr. A. P Elkin, form the second and third experl reports prepared for the Commission and published in book form under its auspices by Oxford University Press. The first

was “Vocational Training in the South Pacific,” by R. A. Derrick, Director of Technical Training, Fiji.

Other reports scheduled for issue in the next six months include “A Linguistic Survey of the South-Western Pacific,” by Dr. A. Capell, Reader in Oceanic Languages, University of Sydney, and “Community Development on Moturiki Island,” by Howard Hayden, Director of Education. Fiji.