Fiji Legislative War.

Secretary of State’s Reply to Elected Members.

From Our Own Correspondent.

SUVA. June 30.

WHEN the last session of the present Legislative Council met, an attack was launched by the two unofficial members of the Executive Council, Sir Maynard Hedstrom and Sir Henry Scott, upon the Government of Fiji.

The point at issue was a constitu tional one, and our Elected Members accused the Government of deliberately flouting their privileges.

The point was that the Economy Committee reduced the salary of the Secretary for Native Affairs from £1,000 flat to £800 or £1,000 by annual rises of £50, as they understood that the raising of the salary in 1925 to £1,000 per an num had been done specially to attract from the Tongan service the Hon. Islay McOwan, C.M.G., who retired in April on reaching the age limit.

It was subsequently represented to the Governor that the salary was not fixed at £1,000, specially for Mr.

McOwan, but that it was fixed as the substantive salary of the post.

The Government thereupon communi cated with the Secretary of State for the Colonies and asked whether the salary of the post should be fixed at £1,000 or be from £800 —£1,000. The re ply of the Secretary of State was to the effect that the salary was to be £1,000.

The Elected Members claimed that the Secretary of State had no right to give this ruling without the matter having first been submitted to the Legislative Council for its sanction. A deadlock was reached, and the Elected Members succeeded in obtaining an adjournment of the House, whilst their case was submitted by cable to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

When the session of the Council re opened on June 28, the principal busi ness was the discussion of the reply from the Secretary of State to the rep resentations addressed to him by the Elected Members.

The Secretary of State’s cabled reply was: The system of financial control laid down in Colonial Regulations provides that authority of the Legislative Council in addition to authority of the Secretary of State is required for all expenditure, and it is very desirable that this should be interpreted in the sense that authority of Legislative Council shall, as a general rule, be obtained in advance of expenditure, though I appreciate that instances will occur from time to time where expenditure beyond that previ ously sanctioned or even new expenditure may reasonably be incurred in anticipation of authority of Legislative Council. In the present case I understand that Governor recognises that Legislative Council should have been acquainted in advance of proposed departure from estimates and that he has explained very frankly that it was by oversight that this was not done. To that explanation I would desire to add that my assent to proposal to retain salary of post of Secretary for Native Affairs at £1,000 was given with the knowledge that the post was specially re-established as recently as 1926 to meet the wishes of Fijians, and for this reason alone, on information then before me, I should have discouraged any lowering of its status in relation to other posts.

Especial consideration was not given by me in connection with 1932 Estimates to proposal to reduce emoluments of post of Secretary of Native Affairs as separate correspondence was proceeding concerning that post, and in a tele gram of 14th January I was invited to await

a further report which was being sent by mail.

In that despatch, Governor explained that his support for proposal to reduce salary of post had been due to a misunderstanding and that on reconsideration in the light of additional in formation then before him he recommended sal ary should be retained at figure of £1,000.

I am sympathetic to any fair proposal for economy and I should certainly be ready to con sider a proposal for an emergency cut in salaries such as many other Colonies have applied. But such a scheme should be of general application carefully adjusted to ensure that it is fair to all concerned.

(Sgd.) Cunliffe-Lister,

Secretary of State.

Both sides claim the victory and the Secretary for Native Affairs still draws his salary of £1,000 per annum, so

everybody is happy!