Fiji's 10-Year Development Plan

Outlined by Governor's Speech to Current Session of Legislative Council

Suva, Nov. 5.

THE Budget session of the Fiji Legisla tive Council was opened by the Governor (Sir Alexander Grantham) on November 1, and in his address to the Council, and to citizens in the public gallery he outlined the development work that was proposed for Fiji in the next 10 years.

He said that development in the Colony would be steady rather than spectacular —it was impossible to do everything at once. The cost of the entire development plan would be £4,500,000 Fijian currency; towards this £1,000,000 would come from the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund, leaving the remainder to come from loans and from Fijian reserves.

OTHER matters dealt with in the Gov ernor’s speech were; TAXATION: The Taxation Committee’s report has not yet been received but meanwhile the present basis of taxation will remain unaltered.

ESTIMATES; The estimated deficit of £72,603 in 1946 is now expected to be transformed into a surplus of £27,494.

In the 1947 draft estimates, a surplus of £73,439 is anticipated.

REDEMPTION LOAN: Results were disappointing. Only £219,000 was sub scribed, leaving £310,800 in the hands of the underwriters. It is therefore evident that the development Loan will have to be raised in London,

Salaries Revision Report; The

report is accepted by Government with certain modifications. The recommenda tions of the Committee regarding pensions will require separate examination, pos sibly with the assistance of an actuary.

EDUCATION: It will be the policy of Government in future to devote public funds increasingly to Government schools and Government teachers, and to restrict grants in aid, specially in regard to capi tal expenditure. This does not mean that grants will be suddenly cut off. What it does mean is that henceforth grants will not be made for new schools or other capital expenditure save in exceptional circumstances. The money will be used to establish Government schools.

LIQUOR BILL: The Bill provides that Indians shall be free to consume liquor on the same basis as Europeans and Chinese. Without a countervailing reason, it would be right for Fijians to be given the same privilege. However, there is a countervailing reason. It is that if there were no control on the consump ton of liquor by Fijians it would have a definitely harmful effect on the. race as a whole. This is not generally so in the case of the Europeans and Indians. The decision to continue restrictions in the case of Fijians has been approved by an over whelming majority of Provincial Councils to whom it has been submitted.

FOOD SITUATION: Although the local shipping position has not improved as much as was anticipated, copra production is likely to exceed the estimate of 25,000 tons. Sugar is expected to reach at least 80 per cent, of normal pre-war production.

Beef production is now equal to demand, although demand is higher than at any time previously. Pork production still lags.

Because the outlook in Europe is still grim, the people of Fiji must not relax their efforts to feed themselves and export as much as possible.