An Appraisement Of The

South Pacific Commission

CONDITIONS have changed very much since the South Pacific Commission was established (after World War II) to improve the standards and conditions of life in the South Pacific Islands, but the work of the Commission goes on without disturbance.

Because the problems of defence and survival now have become so very important, in a world torn be tween fiercely antagonistic ideologies, the six Western nations which formed the Commission might have been excused if they had set aside the minor matter of Islands’ wel fare, to be dealt with at a more convenient time. It is a measure of their good faith, and of their sincere wish to help the 2,000,000 folk for whom they are responsible in the South Pacific, that they con tinue to provide funds for research and education, and to keep first class specialists busy on social, economic and health problems, although such skilled people are in demand for the grimmer and more argent duties of a struggle that seems inevitable.

Although the Council of the Com mission does a good deal of original research, its chief responsibility is :hat of maintaining liaison between the specialist Departments of the several Territories, and co-ordinat ng their activities and the results )f their work. To a degree that 'ew people realise, the various

[slands Administrations already are

helping each other through the South Pacific Commission, and lin ing up vital data for the benefit of all.

FOR example, it looks as if the Blue Bariki, discovered and de veloped in Fiji as a sound and useful tropical Islands grass, may assist in removing the main obstacle in the way of the establishment of the cattle industry in New Guinea —n ame 1 y, the introduction of pastures which can replace and hold their own against the tough and useless natives grasses. New Guinea’s specialised work on rice culture will help every Islands’ community in the South Pacific. Mr. Eden’s achievement in Western Samoa, in discovering and fixing a disease resistant type of cocoa, is going to help cocoa planters, not only in other South Seas Islands, but throughout the world. The benefits received from the good work done in French Oceania, in combating Filaria, is already being felt throughout Polynesia, and in more distant places like Southeast Asia, where it has been a scourge from time immemorial.

Probably, these achievements would have been made eventually by the individual governments, under the old system; but liaison between all Territories, through the SPC, has stimulated research, as sisted the scientists by greatly

widening the field from which they have received vital information, and made the application of the lessons learned immeasurably faster.

The Commission, surveying the results of four years’ work, must feel that the effort has been well justified. And the work is only just commencing. In all the three fields of social betterment, economics and health there is a great deal still to be done. The most important task is that of bringing literacy to Islands peoples who are simply cry ing for more education.

SOME critics, because of communi cations difficulties, deplore the fact that SPC headquarters were placed in New Caledonia. There should be very free and increasing intercourse between the skilled men of the Commission and the experts of the several Islands Administra tions. The agriculture, education and health advisers from Moresby and Suva and Tahiti and Honiara and Apia should be frequently in Noumea; and the SPC Research Council experts should move with equal frequency through the South Pacific Territories. The printed re sults of their work, gathered and co ordinated by the SPC, should go out constantly to all interests concerned wffh Pacific Islands administration.

But because Noumea is away off the regular air-mail and passenger tracks, these communications are not as simple and easy as they should be. 9 As against that, the Noumea location has some definite advant ages for the SPC, The co-operation and goodwill of French high official dom are very helpful. The accom

modation, for both offices and staff, provided by the huge, war-built Pentagon could not be found any where else, except at crippling cost.

The site beside Anse Vata beach may be far from city amenities; but it is beautiful and spacious and —those concerned will please forgive us! —there is nothing at all to dis tract the attention of the ladies and gentlemen of the staff from the im portant tasks which they face.

Near the Pentagon, at Anse Vata, generously housed also in war-time buildings, is the New Caledonia branch of the great Institut Francais d’Oceania, which is charged

with the duties of scientific re search within the French Terri tories of the Pacific, and is part of a French Empire-wide organisation that functions in no less than 14 French Territories throughout the world. Here, within a few hundred yards of the Pentagon, the eminent scientists of the Institute control six laboratories, wherein they conduct research into matters affecting soil values and conditions, insect pests, various aspects of agriculture, ocean conditions and the values of fish, minerals, ethnology, and so on. There is a good and valuable liaison between the Institute and the SPC Research Council.

The weakness of the whole set-up lies in the fact that it is dependent for its existence and the culmina tion of its work (the implement ation of its findings through legis lative action in each of the six Par liaments concerned) upon the good will of politicians: and that is a flimsy foundation for any such in stitution. Thanks to popular press and professional politics, most of the nations of the Western world hold their Parliaments in increasing con tempt; but they seem unable to devise a better system of govern ment. ...

Therefore, it is important that the scope, character and effect of the work of the South Pacific Com mission be kept constantly and pro minently before press and politicians.

In that respect, the Commission in the past has seemed a little remote and withdrawn from the hurly burly of mundane affairs.

If The Rev. S. H. Dewdney arrived in Sydney from New Guinea re cently after spending more than 20 years as a missionary in the Islands. He will take 12 months holiday in England.

If A son was born to John and Phyllis Keenan, in Sydney on No vember 7. The Keenans are well known ex-residents of Papua-New Guinea, now living in Sydney. They have another son, aged 21.

See page 5 this issue for Late news —including land policy views of Members of PNG Legislative Council.