[?]Ore Frustration In Solomons

Still Considering Tax Overhaul

I The British Solomons Islands Five Years Development Plan drawn » last year, and to cost £ A 1,433,204, has been pruned of over :A300,000. (Early in its career the Plan was labelled an “If” plan by ic member of the Protectorate’s Advisory Council—lf the necessary nds were forthcoming).

fHEN the Plan was drawn up, it ■was hoped that £A595,279 [would be forthcoming from the onial Development and Welfare id. This amount was reduced to 87,500 in spite of the personal resentations of the former High ■pissioner of the Western ific, Sir Robert Stanley, tie Protectorate’s Five Years l has therefore had to be re lated—s om e projects to be need in a different manner and irs to be postponed. [was on matters connected with I finance that Sir Robert Uey made a flying visit to Lon at the end of 1954. Interviewed Sydney last December, on his back to Honiara, he said that proposals for the development le Protectorate had had a very )athetic reception from the Btary of State for the Colonies.

While in London, Sir Robert also discussed BSIP income-tax and sur tax and it was hoped that, as a result, the whole tax structure would be overhauled, and encourage ment thus given to the establish ment of new private enterprise.

In his address to the Advisory Council at Honiara on October 21 the new HCWP, Mr. John Gutch,’

tha d t : t hj* R ° bert Stanley had hoped that the outcome of the discussions would be available in time for him to maxe an announcement before his departure (on pre-retirement leave) • • . inat was not possible and T regret that I am still not In a posi tion to add to his previous state- Svflhnt 0 ? Sl^ject ’ except to say that I will continue to press for an early decision.”

Editorial Note

IT has been abundantly clear for a decade that the Pacific colonies are of small interest to the Colonial Office, and that the un fortunate Cinderella islands of the Western Pacific High Commission are °| virtually no interest at all. the discovery there of on, gold or uranium in spectacular quantities there is likely to be little change in the UK attitude in the next decade. From London only the

glamour colonies of East and West Africa are discernible to the naked eye of Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Sir Robert Stanley brought amaz ing enthusiasm and industry to the thankless job of administering his scattered territory, and, in particular, to giving the BSIP a reason for be ing Considering the material avail able to him, his administration per formed miracles in restoring the Protectorate to working order after total destruction during the war.

But in material advancement —the introduction of new money and new blood and new enterprise—all his efforts came to nothing. If he did not retire with a broken heart in June this year it is only because top ranking officers of the Colonial' Service have developed hearts that are not easily broken.

The task in front of his successm’ may in some respects be easier in that the post-war foundations have been laid; but if in the future, Mr.

Gutch’s administration is to be known as the Golden Age of Solomons’ enterprise, he is going to require a large measure of luck; he can be reasonably certain that the establishment of the Secretary of State for Colonies will afford him very little help in attaining that end.

In spite of hopes and plans to

the contrary, the BSIP still has a one commodity economy—that is, coconuts. And the bulk of that in dustry is in the hands of one com

pany which in the past has 8 the largest factor in controllim world price of copra to the um. of private planters everywhere'