£500,000 Plan

For Levers Bsip

Plantations

In the six years from Febr ary, 1959, to about the end 1964, Levers Pacific Plantatio Ltd. expects to spend neai £500,000 on its holdings in t

Bsip.

MR. W. F. UNGLESS, until : 4*l cently managing director Levers, said this in Honiara in Ap before departing for leave in t United Kingdom prior to transfer the Cameroons. Mr. Ungless h been replaced by Mr. J. Walton.

Mr, Ungless said that Unilev* have approved a scheme for spend! £150,000 on a five-year program! of new planting, with a target 2,000 acres.

The total area already felled ai prepared was more than 1,500 acr< of which more than 1,200 acres h been planted. This represented t largest single new coconut plant! scheme in the Pacific.

Mr. Ungless said a further su of £93,000 had been granted 1 Unilever for patch planting to 1 patches of land where coconuts we cut down by American Forces di ing the war.

The total area in need of replai ing was about 2,500 acres. Of tl area, more than 600 acres had bei prepared and nearly 500 acres hi been planted.

It had also been decided to bui up cattle herds to their pre-war siz About £43,000 would be spent reach a target of 6,000 head of cat! in eight to 10 years.

“From February, 1959, to Fe ruary, 1963, production costs ha' been reduced by £11.6 a ton,” M Ungless said.

“In general, the amount of mom Unilevers are putting back in Levers Pacific Plantations dema strates that they have faith in tl Solomon Islands,”

Giant Turtle Caught

Employees of the Kukum Fishin Company recently caught a soft-she turtle, measuring more than 7 ft. lon and almost 4 ft. wide, off the nort coast of Malaita. The MV Ocea Star towed it ashore. It was tc heavy for 15 men to lift; its weigl was estimated at about half a ton.