[?]opra Production

Enlarged Advisory Council Holds First Meeting

Record New Hebrides [?]opra Production Forecast

Despite the ravages of pests nd a hurricane in the Banks iroup and Santo in April, the reduction and export of copra i the New Hebrides are ex ected to reach record figures

tis year.

HHE British and French Resident L Commissioners, Messrs. A. M. dlkie and M. Delauney, said this 1 their joint speech to open the ghth session of the Condominium’s .dvisory Council in Vila on August This was the first meeting of the .dvisory Council since it was en trged from an entirely nominated □dy of 16 members (eight New [ebrideans, four British and four rench) to a partly-elected body of 2 members.

The new council comprises the .ssistant British Resident Commis oner and the French Chancelier who previously attended meetings nly in an advisory capacity); 12 ominated members (six New [ebrideans, three British and three rench); and eight elected members four New Hebrideans, two British nd two French).

The Resident Commissioners said i their opening speech that copra reduction in the New Hebrides for le first six months of this year jtalled about 20,400 tons and that 2,145 tons were exported in this eriod.

There was therefore every indica on that both production and ex orts would reach record figures this ear.

Copra Pests

Referring to copra pests, the Commissioners said that a com rehensive commission of the Institut ’rancais d’Oceanie which had in estigated the loss of copra sup osedly due to Axiagastus had made preliminary report which tended 3 indicate that this pest was on the ecline, possibly due to climato 3gical changes.

In any event, the danger from I xiagastus had been “rather over liadowed” by the discovery of the :ale insect Aspidiotus destructor.

Predator lady-birds from Fiji and

elsewhere were being introduced to combat this pest, which so far was confined to Efate.

On other economic questions, the Commissioners made these points. • The Cie. Francaise des Phos phates de I’Oceanie, which exploits the manganese deposits at Forari, has “largely overcome” the marketing difficulties experienced last year, and exports for the first half of 1964 totalled 24,500 tons. Exports for the whole year should be well over 40,000 tons —a satisfactory figure. • Other products, particularly cocoa, have shown a drop in pro duction and exports. • The fishing industry run by the South Pacific Fishing Company at Palekula, Espiritu Santo, has been going through “a somewhat difficult time for a variety of reasons”. But catches are improving and it is hoped that, with the impending arrival of new ships from South Korea and the diversification of activities by the SPFC, a new and successful period lies ahead. a Progress made with the beef cattle industry and with regular exports of meat is encouraging. • The opening of a new hotel in Vila has made “a small but sound tourist industry” possible; and it is of interest to note that “the reactions of the air companies’ representatives who attended the hotel opening were very favourable”.

Referring to the projected wharf for Vila, the Commissioners said that progress had been slow, but a meeting of the Wharf Committee would be called soon to consider a report by the consultants.

“Once a decision on the site has been taken,” they said, “a proper

scheme can be drawn up, the ap proval of our Governments obtained, and the project put out to tender.”

The Commissioners added that, before the end of the year, it was hoped to enact a Labour Code and to publish a joint regulation to enable a town council to be created in Santo, The council later received and adopted the report of a special com mittee on education which was set up at the last council meeting.

Among other things, the committee recommended that; — “Taking into account the increasing efforts made by the two National Governments in the field of educa tion, we think it necessary that the Condominium should similarly in crease its share in this task of development by contributing a more and more substantial subvention.

“We appreciate that the subvention has been increased in the last two years, but the 1964 sum of £Stg.3B,ooo represents less than £3 for each child at present in school.

Moreover, the number of children at school can be expected to grow from year to year. We therefore consider that an increase of £Stg. 10,000 in the subvention for 1965 would not be unreasonable.”

In a debate on education, members stressed the need for technical education and trade training; and the education committee was directed to study these matters further.

The council is due to meet again in early December when the 1965 Budget will be presented.

Tuna being processed at the Palekula factory of the South Pacific Fishing Com pany which has been undergoing diffi culties recently. —Photo: Rob Wright.