Education And Protection For Fijians

New Governor, Greeted With Picturesque Ceremony, Outlines Official Policy

Picturesque old-time ceremonies marked the first meeting between the new Governor of Fiji, Sir Harry Luke, and the Great Council of Chiefs, which took place at Somosomo, on the island of Taveuni, Fiji Group, at the end of Octo ber. His Excellency received a formal welcome from the natives; and, later, opened the proceedings of the Council in an address in which he dealt with native affairs generally.

OVER 4,000 natives were gathered in Somosomo town (capital of Cakau drove province). There were the customary presentations of tabua

(whale’s tooth), food, and the ceremon ial preparation and presentation of kava, and much native dancing to celebrate the occasion.

When His Excellency came ashore from the motor vessel “Yanawai” there were 1,000 natives crouched respectful and silent on the beach. He was greet ed with a loud “Tama” from the na tives, and then proceeded along a car pet of tapa, which—in one piece—stretched some 300 yards from the beach to the Council house.

The Governor’s address to the natives supplied an admirable summary of the policy of the Government in regard to protection, education and advancement of the Fijian race.

All that he said, and addresses by the Chiefs (some in Fijian, and some in purest Oxford English) was listened to attentively by the great gathering in Somosomo, and —as the proceedings were broadcast by radio —by village gatherings of Fijians throughout the group.

The matter of raising the general standard of native education is receiv ing the consideration of the Government and the Director is taking steps to pro vide a system under which the pupils of the Queen Victoria School will be fitted to pass what are known as the Cambridge Local Examinations or their equivalent, said His Excellency.

I look to you chiefs to encourage parents to ensure the regular attend ance of their children at school so that they may be the better fitted for the higher standards that are now being aimed at.

The matter of raising the age of pri mary school pupils from 14 to 18 years has been fully considered by Govern ment, but no steps can be taken in this direction until an efficient schooling is available for the large majority of child ren from 14 to 16 years. I regret to find that there is a definite lack of properly trained teachers.

You must encourage your young men and women to enter the teaching pro fession, and it is necessary for you to supplement Government grants by pro viding your teachers with houses and gardens.

I am confident that the happiness and prosperity of the vast majority of Fiji ans is dependent upon their being suc cessful agriculturists* and tradesmen; and it is the policy of Government to stress this important fact in the curri culum of all schools.

During April this year the Colonial Sugar Refining Company Limited, open ed at Drasa, in the Lautoka district, its farm school for the training of Fiji an youths in general farming and the cultivation of cane in particular. . . .

After the completion of their training the prospective farmers will be at lib erty to choose whether they will farm sugar-cane (when they will obtain fur ther guidance from the Company) or farm other crops independently of the Company.

The Governor said the conservation of the valuable native forests —especially

against careless commercial exploration —was necessary.

I have said that your forests are valu able. They can, however, be made more valuable still and that is what the for est department is here to do for you. But trees do not grow in a day, nor can the forests of this Colony be examined and planned in a moment.

Government proposes to continue the training of Fijian youths in agricul ture. In future the period of training will be three years. Improved allow ances and conditions will be an addi tional attraction.

Apart from the demonstration farms established by the' Department of Ag riculture. Government notes with appro val the establishment of training farms by certain provinces, and the interest which the provinces have taken in gen eral agriculture, is evident from the pro vincial votes. These provincial agricul tural training farms have been started in Bua, Cakaudrove and Macuata in or der to try to bridge the gap between the ages of 14 and 18. They are finan ced from provincial funds, and the men in charge are trained Native Agricul tural Instructors.

On the subject of improving native

health; My experts inform me that their efforts will be unavailing unless the Fijians, and in particular your wo men, give their whole-hearted support to the movement. I exhort you one and all to concentrate upon the preservation of your race.

The problem of tuberculosis among the Fijian continues to exercise the at tention of Government. In the mean time a survey of the native areas has been begun with a view to determining the incidence of tuberculosis in the vil

Fijians on the verandah of a European country home, listening to the radio broadcast of the ceremonies at the opening of the Great Councilof Chiefs, at Somosomo, Taveunl. Three genera tion ago savage Fiji was known to the worldas “the Cannibal Isles’’ To-day these people are accepting education, becoming skilled agriculturists, and are competing with each other, by villages, for the installation of world-range radio receivers.

lages, and the isolation and treatment of cases is being carried out as far as possible with the existing organisation.

The health of thp Fliinn Vioc % ™ Ki . S FlJ l ar ! ra 9 e has been favourably influenced by the native obstetric nurses, who after training in the hospitals at Suva or Lau-

toka are allocated welfare duties, includ ing obstetrics, in your villages. Assist ed by the improved facilities for edu cating your girls, the Government has decided to establish a school in Suva, where they will receive a more general and more elaborate training than hitherto.