Top-Heavy Town Board

In Suva

How Indian Demand For Common Roll Has Caused Other Municipal Troubles

THE difficult political situation created in Fiji by the persistent demand of the Indians for a common roll, seems likely to enter upon a further stage, as a result of a petition signed by Suva residents which was presented to the Governor in February.

Up to 1935, Fiji enjoyed a consider able measure of self-government—that is. Europeans were elected to important positions in the general government and in the municipal councils, on a fairly liberal franchise. But, as the Indian population became established, the Indians demanded the same voting rights as Europeans; and as they vastly out-numbered the Europeans, it was apparent that the concession to them of a common roll would practically hand over the government of the Colony to Indian control.

Agitation and argument went on for years; but, finally, a solution was attempted by the then Governor, Sir Murchison Fletcher, in 1934. It was announced by the British Colonial Office that, to settle the apparently endless argument, the elective systems would be withdrawn and a Legislative Council, and town councils for Suva and Levuka, nominated by the Governor, would function, instead.

The new system came into operation at the end of 1935. In the case of Lev uka, the entire town board is nominated entirely at the discretion of the Gov

ernor. In Suva, the board also is entirely nominative, but six of the 13 members comprise two members each from the European, Fijian and Indian communities of Suva. The other seven members are leading officials of the Government service.

The system, in the opinion of many Suva business people, has not worked out satisfactorily. It certainly has put an end to the embarrassing Indian agi tation—little has been heard of the com mon roll for two or three years.

But the Suva Municipal Council, under present conditions, is unwieldy, unpro gressive, and uninterested. A propor tion of the seven official members, who are obliged to act as Town Councillors, frankly regard their municipal obliga tions as a nuisance. Yet the seven offi cial members outnumber, outweigh, and consequently discourage the six men selected from the three communities, who otherwise might provide the elements of a vigorous town council.

It appears, according to an outspoken article in the “Fiji Times”, that the continual alterations in the personnel of the Town Board, due to leave and trans fers among officials, has greatly reduced the efficiency of the body: staffs have increased, and administrative expendi ture has jumped to an alarming extent: yet in the four years that have elapsed since the new system was introduced, the amount of work done by the Town Board is not comparable with the aver age accomplished by the old Municipal Council, with its smaller staff and its keen and representative membership.

As a result of all this, the residents and ratepayers of Suva have petitioned the Governor for a return to the elec tive system, so that the ratepayers may exercise control over the municipality,

in the manner that has proved so satis factory all through the British Empire.

Some change obviously is desirable but it is not likely that the British Colonial Office will return to the elec tive system without serious considera tion of all angles of this thorny prob lem. There are many Indian residents and property-owners in Suva and, as soon as any change along the lines sug gested is introduced, they will demand voting equality with the Europeans. If their request is not granted, their howls of protest will re-echo back in India, to the embarrassment of Whitehall.

But the problem should not be beyond the genius of the Governor, his officials and the leaders of the European com munity in Suva. Surely, it is possible to discover some system which will give all responsible citizens fair representa tion, keep the Indian agitators out of the picture, and get rid of the bad fea tures of the present system.