Sugar Crop Is Smaller

Indian Agitators Cause Unrest Among Fiji Cane-Growers

From Our Own Correspondent SUVA. July 9.

THE full effect of propaganda spread throughout the sugar planting community by Indian agitators some time ago will be seen when the Colonial Sugar Co.’s mill at Lautoka completes the crushing of this season’s sugar-cane. Already, it is reported that the crop is not a big one and that the crushing will be finished in about four months.

It will be remembered that when the C.S.R. Co. introduced a new system of paying growers for their cane last year, many Indian planters, influenced by trouble-makers, were convinced that they were being treated unfairly, and promptly ceased planting cane.

The C.S.R. Co.’s plan, however, was an attempt to introduce a fairer method of paying growers. These people are paid according to the sugar content of their cane and at one particular period in the season this is at its peak. Obvi ously, the company’s mills cannot take all the cane offering at this time, with the result that a few growers obtain the benefit of the maximum sugar content and the rest receive a lesser rate when they make their deliveries after this peak period. The company’s new scheme was to pay the whole of the growers according to the season’s average cane sweetness.

Although a settlement of the dispute was eventually reached, with the Fiji Government assuring Indian planters that they would keep an eye on their interests, much valuable planting time was lost, with the result that the crop is less than normal.

The opinion has been expressed here on more than one occasion that the authorities should take quick and severe measures to deal with these unscrupu lous Indian agitators who go among their fellow-countrymen causing trouble and unrest.