Ellice folk

become the Tuvaluans

The Ellice islanders, who voted overwhelmingly for separation from the Gilbertese and the formation of a colony under Britain, are expected to become a new territory with the name Tuvalu Islands by the begin ning of 1976.

A committee formed of the eight members representing the Ellice Islands in the GEIC House of Assembly made 17 recommendations which included one that a set of de finitive Tuvula stamps and a special commemorative issue to mark sepa ration from the Gilbert Islands should be “prepared urgently and placed on sale on January 1, 1976”.

The committee recommended that the new territory be known as the Tuvalu Islands and should “come into being at the same stage of con stitutional development as currently exists in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony”.

There would be a legislature con sisting of the present eight Ellice MHAs with up to three ex-officio members and the term of office of members would expire in 1978 on the same date as the present GEI House of Assembly.

There should be a Chief Minister and two other ministers with govern ment headquarters at Funafuti. The GEI Development Authority’s ship Nivanga will be taken over but “urgent plans should be made for the vessel to be replaced by a new ship”.

The education division should be situated at Vaitupu and negotiations begun with the Ellice Islands Church for the rapid expansion of Motufoua School during 1975 to provide the capacity, by January 1, 1976, using British aid funds, for the school to absorb all Ellice children in second ary education.

The Gilbert Islands Government will be asked to provide places in the Merchant Marine Training School, the Tarawa Teachers’ College and the Tarawa Technical Institute for Tuvalu islanders.

After drawing up a list of public service posts under the new regime, the committee “noted that all posts except two should be filled by Tuvalu islanders”.

Civil servants transferring from the GEIC civil service should be offered salaries and conditions simi lar to those they now enjoy.