Drought-Stricke

News From The Geic[?]

Drought-Stricke Islands Get Vital Supplies

Emergency supplies of j

and water were taken to j and Gardner Island in Phoenix Group of the Gil and Ellice Islands Colony in

January.

colony ship Ninikoria tool A supplies—so tons of water 80 tons of food—from Tarawa.

Gardner and Hull have been al: without rain for 18 months, coconuts are left on Gardner, ] of the vegetation is dying, and water in the only remaining us well has turned brackish.

Another relief trip is planned April when it is hoped to put as some small water distillation p specially ordered from England.

Beru, in the Southern Gilt which has also been suffering i drought, was due to receive a by the Resident Commissioner, V. J. Andersen, late in Febn Reports say that food and wat€ becoming scarce on Beru.

Mr. Andersen also planned to Aranuka and Maiana during month. After these visits he will 1 seen all islands in the Colony ex Niulakita. * * * Mr. J. D. Marnham, head of: Pacific and Indian Ocean Departr of the Colonial Office, arrived Tarawa by RNZAF aircraft January 27 and returned to Fiji e on the 31st. During his visih toured Bairiki. Betio and Bikenii held discussions with the Resii Commissioner, Mr. V. J. Andei the Civil Servants’ Association, pa and representatives of the Gilber and Ellice communities.

Local leaders asked him for : but sure constitutional developc and made a strong plea for fi from the United Kingdom to fin; this.

Mr. Marnham told them that: UK had no intention of forcing . stitutional development and he tioned the leaders against expeo too much.

[r. V. D. Stace, a New Zealand lomist on secondment from the th Pacific Commission, arrived 'arawa from Noumea via Suva on same plane as Mr. Marnham. Mr. e will make an informal survey lie agencies and facilities available the encouragement of capital lation. He will make proposals the best use of the Colony’s icial resources to promote its lomic development. [r. Stace’s survey will include a y of the wholesale and retail ing system, co-operatives, the •a industry, the freight system, ngs and loan facilities, and the my development plan. He expects >e in the Colony until about mid ch. * * * British Solomon Islands Protec te lands survey party, consisting the Crown Surveyor, Mr. J. B. nney, Mr. P. Blume, and 10 itants, has been studying Colony I survey and land tenure problems >Jorth Tarawa with the assistance he Colony Lands Officer. he party will make recommenda s to the Colony Government on ible means of consolidating highly mented land - holdings, many of :h are not more than a few yards * * ❖ number of GEIC natives left iwa for Honiara in the Ninikoria ntly for a new life in the Solo ls. Some were to settle at White jr; others went to new settlements he Shortlands. he GEIC, which comprises 37 II islands spread over about two ion square miles, has been suffer from over-population for years. 37 islands have an area of only square miles. In 1958, the popu m was more than 42,000 and it been increasing rapidly.