St., N.Z. Unhappy About

Peal To London,

[?] Ris, Washington

St., N.Z. Unhappy About SP Commission

CONCERTED move has been made by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand to I about a revision of the South Re Commission’s methods of hng out its objectives, in 1956, iat the SPC may function under conditions in 1957. presentations made recently to Governments of the other in ted nations (Britain, France, ed States and Holland) have achieved much, however, on, in July, was doubtful her there was time to give full deration to the position before October, when the Commission le to meet in Noumea, e Australian-NZ proposition that some kind of plan, from six interested Governments, d be submitted to the Corn oners at their October meet vith a view to making changes 57. Australia and New Zea urged that, if the value of the nission is to be retained, it was ■ative that something be done iy. —as usual—it is likely that nove will be killed by slow ig officialdom, and inability to iinate ideas and moves. 1 Commission was established i 1947 as the result of joint Jtion taken by Australia and Zealand after World War 11. metioned with considerable se for four or five years after stablishment; but, more re it has lost practically the of its expert staff, has titered a good deal of hostile sm, and now appears to be ing from a sort of demoralisa yas pointed out by an over isitor in August that, at that not one member of the Com n’s Research Council was at The posts are either vacant, men who nominally fill them •sent on long leave.

Commission costs £200,000 alian) per annum. Australia he biggest share. It was an ed that Australia would have vigorous leadership. Instead, lia merely sits in at the ission and contributes little > constructive.

ICS say that experience has swn that the general organ 'tion is wrong. The experts Research Council have made recommendations, based on study and scientific experi- But the trimming and cut o which their recommenda

tions are subjected by the Com mission are not based on a scientific knowledge of the needs of the Sou t h Pacific Islands, but on financial and political con siderations; and frequently the recommendations, even in their trimmed and altered state are ignored completely by the six’Gov ernments to which they are sub mitted.

Some critics have said recently that it is plain that, if the Com mission is to survive and the effective functioning of such a body was most desirable—the quality and responsibilities of the Commissioners must be changed, and the machinery rearranged. The activities and re commendations of the Research Council should be connected directly

nu . mer °us separate admin istrations m the South Pacify

» t»Ur

ar are sunk “t

Pa p ific Administrations

need the direct help of the SPC ? ucla fields as coconut fisheri P s promotion, and inS^ tIV6 f SoCletles - f or example instead of a series of reports filtered through the Commission and relayed through the six slow* moving Governments.

Furthermore (said the critics).

Hif re *- waS i- ne pfi for a permanent executive head of the commission, to maintain continuity of policy and effort. The present system of appointing, every two or three years,

k official from overseas with •esounding title of Secretaryral, has worked out unsatis- •ily. There should be a sort ermanent Chairman of the lission, as the active head of rganisation, assisted by a plain,

permanent, hardworking secretariat, Australia and New Zealand, as the original promoters, appear to have justification in urging a com plete revision of the whole organisa tion, in the light of nine ylars of practical experience.

t Kenneth „ Ferried An ß l e ? atncia at • All a Souls - Lae make tw ’ v^ ly “J gust - will where Mr w,2S e - at Mt ; HaSen the aLW 8 . 18 employed by Branch amimstratlon Transport

Scouting in CI

This unit was formed through the enthusiasm of Captain J. D. Camp bell in July, 1954.

There were then 12 troop members. To day there are 42, ex cluding the Scoutmaster.

Mr. L. L. Bailey has put a great deal of time and energy into training the boys at weekly meetings and has organised two very popular and successful camps for them. Mr.

Bailey is shown in the centre of the group in this photograph.