Gilberts In Trouble

With The Budget

At a meeting of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony’s advisory Council in Tarawa in November, the 12 unofficial lembers of the Council “ganged up” against the Government ver delay in fixing a new royalty rate for Ocean Island hosphate and over the effect of this on the Colony’s Estimates ?r 1966.

LE unofficial members voted un animously against the five official ibers to defeat a Government on to send the 1966 Estimates l Council committee for discus leir view was that it was useless irresponsible to discuss the my’s expenditure when the ernment did not know what next ’s phosphate revenue was ex jd to be. le unofficial members, led by E. G. H. Blacklock, an LMS untant, said the delay over the royalty rate made nonsense of whole Estimates, and that the >ny had been treated very dis teously and was made to look about a serious matter, ic Assistant Resident Commis ir, Mr. R. Angeloni, said the ernment shared members’ dis •intment, but it was sure the out e of negotiations would be factory. On this assumption, it increased proposed expenditure 5 per cent, for next year, iegotiations to fix a new royalty for Ocean Island phosphate n in Canberra in May following expiry in February of an ement with the British Phosphate missioners. Under this agreement GEIC Government received a Ity of 23/- a ton, and the Ocean

Islanders, who, since the war, have lived on Rabi Island, Fiji, received 2/8 a ton.] The day after the Government motion was defeated, Mr. Angeloni successfully moved that the Estimates be sent to the Resident Commissioner for approval. He said it was not to the advantage of the Colony to delay them further, and that although the unofficial members had voted against the motion to discuss them in com mittee, he was sure they supported the estimates in principle.

Earlier, at question time, an un official member, Amara Makaea, had

asked what right by law the Colony had to money from Ocean Island phosphate.

Replying, Mr. Angeloni said that because Ocean Island was part of the GEIC, the Colony Government made the laws that applied there; and that an Ordinance passed in 1963 gave the Colony the right to the money, according to an agreement with the BPC made in 1960.

In replies to other questions by Amara, Mr. Angeloni said that the Colony Government was the only one that could take taxes for phosphate.

Referring to constitutional develop ment in the GEIC, Mr. Angeloni said the Government considered the time had come for a major step forward, and that it hoped to in troduce proposals soon.

Other significant developments in the GEIC recently have been: • The acceptance of a constitution and the election of a committee of the new Gilbertese National Party, the GEIC’s first political party, at a meeting in Tarawa on November 20.

Seventy of the 410 party members attended. The president of the party is Barbera Kirata, a Treasury officer. • The formation of a second political party, the Christian Democratic Party, at a meeting in Tarawa on November 27. Member ship of the party does not take ac count of religion, creed or race. Its aims are to ensure more involvement in Colony affairs and facilitate con stitutional development; further the welfare and promote harmony between the peoples of the Colony; improve copra and reduce the copra levy to encourage production; improve education, particularly primary and technical education; examine land tenure to ensure individual rights and increase pro duction. The party’s committee in cludes Gilbertese, Ellice Islanders, part-Gilbertese and one Fijian.