Fijian Farmers

C. S. R. Co’s Interesting Experiment Favourable Comparison with Indians

From Our Own Correspondent SUVA, April 27.

ONE of the most important ques tions before the Fijian Adminis tration for some time has been whether it was possible to induce the Fijian to become a settler, and settle down to fixity of purpose and cultivate the soil, as Indian farmers have been doing for many years.

Hitherto, the Fijian has despised settled employment. He has hired himself out for a 12 months’ term on plantation work, but even then, he sometimes gets tired, and without rhyme or reason simply clears out. He has never shown a desire to become a cultivator. He plants his little gar den with sufficient foodstuffs to see him through the year. The plants are put in, usually, with a sharp stick, just as his forefathers did a hundred years ago.

In recent years, however, some at tempts have been made to make him take up agriculture seriously. Mere recently the C.S.R. Co., with a sympa thetic Government behind it, has placed Fijians on ten-acre lots of cane country. It was an experiment, which old residents smiled at. To-day, the Fijian has conquered prejudice and is making good.

In this connection, Sir Maynard Hedstrom, who recently has been touring the flood-stricken areas of Ba and Lautoka, and along the northern coast, gives his impressions, in a most interesting article, published in The Fiji Times.

In it Sir Maynard shows that the experiment is proving a success. First of all, the men work as labourers, and thereby acquire a good deal of know ledge of the growing of cane. When blocks of land become available, likely looking Fijian labourers are given, each, a ten-acres block. They till this land in compliance with the rules laid down by the company, and under the immediate superintendence of a European overseer.

Marriage is encouraged, as the mar ried state gives a better guarantee for a man to settle down. The natives erect their own bures and form village settlements. It is hoped that, finally, each family will work on its own block but, for the present, groups of Fijians work on a sort of co-operative plan, although when the cane is cut and de livered, the payments are made direct to each tenant, for his own particular block.

It was heartening for Sir Maynard to see young Fijians working in the fields. First, he saw two or three youths, from 16 to 18 years old, plough ing with pony ploughs, and they seem ed to work their horses well and the ploughing was well done. Further on he saw a Fijian operating a four-horse disc plough, and managing his horses quite capably. He was making a good job, ploughing in ratoons. In another field he saw a number of men, women and some children, planting out cane.

The experiment had a bad begin ning, because of the storms and floods, but they only served a good purpose by showing the mettle of the native.

While the Indian farmer, who had been affected by the floods, sat back mournfully, and contemplated, for say a couple of weeks, the havoc done, the Fijian farmer tackled at once the job of rehabilitating himself in many cases with a smile and a laugh. It was all part of the plan to these children of Nature.

An amusing instance is given of the native’s idea of the value of money.

Last season, when the native farmers were paid for their cane, they paid half of the proceeds into the Govern ment Savings Bank. When their crops were destroyed last February, and they were living on wild yams and ivi nuts, the overseers suggested that they draw the money, or part of it, from the bank for necessities. They frankly re jected the idea at once, SAYING

That The Money Had Not Been

THERE LONG ENOUGH. Questioned, the overseer said that the Fijian far mer was proving himself equal to the Indian cultivator.