Solomons Could Grow "All

Initiative and Enterprise Needed

Its Own Rice"

“Two thousand acres of the Guadalcanal plain could produce enougn rice to supply the whole of the Solomons,” said Mr. R. Hill, in Sydney in December.

MR. HILL, who has been Agri cultural Director in the western section of the British Solomon Islands for two years, re turned to England on the Dominion Monarch.

Approximately 1,400 tons of rice are imported into the Solomons each year and Mr. Hill says this could be produced there. “What is needed”, tie said, “is initiative and enterprise and, above all, ‘know how’ ”. There was an opening for private enter prise in this field.

There has been a slight increase in copra production, Mr. Hill said.

The normal production is about 20,000 tons per annum.

More and more natives are turn ing to hot-air drying and he con sidered there would be very little smoked copra produced in future.

One of the main reasons was the

introduction of a cheap hot-air drier which could be part erected by the

In common with a number of other Pacific possessions, and parts of the Australian mainland, the western Solomons are in the grip of a drought.

Among other things, some fish ponds have practically dried up and fish have had to be moved into larger ponds.

natives, and cost in the vicinity of £2O.

On standards of quality, Mr. Hill said that the inspections were be coming tougher, with heavier re jections, in an effort to improve Quality; but, as things stood at pre

sent, a good 90 per cent, of copra could be cooked a little more He said that, while the Malaitg natives were the best workers, the immigrant Gilbertese had a com munity life superior to the majority of the Solomon Islanders.

So far as the Chinese populatior was concerned, he saw little evidence of any great increase other than the natural increase of Chinese already living in the west Solomons Many of their chillren eventually went to Australia for education and did not appear to return to the Islands.

And here is news of other develop ments in the western Solomons:

Cocoa Enterprise

AN ex-Naval man, Commander Scott Elliott, who has carved a property out of the jungle at Rendova Harbour during the past three years, has planted about 100 acres of cocoa and expects to start bean fermentation in 1960.

He took over an abandoned plant ation in 1954 and, by enterprise and industry, has brought the property well on the way to profitable pro duction.

Two other Europeans in this area are also planning to develop cocoa as a main product.

Fish, Pigs and Peanuts

Following the visit of Mr. van Pel (fisheries expert of the South Pacific Commission) to the western Solomons, the natives are showing more interest in both catching and preserving fish.

Mr. Van Pel carried out a survey of fishing resources, and instructed the natives in the construction of fish ponds and in the preservation of surplus fish by smoking and curing.

He suggested that the diameter of trochus should be increased from 21 to 3 inches and that a closed season be declared, to give a longer breeding-life and allow the shell population to build up.

He also suggested that surplus fish could be turned into fish meal for pigs and poultry and so help the establishment of another minor industry.

Hu farm, on the Guadalcanal plain, has been taken over by Mr.

Dethridge. He is growing pigs and peanuts; but, it is reported, is strik ing trouble with kidney-worm in the pigs and difficulty in finding a market for the peanuts.

Crocodile skins are returning about £5,000 a year to two people who are hunting crocodiles in the west Solomons —the only persons engaged in this trade in the area.

Health Problems

PLANS are being made for a new hospital at Gi z o (western Solomons) but there seems to be

o provision for European patients, lie present hospital has no Euro ean rooms.

Mrs. R. Hill, in Sydney on her way ack to England after two years in le Solomons with her husband, aid there was a definite need for European nurse in the area.

At the present time there is one Uropean doctor, with two native ssistants and one Gilbertese nurse. iThen there is an accident or illness ) any of the twelve Europeans on rizo, they are nursed at home.

Mrs. Hill is a trained nurse and iherited the job of nursing the uropeans. “What is going to happen ow that I have left”, she said, “I 0 not know”.

Local residents are trying hard to ave provision made in the new ospital for two European rooms nd for a trained European nurse ) supervise hospital nursing and ike care of the Europeans.

When Mr. Don Scott (acting man ger of the Trading Corporation) ;11 and fractured his hip bone, he mducted his business from a bed 1 his office, while Mrs. Hill gave im what nursing attention he re uired.

Mrs. Hill added that tuberculosis :ill is one of the major health roblems of the area; but the BCG moculaton programme (for the ontrol of the disease) had been ractically completed in the western olomons.

Loga Island (opposite Gizo) has een bought by the Dominican athers. Of about 100 acres in area, le island will be used for the estab shment of a school and a hospital nd other amenities.