Nutshell

In A Nutshell

SPC ‘Should Alter Its Attitude’

BACK in Apia after attending the South Pacific Commission’s October session in Noumea, Western Samoa’s first Senior Commissioner to the SPC, Lauofo Meti, revealed that he had warned the SPC that it had to change its attitude or be eclipsed by other international organisations working in the Pacific. (Western Samoa was admitted to full member ship of the Commission last year).

Lauofo said the SPC needed more money, a re-dedication of aims and a “fundamental change in attitudes”.

Since the SPC had started, the Pacific peoples had developed a sophistication “equal to that of their metropolitan friends”, and they were better informed on regional matters.

There was a failure by the Com mission to understand the inner minds of the Pacific people, who were sensitive and proud people. Any concession which from time to time the SPC felt it was able to give them, but which fell short of their capabilities, was taken as an affront to their intelligence.

Lauofo said the SPC should not deny the determination of Pacific peoples to fashion their own destiny in their own way and in accordance with the pace they themselves might wish to set. • An Australian member of the Papua-New Guinea House of Assembly, Mr. Graham Gilmore, in the Assembly in late November called for a plebiscite in the Trust Territory of New Guinea to find out what future status its people wanted.

He claimed that efforts were being made to implant in the minds of the New Guineans the thought that union with Papua and independence for the union was the only political future available to them. His motion lapsed after a fierce debate. • The 42 ft Peruvian balsa raft Tangaroa beached on the Fakarava atoll, in the Tuamotus, in mid- November. after a 4,000 miles drift from South America, emulating the

1947 Kon Tiki crossing. Aboard we Carlos Caravedo, Jaime Toledo ai Jose Matousse, who were report from Papeete in November to be good shape. They had set off ( July 26. • Fears are held for the safe of lone-handed yachtsman W. (Bill) Proctor, who is nearly fo months overdue at Port Moresby having left Honiara, British Solomoi on July 8 in his 20 ft sloop Pope duck. Mr. Proctor was circm navigating the world from Englai His route from Honiara was P( Moresby, Torres Strait and acre the Indian Ocean.

Before he left Honiara, N Proctor wrote to his wife in Engla asking for funds to be sent to h care of a Port Moresby bank, t so far this money has not be claimed. Inquiries among yachtsm and BSIP and P-NG administrati officials have proved fruitless. • Earth tremors and quakes Malekula, New Hebrides, whii started in September and continu into October, have already had soi side-effects on Melekulan life.

Many villagers from west co settlements left their houses on 1 beach and have been camping the inland plateau where they s safe from tidal waves.

The people of Laravat are thii

5 of moving their village altogether :ause the water has receded from ; small boat passage and their well drinking water has dried up npletely. The British District :ent has advised them to move to new site down the coast where re is a good anchorage and plenty fresh water. 3n the credit side of the dis bance, a reef that has been raised nit eight feet is already being ared by local people and being ned into a road to link the ages of Tisvel and Vunmavis. i Although Western Samoa’s ex t figures for 1965 were the lowest four years of independence, pre ss in development plans led aister of Finance G. F. D. Betham leclare when presenting his Budget 1966 in November that he was re confident than ever before about future of Western Samoa.

Any suggestion that a state of ic or crisis exists or is near at d is purely a figment of the gination,” he said.

'igures to the end of October in ited that the country would once in end up with a trade deficit of ut £1 million, but invisible earn i, particularly in the form of ley sent home from well-off loans in New Zealand, was ex ;ed to result in a favourable ince in overseas funds of over ,000 —again showing little change n the previous year, otal expenditure for 1966 is esti ed at £2,395,065 compared with 56,365 for 1965. But in addition he normal budget for 1966 there special development budget to presented to parliament at the of November and providing for lopment expenditure of £200,000. is part of a programme aimed utilising £1 million of local ice for development over the five years.

Vith our limited funds the em is for development in 1966 must ssarily be directed towards agri iral activities because for the im iate future agriculture will pro file highest returns on stments,” said Mr. Betham.

New Caledonia is facing a ght which threatens to be a nity unless relief comes soon. :iers on the west coast are especi affected and stock losses are y. Bushfires have swept through - al areas. Hills around Noumea 3lack with dying vegetation, and tables prices have skyrocketed.

The people of four villages on island of New Hanover, New ea, who attempted to buy Presi-

dent Johnson from the United States have had their money returned. A tax of 10/- a head was levied on supporters of what is known there as the Johnson Cult.

The tax was collected in a large bag and offered to Father Jekubco, of Lavongai Catholic Mission, recently for forwarding to the Bishop at Rabaul to buy President Johnson.

The money has been returned to the villages at their own request. Other

villages, however, are still collecting money for renewed attempts to buy President Johnson. • Sixty of 100 male nurse trainees at the Port Moresby General Hospital walked off the job in November, and demanded better pay and conditions.

They also complained about teaching practices and said they wanted more instruction in nursing theory and less practical work. • In a statement likely to cause a stir in some parts of the Colony, the Governor of Fiji, Sir Derek Jakeway, told the Budget session of the Fiji Legislative Council in November that there was no room for an attitude of mind “intent on wrecking” the new Fiji constitution agreed on at the London conference in July.

He said he entirely repudiated the suggestion that Indians had been re duced to second class citizens by the new constitution.

Fiji is budgeting for a surplus of £216,000 in 1966, which will prob ably end as a £300,000 deficit, ac cording to the Financial Secretary, Mr. H. P. Ritchie. Fiji is to pay more, through increased import duties, for spirits, fabrics and shirts, movie films and cars.

Noumea

Bound

New residents for New Caledonia are attractive Mrs. K. N.

Ferguson and her son Craig, aged five, here photographed aboard the Matson liner "Mariposa" shortly before their departure from Sydney in November.

Mr. Ferguson is al ready in Noumea, with Imprimerie Generate Caledonien.