Fiji Economises
p. 48 · Read in the full issue
BECAUSE of the ever-increasing
demands of the war and defence services, the Governor of Fiji (Sir Harry Luke) had to cancel the building of a new hospital at Ba, building work at the Central Medical School and Hostel at Suva, and many other public works.
He told the Legislative Council that he did this with great reluctance: but war needs were paramount, and defence expenditure continued to grow.
Fiji’s revenue in 1939 was £930,866 (the highest on record) but expenditure was £1,095,928. The Colony’s general credit balance, in consequence, had been reduced from £455,642 to £293,918, on December 31, 1939.
Despite financial limitations, however, the Government, in the past year, improved the Sigatoka water supply, installed a chlorination plant for the Tavua supply, completed the Suva Tech nical Training Centre and the Lautoka post office, and carried out many minor public works.