Fijians

Scholarship Fund For Fijians Morris Hedstrom to Provide £25,000

BEHIND the announcement that an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of Morris Hedstrom, Ltd., will be held in Suva, on September 14, lies a story of interest to Fiji and Fijians.

At the end of the last financial year (June 30), the proprietors of Morris Hed strom voted £5,000 (Fijian) towards some purpose connected with the war effort.

However, difficulty was experienced in finding a suitable purpose, and the Gov ernor of Fiji (Sir Phillip Mitchell) was appealed to for advice. He suggested the establishment of a scholarship fund to

assist members of the Fijian race to com plete their education at some approved University.

It was estimated that the cost of such a scholarship would be £2OO per annum, and it was considered that it should have a three-years’ tenure. The capital neces sary to do this would be £B,OOO and then the scholarship could be granted only once every three years.

As a scholarship given only once every three years would not produce the desired effect, the directors of the company have decided to recommend to the meeting of shareholders in September, that they approve of the provision of £25,000, which will produce sufficient revenue to provide a yearly scholarship with a tenure of three years—the extra £20,000 being pro vided from War Risk Reserve.

Discussing the proposed scholarship, Mr. H. M. Hedstrom, managing director of Morris Hedstrom, Ltd., said: “It seems appropriate to devote the scholarships primarily to residents of the Colony who are wholly or in part members of the Fijian race. The foundations of this com pany were laid many years before its incorporation and in those days the busi ness of the company was in large measure supported by the Fijian people.

“From the point of view of the Euro pean population of this Colony and the business houses trading therein it is important that better educational facili ties should be provided for the Fijians to enable them to hold their own in post* war years.”

Melanesian Mission visitors to Sydney have been Nursing Sister M. Williams and Miss M. Scrimgeour, MA, both of New Zealand, who have now left for the New Hebrides.

At St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Suva. Fiji, on June 7, Miss Blanche Browne, youngest daughter of Mrs. C F Browne, Berry Road, Suva, married Mr.

Howard William Brown, of Mosman,

Nsw.