Fiji Manpower

Problem is Acute

JUDGING from a series of reports and articles in the “Fiji Times,” the manpower position in Fiji is a rep lica of the difficult and confused situa tion seen in Australia and elsewhere.

There are armed forces in Fiji, and the authorities are trying to grow as much as possible of their foodstuffs, so as to save shipping. This additional demand for foodstuffs requires additional labour.

Fiji, although it has four communities (Europeans, Fijians, Indians and Chin ese) never has had any surplus labour, because the Fijians generally can depend upon the fruits of their communal land ownership and need not work, and the Indians insist on being either peasant growers of sugar or small tradesmen.

So far from more men being available there are less; because other authorities! concerned with the defence of the Col ony. have made heavy drafts upon the natives.

Not only is labour needed for food stuffs, but the United Nations are shout ing urgently for copra. Fiji copra-grow ers are eager to respond, but cannot get even normal supplies of plantation labour The shouting and the criticism seem to indicate that Fiji, like many other countries, has displayed a lack of plan ning m gearing manpower resources to national wartime needs. The Fiji Gov ernment recentiy mad'e a statement which did not help the situation much.

The first two paragraphs:— “Government’s first concern is the competition of fighting units and labour battalions of the Fiji Militarv Forces up to their approved establish ments.

“Until these establishments are com no sur P lus Pf labourers ™ hlch Government could form a pool for employment in the various essential industries in the Colony, and the indications are that even when these establishments have been completed, theie will not be a sufficiently large sur plus of labour available to justify the formation of a pool. In any case, Gov ernment will not approve of the use of compulsion to make labour work for pri- Therefore, employers and labourers will have to come to terms by private arrangement and contact.”