Officers Resign

from S Pacific Commission

A QANTAS plane from New Caledonia, carrying many of the Commissioners and officials of the South Pacific Commission was due in Sydney in the evening of November 11 (after this number of PIM had gone to press).

The important annual session of the Commission, held at head quarters in Noumea, ended on No vember 10, and some far-reaching decisions were taken.

The chief officials of the Social Development Section of the Com mission’s Research Council (which was removed from Noumea to Syd ney in recent years, owing to the inconvenience and comparative in accessibility of Noumea) are to re turn to Noumea, although accom modation for a few officials will be retained in Sydney.

Mr. H. E. Maude, OBE, who was seconded from the British Colonial Service to take charge of that Section when the Commission was established, decided several months ago to retire; and he will leave the service of the Commision on De cember 31. He has become inter nationally famous for his adminis trative and social service in the South Pacific since he was sent to the Gilberts in 1929; and he will not be an easy man to replace.

Miss Helen Shiels, also well known in the Pacific as a social develop ment worker, has resigned, and will leave the service of the Section at the year’s end.

It is reported also that the Com mission’s Publication Section, which was moved to Sydney a couple of years ago, has been under review and that the head of the Section, Mr. Earl Read, if not all his staff, will be located in Noumea, rather than Sydney, in future.

Tentative arrangements for the Third South Pacific Conference, to be held in Suva in April, were ex amined by the Commission, and approved.

As the heads of the Health and the Economic Development Sections will be away on long leave, and the Social Development position cannot be filled before mid-year, there will be no meeting of the Commission’s Research Council in 1956.

Dr. E. M. Ojala, who has been head of the Research Council in re cent years, has resigned. He has been appointed Far East Regional Economic Director of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of UNO, with headquarters in Rome and organisational HQ in Bankok.