Pacific Territories

Confederation Of South

Discussion of a Plan in Fiji in 1921

THE suggestion that advantage should be taken of the forth coming post-war settlement in the Pacific, to discuss a plan of Federa tion covering all the British Pacific Territories south of the Equator (including, possibly, the Fighting French colonies of New Caledonia and French Oceania) was referred to in the January and February issues of the “PIM.”

We now have learned that a plan similar to this was discussed and approved by the Legislative Council of Fiji 22 years ago—on April 12, 1921. Sir Henry Milne Scott, who sponsored the plan, kindly has fur nished us with a full report of the debate; and an extensive summary of same is published hereunder.

Since 1921, all the arguments in favour of Confederation have become stronger—first, because of a vast im provement in methods of communi cation between the various Territories and, second, because of the manner in which the present system of re mote control of administration has paralysed trade and commerce, European enterprise, new settlement and the establishment of new indus tries in the various territories in the last 20 years. The various Islands Territories have been the Cinderellas of South Pacific development. Pro tection and care of the native peoples have been haphazard—nothing has been done on a co-ordinated plan.

PACIFIC Islands administration has been tied to the tails of political accidents in Canberra and London, Wellington and Paris.

No one would take responsibility

for the vote-less Europeans who had made their homes in the different Territories. There were no communi cations whatever between the various Administrations, although their borders were often contiguous. New Guinea, for instance, was quite in different about what was happening across its borders in Papua, or Dutch New Guinea, or the Solomons, al though New Guinea was dealing with the same set of administrative problems, under similar conditions.

It seemed as if nothing could break down the barriers to more effective administration, or remove the dead hands of the politicians and bureau crats in Canberra and Wellington and London.

But war has thrown the whole de plorable set-up into the melting-pot.

The peoples of the Pacific Territories, if they only will seize it, now have a chance of establishing an adminis trative system or systems which will allow the Territories to take their rightful place in world affairs. If they- do not fight now against stupidity, selfishness and bumbledom, they may have to endure for another fifty or one hundred years the con ditions which, for so many decades, have retarded their development.

Confederation may not be the answer; but a far-reaching change unquestionably is called for. Now is the time to discuss and formulate some plan of re form, something that will give the Territories a chance to secure, in the post-war world, real free dom for development and pro gress.

Fiji's Arguments for a South Pacific Confederation

ON April 12, 1921, the Legislative Council of Fiji, after an interesting debate, passed the following resolution:— That in the oninion of this Council— That, in the opinion of this council— (a) The interests of the Empire in the Pacific would best be served by a Confederation of the British islands of the Western Pacific, governed and controlled, from a common centre. (b) That this resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, respectfully asking his approval.

The following points in favor of the resolution (there was no opposition to it), were made by the several speakers.

Mr. (Now Sir) Henry Milne Scott

(Mover Op The Motion)

This matter had been considered many times m Australia and New Zealand, but had not previously been brought formally The plan affected so many interests that, if it were favourably considered, the next step would be a conference of representatives of the various interests and Territories concerned.

It would be difficult to imagine greater variety of forms of government than existed in the various Territories of the Western Pacific (that is, the Islands

Territories south of the equator). He gave, as examples: Fiji, a British Crown 'Colony, with a Legislature that was partly elective; Western Samoa, governed by New Zealand under Mandate; Tonga, an independent kingdom under British protection: Gilbert and Ellice Islands, un til recently a protectorate and now a Crown Colony administered from Suva by a High Commissioner; Nauru, governed under Mandate by a Commission repre senting three British countries; Solomons Islands, a British protectorate under the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific; New Hebrides, a Condominium under Britain and France. (He might have included, also, the Australian Terri tory of Papua, the Territory of New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago, man dated to Australia, and the New Zealand Territory of Cook Islands. —Ed. “PIM.”) If all those Territories were governed by one authority, from one centre, it would represent real co-ordination of effort and much greater efficiency. They all had the same kind of problems to solve, re lating to health, education, settlement, agriculture, labour —and they had the same kind of tropical products.

The Interstate Trade Commission which was established in Australia by a special statute gave consideration to this matter of Islands administration, and

the Commission’s conclusions were that there was lack of cohesion in the govern ment of the Islands: there was lack of system; and, even if it were not prac ticable, for the present, to introduce a change in administration system, there should be more effective supervision and greater co-ordination of method between the administrations of the different Terri tories.

Although the Australian Interstate Commission suggested that the Adminis trative centre for the control of all the Islands Territories should be Sydney, he argued that the obvious administrative centre was Suva. Suva was the natural “crossroads of the South Pacific,” and conditions of life in Suva were similar to those in all the Islands Territories.

That could not be said of Sydney.

There was a considerable and, appar ently, a growing difficulty in the fact that the Governor of Fiji was also High Com missioner for the Western Pacific—and there had been agitation for the separa tion of the two offices. The creation of a Confederation would automatically solve this difficulty.

EVERY Territory in the South Pacific had a labour problem; and as development went on these labour problems would tend to become more acute. If the Territories were adminis tered as one Confederation there would be a better chance of dealing fairly and equitably with all these labour problems as one common labour problem. It might be possible to have an interchange of labour between the different Territories: or to introduce indentured labour on a common basis. One large Government dealing with all the Islands would have a better chance of solving the labour problem than several small administra tion acting independently.

The trade and commerce of such a Con federation would be surprisingly large; and the figures would tend to increase rapidly if there were one strong Govern ment to take command of the transport facilities which were now available to most of the independent Territories. They had to think, not only in terms of ship ping, but also in terms of air transport.

He was sure that the growth of air trans port would have a rapid and far-reaching effect upon the growth of trade and com merce in the Pacific.

A Confederation would be helpful to the British Government in taking care of the growing activity and power of Japan in the South Pacific, and Germany’s in sistence in thinking that she could re gain her lost Pacific Colonies. There was a problem also developing in the way in which the United States were looking across the Pacific at Japan. These things should make the people of the Territories think very seriously of defence. (If it is remembered that these state ments were made in April, 1921 —22 years ago—one must pay tribute to the long vision and sound thinking of Sir Henry Milne Scott.—Ed. “PIM.”>

THIS Confederation need not carry with it full representative government— that is, not for the present, although it might come sooner than some people thought. The primary political aim should be a greater amount of political freedom for the inhabitants of the dif ferent Territories, and special represen tation.of the native races in any Federal Parliament that might be formed. He acknowledged that there were practical difficulties in the fact that the Europeans in the Territories were greatly out numbered by the native peoples, some of whom were in a backward condition. But he urged, as a fundamental principle of British colonial rule, that all native peoples should be encouraged and equipped to take a greater and greater share in their own government. Instead of there being a large number of moder ately paid white officials as at present, a confederation would mean a bigger Government machine, with a small num ber of more experienced and therefore more highly paid officials, and much more decentralisation of administration —exercised through local bodies, in which native representatives and native officials would have an increasing amount of authority. He visualised a Federal Coun cil, with headquarters at Suva, and a considerable number of local administra tive bodies, all responsible to the Federal Council.

“If the people of this Colony will pull together and are joined by our Islands neighbours, having one common object in view—namely, a Confederation of the

Pacific—l believe we should be nearer the attainment of our object than many of us think. Then we should have a new Dominion—the Pacific Dominion, as an integral part of the Empire. Our Em pire is based on a free and democratic system of life and government. Let us take advantage of our great heritage.”

Mr. (Now Sir) John Maynard

Hedstrom (Seconder Of

Motion)

IT would be a splendid thing for the Empire if all the Islands of the Western Pacific were banded to gether under one Government at an early date, with free intercommunication by water and by air. We realise that there are considerable practical difficulties in the way; but at this stage we can at least agree to the principle.

It might be possible to give effect to the plan in a series of steps. The first and most obvious step would be the linking

up of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The New Zealand Government would not wish to surrender its mandate of Samoa; and the Tongans probably would wish to re tain their present form of government.

There clearly were difficulties in the way of a political union; but the advantages of some sort of a union, in relation to trade and commerce, transport, defence and various other conditions which created problems common to all the Territories, were so great that he felt sure that it would be possible to bring about some sort of Confederation which, while not involving absolute political union, would take care of their common in terests.

The opinion of the Home Government should first be obtained; and, if that were favourable, they could then proceed to a consideration of the whole plan, based on practical issues.

Mr. (Later Sir Henry) Marks

“There are many difficulties —but I think the step is in the right direction

and, with a little encouragement, we shall carry the matter further.”

Mr. Clapcott

“It is one of the things we have badly wanted in the Islands for a long time.”

Mr. Riemenschneider

If such a plan could be carried out, marvellous benefits would accrue, not only in Fiji, but to all the other Islands af fected by the plans. Trade communi cation would be increased tremendously, and Fiji might have a line of steamers direct from Britain, so that Suva could be made the centre of South Pacific dis tribution.

So many widely different forms of government were involved that he thought the plan should be proceeded with very carefully, and step by step. He favoured some form of administrative union with Samoa as the first step. If that arrange ment were satisfactory, other Territories would be encouraged to join in.

Mr. Tarte

He was sure that this plan had the support of all the planters in Fiji. This would be the first step towards a greatly extended form of co-operation.

Mr. Thomas

If such a Confederation were possible it would be of great benefit to the whole of the Islands of the South Pacific.

The Acting Receiver-General

A CUSTOMS Union would be the first step towards such a Confederation; and that first step could include, not only Tonga and Samoa, with Fiji, but also the Solomons and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. This would be of tremen dous benefit to all the Territories con cerned because it would mean that all imports into the Union would come in at the same rate of duty. Suva, as the natural distributing centre, would benefit accordingly. Duty should be charged at any port of entry throughout the Union.

The Colonial Secretary

He agreed in principle with the argu ments advanced in support of this “very attractive proposition’’; but it would be unwise to underestimate the practical difficulties.

He assumed that a general plan of Federation meant a set of uniform laws under the control of one central govern ment, with local governments dealing with local affairs within the different groups.

A successful Federation demanded essential predisposing causes; and these were present in the demand for easy com munications and a central uniform administration, instead of a whole series of widely varying administrations. But the Governor had already pointed out that a closer relationship between say, Fiji, the Solomons and the Gilbert and Ellice group, while desirable, was made difficult because of infrequent shipping communications. “It is not difficult to imagine our Federal member for say, Ocean Island, spending six months in a very laudable endeavour to attend the Federal Parliament in Suva and return to his constituency. (Since 1921 the whole communications position has altered, owing to the deve lopment of air transport and radio.—Ed.

“Pim.”)

The position in the West Indies was analogous to that in the Western Pacific.

For many years there had been a strong cry in Trinadad, Barbados, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands in favour of a West Indies Federation. Dif ferences in forms of government, and in public opinion, had always stood in the way of the plan, but considerable ad vances had been made there lately; and they had just established, for the first time, a Judicial Court of Appeal for the five British West Indian Colonies. They had agreed on a uniform Quarantine Con vention, and they were now meeting to discuss the plan of a Customs Union. A commercial organisation, called the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the West Indies, dealt with commercial prob lems common to all the West Indies Colonies, and made contact concerning them with each or any of the five

Governments; and this was doing a great deal to advance the idea of Federation.

The Governor, Sir Cecil

Rodwell

A CUSTOMS Union would be the be ginning, if not the basis of any Federation or Union which might be set up in the Pacific; and he had re cently received from the Acting fteceiver- General and the Secretary of the Western Pacific High Commission, a very valuable memorandum confirming statistics which would be of use in the establishment of a Customs Union in the Pacific.

They should be clear before starting upon this plan whether they were in favour of a Union or a Federation, be cause they were two very different things.

There already existed a link between Fiji and many of the other Pacific Terri tories, in the fact that the Governor of Fiji was also High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. The abolition of the dual office had been urged in Fiji. Aboli tion would mean the breaking of that link.

The beginning of Confederation or Union need not necessarily be limited to Customs. A general co-ordination of authority was quite feasible and would materially assist the administration of the various Territories. Departments which he believed were capable of co ordination were Medical; Post and Tele graphs; Education. Co-ordination of ser vices which had much in common and were not impeded by a variety of con ditions in the different Territories, would brine- about great economies and the service in the individual departments mierht be made more attractive by inter change of officers.

He believed that the Secretary for the Colonies, before expressing approval of the plan, would require much more in formation than the Council had had before it that day. or which it would be possible to furnish except after a full and lengthy inquiry.

Mr. Scott (Concluding The

Debate)

“There are practical difficulties in the way of Federation, but those difficulties can be overcome by a conference of re presentatives of the Islands that are affected. . . . The matter must be carried further now and some practical move made. . . . Only when Confederation has been attained will these Islands take their proper place in the trade and commerce of the Pacific.”

The resolution was passed, and trans mitted to the Secretary for the Colonies; and nothing more was heard of it.