Sir Murchison Fletcher

Fiji’s Governor Promoted to West Indies

TT was reported in the Sydney news papers on February 1 that Sir Mur chison Fletcher, K.C.M.G., Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific since 1929, has been appointed Governor of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies.

Although promotion for Sir Murchison Fletcher was confidently forecast over a year ago—and the appointment to Trini dad represents substantial promotion— there will be many people in the Pacific Territories who will be sorry to see him go. He has been an excellent governor —very competent, and yet kindly and tolerant in his relations with his staff; far-visioned, and yet very patient in his dealings with various elements which could not quite accept his policies.

During his long term of office, he had to deal with two special things—the problem of the growing Indian popula tion, which for a long time has been an embarrassment to the Colonial Office; and the problem of the new gold industry, which quite unexpectedly, in 1935, sprang into vigorous and clamant life. In both cases Sir Murchison Fletcher displayed wisdom and firmness. His Indian policy has been under criticism, but he has been able to bring it into operation and it is likely that, as the years pass, his good work in this direction will b© better understood and appreciated. It is prob able that he remained a year longer in Fiji than otherwise he would have done in order that he might regulate the new gold industry; and, towards the end of last year, when his term was nearly ex pired, he brought into operation a set of laws which on present appearances should remove the evils which threatened to stifle this promising activity before it had been properly established.

Trinidad’S Surplus

The journal United Empire, of Janu ary, 1936, says: Trinidad ends the year 1935 with a surplus of $300,000. This, the Governor, Sir A. Claude Hollis, an nounced, will bring the island’s accumu lated surpluses for the depression years up to $2,000,000. The 1935 surplus has been secured despite the undertaking of an extensive public works programme for unemployment relief.