Mines Industry

Fiji Labour

Good Supply For New Mines Industry

At SUVA, Sept. 30.

LTHOUGH 1,500 Fijian natives are now constantly employed at the Emperor and Loloma mines, on the north coast of Viti Levu, the companies concerned seem to have no difficulty in finding and keeping the labour they require.

The explanation probably is that Mr.

E. G. Theodore—who seems to live here permanently now, and to be very happy in Fiji—has definite ideas concerning the housing, feeding and proper care of native labourers. The housing for the labourers is carefully laid out in attrac tive settlements; and the settlements are properly equipped with water-supply, gardens, medical service, and so on. In sharp contrast with what has been done in New Guinea, there are married quar ters here for native labourers who wish to bring their wives to the mines settlement.

These Fijian labourers are paid 2/6 per day, and are provisioned; and they get 2/- additional when they complete one week’s work. There is no system of indenture. The Costello brothers, at their mine nearby, pay their native labourers £1 per week, and the labourers make their own food arrangements; but Messrs. Costello contracted with a Chinese to conduct a native restaurant at the mines, where a wide variety of food is available to the labourers at a very low price. This arrangement ap parently works satisfactorily.

A large number of mechanics, trades men, motor drivers, etc., are employed by the big companies. These men mostly are Euronesians and their rates of pay, of course, are considerably higher than those of the native labourers. Only a few Indians are employed.