Believes in Criticism

Fiji's New Governor Addresses Legislative Council

FIJI’S new Governor, Mr. A. W. G. H.

Grantham, presided over the Fiji Legislative Council for the first time on February 16.

In his address he said that some mem bers might expect his first address to the Council to indicate what policy he intended to adopt during his tenure of office in Fiji. They might perhaps think that with a new Governor there should be a new policy. But he had come to Fiji with no mandate, desire or intention to start anything revolutionary or reac tionary. Fiji was at a moment of pause, awaiting the outcome of a number of reports. The first and foremost was the report of the planning and development committee, which had not yet been com pleted. This report, when finally approved by Legislative Council and the Secretary of State, would be the Colony’s chart for the next 10 years or more.

Mr. Grantham said that he was a great believer in criticism and that from what he had heard he was sure that he would get helpful and constructive criticism from the Unofficial Members. He, in common with them, had one aim in mind —the betterment of Fiji.

In he warned members against falling into the error of imagin ing that the war was over because of the improvement in the war situation during the past two months. He said that diffi cult tasks still lay ahead of the United Nations, particularly in the Japanese war, and in dealing with these tasks he confi dently looked forward to the Fiji Military Forces taking part.