Of Sp Commission

Notable Man for Difficult Job

[?]. Zealander Is New Executive Head

The appointment of a new Secretary-General, in October, probably was the most important step taken by the South Pacific Commission since its establishment in 1949. Unless the new ffiief executive officer can give the Commission a new “slant” md re-shape its activities, its future may not be a happy one. ;See PIM, June, 1956, p. 23; May, 1957, p. 23; June, 1957,

p. 17).

R. RALPH BEDELL, an Ameri can, who has held the post since Sir Brian Freeston retired in >, retires in his -turn at the end this year. There were three linees for the position and, after :ee ballots, the Commission’s ice was Mr. T. R. Smith, who at sent is Secretary to the Govern it of Western Samoa, he three nominees who were sented to the Commission were; ominated by Australia; Mr.

C. GROVES, BA, Director of cation in Papua and New Guinea.

Groves has specialised all his in Islands education and social tiropology, and probably is the th Pacific’s best known man in ;e fields. He was Director of cation in New Guinea in 1922and between 1925 and 1947 he d posts in New Guinea, Nauru, mon Islands, Fiji, etc. —including -years term in the Australian iy, where he held the rank of or. He reaches retiring age in ust, 1958. ominated by New Zealand: Mr.

Dmas Richard Smith, Gov

nent Secretary in Western ioa. He is aged 53, married, with hildren; holds the degree of ter of Commerce and Diploma Public Administration; and has esented New Zealand on import missions—in New York, before UN Trusteeship Council; in mesia, as a UN adviser on public linistration; in London in 1957, re, as Chairman of the Samoa ra Board, he took part in con nces which dealt with copra keting after the British MOF -ract expires in December, 1957. ! Mr. Groves, Mr. Smith has a 3 personal knowledge of the organisation, and has attended ous meetings in Noumea.

Dminated by United Kingdom;

Trafford Smith, Cmg, An

tanding member of the staff of British Colonial Office. He is 45 s old; Cambridge educated; and /een 1938 and 1944 he served in New Hebrides, Solomon Islands Gilbert arid Ellice Colony. In e recent years, he had held im ant administrative posts in

(Continued on page 138)

Ceylon, Malta and other parts! the Empire.

Obviously, it was not an eas choice for the Commission—all ai highly qualified men, with specij knowledge of the South Pacific, ] It is expected that Mr. T. I Smith will take over his new dutit in Noumea early in 1958.

Commission's 17th Session

THE Senior New Zealand Coir missioner, Mr. C. G. R. McKa| was the Chairman of this (tl 17th) Session of the South Pacif Commission: and there was a foi midable agenda. It included tl selection and appointment of Secretary-General, and plans for tf implementation of the 45 recorr mendations of the Review Confei ence of April-May, 1957.

The general purpose of the Coir mission, and a review of its achieve ments and its possibilities, were s< out in a valuable statement by tt Chairman, at the opening of tt Session.

Mr. McKay welcomed members < delegations who were there for th first time—Sir John Collins, D Bergsma, Governor Coleman, M Shackleton, Mr. Peachey, Mr. Dar and Mr. Rennie. remember with affection an good wishes those who have left r in —the past year, especially Di Keesing, who was Senior Coir missioner for the United States froi the inception of the Commission said Mr. McKay. “He has enriche us all, and the lives of many other by a rare knowledge of the people of the Pacific. We remember als cur former Finance Officer, Ham Vincent, who was a warm friend.

“This year we meet in hopefr circumstances.

“It has been said truly that th operation of the Commission is matter for interpretation by th Governments that provide it. More over, it is good sense for them t say what they expect of the Com mission. They have done so.

“Their representatives met at Car berra last May and agreed to 4 recommendations, of which 45 hav been adopted by all of the six Gov ernments.

“There is to be some re-directio; of effort, and revision of method Precise ways for achieving this hav been stated with realism and clarit;: The Comrtfission meets now wit) fresh definitions on which to bas its work.

What Spc Stands For

“TJEYOND the immediate circles o 1J those who are associated wifi the South Pacific Commission,, believe there is still a certain vague ness as to what it is supposed tf

So I should like to speak of isefulness, as I see it. ’he South Pacific Commission is gional body, maintained by the metropolitan Governments that directly concerned, and it is sory to them. Yet our six Gov nents are already among the most of the world’s nations in vledge, experience, generosity, humanity.

'he principal task of the Corn ion is to assist, by recom dation and technical advice, are measures for the people of b of the Pacific Islands. Yet, n, almost every Administration ic Pacific has long been receiv much greater assistance, each i its own metropolitan Govern t, or in other ways.

'hus, the activities of a regional 1 in this part of the world are large—for the fortunate reason much is done in other ways, iven so, there are fields where t effort is useful, while inter ion a 1 co-operation promotes jrstanding and goodwill. In eight s of working experience, the mission has found that it can lelpful, mainly in three ways: "By bringing people together, three-yearly South Pacific Con ice is established in public •oval. It widens horizons of ight and friendly relations, both the Islands representatives who

attend it, and for all whose pleasant duty it is to serve the peoples of the aptly-named Pacific Islands.

“The Research Council also is a unique institution for the inter change of Islands experience be tween its members. We shall con sider a proposal that it be modified, but other meetings of similar kind are suggested: in fact, thirteen in the next three years—probably more than either the Territories or the Commission can manage. • “There is research into certain common problems. Our Govern ments have laid down practical con ditions about research. I believe these conditions are being met in the research problems on which the Commission is at present engaged, if we think of the work being done on filariasis and the rhinoceros beetle. • “There is technical assistance and advice. It is particularly this function that I wish to suggest for your attention, because constant thought is needed to determine that the Commission’s advice is useful, and able to be applied.

“When the Commission provides advice, its commodity is words. We know that many of the everyday needs of the Islands require no deep solutions, and that every admin istrator often has more than enough words of advice on what to do. The

need is to get it done.

Review Conference’S

Directives

“So the Commission’s advice must be constantly and well selected in order to be of value. The Govern ment representatives at the Review Conference at Canberra, in April, gave us some helpful directives: To work in close co-operation with the Territories; To concentrate on a limited number of problems and to see them through to results: To seek the knowledge and help of other organisations, where appropriate; (Over)

id (undoubtedly because the Territorial Administrations are assisted so substantially in other ways), that expenditure by the Governments through the Commission is not to in crease during the next three years. hese are sound principles, [her thought suggests itself to from eight years of the Corn ion’s experience. . . Its clearest esses so far discernible have , where it has broken new nd. he work of the South Pacific mission is peaceful co-operation. :erned as it is with health, omic, and social welfare, it pro -5 no excitements; no circus, just d —or at any rate, fish, and per i some longer-bearing varieties readfruit. ’et there is news indeed in ; of what it has done, too, for b who have known the story.”

The Delegations

E six nations were represented as follows:

Australia

I. R. Halligan (Adviser to Minister for ritories); and Sir John Collins, KBE, CB jh Commissioner of Australia in NZ). nates: Messrs. C. H. Cox (Department of ritories, Canberra); R. A. Peachey (Depart

ment of External Affairs, Canberra); and Dr.

J. R. Cumpston (Australian Consul, Noumea).

France

M. R. Lassalle-Sere (Inspector-General of Over seas France, Dakar); and M. R. Pons (Chief of the Bureau of the New Hebrides, Wallis and Futuna Islands, and External Affairs, Noumea).

Netherlands

Mr. J. A. van Beuge (New Guinea Division, Ministry of Overseas Affairs, The Hague); and Dr. Th. P. Bergsma (Netherlands Consul- General, Sydney).

Alternates: Dr. A. Loosjes (Government Secretary, Hollandia).

New Zealand

Mr. C. G. R. McKay (formerly Secretary of Island Territories, Wellington).

Alternate: Mr. A. 0. Dare (Resident Com missioner, Niue).

Adviser; Mr. P. K. Edmonds (Department of External Affairs, Wellington).

United Kingdom

Sir John Gutch, KCMG, OBE (High Com missioner for the Western Pacific); and Mr. H. H. Vaskess, CMB, OBE (formerly Chief Secretary, Western Pacific High Com mission).

Alternate: Mr. J. S. Rennie, OBE (British Resident Commissioner, New Hebrides).

United States

Dean Knowles A. Ryerson (College of Agri culture, University of California); and Hon.

Peter T. Coleman (Governor of American Samoa).

Advisers: Dr. Arthur S. Osborne (International Health Representative, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington); Miss Edna H. Barr (Office of Dependent Area

Affairs, Department of State, Washington)/ Mr. Robert -G. Shack leton (Vice-Consul, American Consulate, Noumea).

Principal Officers Of Commission

Secretary-General Dr. Ralph Clairon Bedell.

Executive Officer for Health: Dr. E. Massal.

Executive Officer for Economic Developments Dr. A. H. J. Kroon.

Executive Officer for Social Development: Dr.

Richard Seddon.

Among passengers who sailed from Sy[?] on October "Malaita" for Papua-New G[?] were: Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Shadlow who [?] to settle in Rabaul. Mr. Shadlow left [?] Army recently.

Mr. A. E. Wey (right) and Mr. G. R. Ric[?] son. Mr. Wey had just completed a 12-[?] holiday in Australia and Mr. Richardson, [?] has spent 37 years in New Guinea, had [?] in the UK and on the Continent for these [?] seven months.

Miss Beryl Stait (right) being farewells Miss Dawn Windred prior to her departurn[?] Port Moresby.

Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Ord, Territorians[?] 1935, who were returning to Rabaul. [?] Ord is with the Copra Marketing Board. [?]