Split Among Fiji's
p. 54 · Read in the full issue
Indians
Prom Our Own Correspondent SUVA, July 1.
STRANGERS, and sometimes residents of Fiji, are inclined to group the Indian settlers together. They for get that India is a very big country, containing many very different races, and that the immigrants to Fiji came from all parts of India.
The sugar industry depends on Indian farmers; and, hitherto, there has been one Farmers’ Society, which seeks to harmonise the interests of all races. But the Southern Indians, from Madras Province, who apparently felt their interests were not sufficiently safe guarded, have recently formed them selves into a new society, which seems unlikely to work in harmony with the original organisation.
It would be rash to foretell the result; but certainly the industry would benefit if both societies were run on responsible lines by responsible people, with whom the Sugar Company could feel secure in making arrangements.
Outwardly, the Indian cane farmer is prosperous. In reality, too many are encumbered with serious debt —which results, in too many cases, from extrava gance, partly from the giving of lavish marriage feasts and entertainments of that sort, and partly from too great a readiness to pay exaggerated values for planting land.