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We in New Zealand are hoping, and we have made the necessary provision in the Cook Islands Act and the Samoa Act, that the Natives will take a greater part in the administration of the area under our administration. But this is a voluntary association of our Governments giving their attention to finding out how we can do the things that are necessary for the people in that area. We will co-operate with scientific bodies and research organizations that may be available here in Australia, in New Zealand, in France, and the other countries represented here. We hope to fit in, too, with some of the research foundations of the United States,, which have done so many beneficial things for the Natives of the South Pacific. There is another thing with which we are concerned, and that is to supplement the Christian Missions, which have done splendid work from an educational point of view. There are many urgent problems which could be mentioned. I emphasize one —the question of health. We in New Zealand have taken one step, in conjunction with the United Kingdom and Fiji, to set up a Pacific Health Service. The agreement establishing the scheme was ratified by our Government and brought into execution in September of last year. We are on the road to finding out what steps we can take to ensure better health among Natives. Other urgent matters are trade, production, shipping, and communications. I join them in welcoming the establishment of this Commission.. Our responsibility as a Government measured in terms of area and population is small, but we hope, in spite of our smallness in size, to join with you, Mr Chairman, representing Australia, with France and the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, so that we can do all things inside human knowledge to lift living standards of theinhabitants of the South Pacific—to enable them to live their lives, not to make them Europeans, not to make them Americans, not to make them British or English, but to enable them to live their lives in their own way for the longest possible period of time that science and knowledge and goodwill enable them to do. I thank you, then, for the opportunity of letting me say a word of welcome on behalf of New Zealand in co-operation with our sister country, Australia, and I wish the Conference every possible success. APPENDIX D Conference Resolutions (a) RESOLUTION CONCERNING IMMEDIATE PROJECTS Resolved— That the South Seas Conference recommends that the South Pacific Commission on its establishment should give early consideration to the: projects set forth below. The Conference does not consider that these projects are all-inclusive, but considers them to be of great importance tothe economic and social welfare of the local inhabitants of the non-self-governing territories in the South Pacific. The Conference also considers that these projects, which are not stated in any order of priority, should be undertaken at an early date.