New Laws In

Fiji

Trade Unions Methylated Spirits Control of Credit

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Dec. 20.

THE remark is heard frequently that, amid war’s fevers and alarms, the Government has chosen an un fortunate time to introduce some harass ing and apparently unnecessary legislation.

The answer probably is that the Council programme was all prepared and complete before Japan struck on December 7; and the Government just let the wheels go round.

Few people believe that the new law providing machinery for trade unions and compulsory arbitration will be much in voked, or if invoked will contribute to the general peace; but such legislation is in fashion just now throughout the British Empire, and was probably inevitable The early trade unionists, who set great store on individual effort and initiative, and who relied on the union to its own battles against the State, would have been surprised at the modern doctrine which lays it down that if a man does not want to be a trade unionist the State should train him so to want.

An instance of petty, troublesome legis lation is the new control for methylated spirits, sales of which now have to be registered The theory is that much methylated spirits is drunk, and that the denaturalisation chemically possible and enforced by law is insufficient to stop men drinking it. Some men appear genuinely to like drinking eau de Cologne, and possibly some rare souls really like methylated spirits. If they do like it, it is difficult to see how they will be stopped by the need of registering their purchase,

or the trouble of making their purchase through some friend whose drinking pro clivities are not suspected by the police.

The ordinance would seem to be a waste of time and paper.

More contentious is the attempt the Government is making to control credit as well as cash-sale prices. The proposal cannot be called unpopular, because pur chasers are more numerous than sellers, and most purchasers under-estimate the amount of profit a seller needs to carry on his business. On the other hand, in a remotely situated place like Fiji, which imports from long distances so much of what it consumes, the amount of capital locked up in the very large stocks cus tomarily held here must get some reason able reward —otherwise owners may decide to sell off, and invest their money in Government stocks.

The original bill put forward by the Government bore every sign of hastiness and lack of trade knowledge, but was improved by negotiations with the Suva Chamber of Commerce.

Fiji has always been a credit country, but the creditor will not lend unless his prospective profits or interest are suffi ciently attractive, and it seems inevitable that the ordinance will be followed by considerable restriction of the amount of credit allowed. Probably such a tendency would be ultimately beneficial, because most of us are happier if we have money in hand with which to pay the baker or the grocer, but the immediate con sequences are likely to be uncomfortable.

Mr. Alan Hooper has joined the staff of Amalgamated Wireless in Rabaul. He has had many interesting experiences in the South Pacific. He recently was on service in the British Solomon Islands and, over a year ago, he was an opera tor on Nauru Island, when that terri tory was bombarded by a German raider.