In Micronesia

A Year Of Progress

ON his recent resignation as High Commissioner for the US Trust Territory of Micronesia, Mr.

F. E. Midkiff listed some of the things which have been achieved there in the past year.

Good progress is being made in the cocoa planting scheme at Ponape and Palau. Over 35,000 seedling trees have now been distributed.

The anti-rhinoceros beetle cam paign has continued and some pro gress has taken place in the estab lishment of a coconut nursery in the Palaus from which new plants will be distributed.

A programme of distribution of improved cattle and pig breeding stock is progressing. Several new and promising grasses and legumes have been established and are now being spread. There has been pro gress in establishment of a fishing Industry.

An electric power plant has been established at Koror, another is be ing built at Ponape, and a refrig erator has been built there. At Majuro, two concrete warehouses have been erected.

Locally-owned trading companies have taken over the collection and purchase of copra on a district-wide

basis everywhere except at Ponape.

The Island Trading Company, an Administration-owned organisation providing the shipping connections within the Territory, has now been almost completely transferred to the

control and ownership of t h Micronesian people.

Everywhere except at Yap, Ac ministration-owned commissionarii have been transferred to local trac ing companies.