Trades, Professions

Fijians' Success In

From Our Own Correspondent SUVA, June 1.

THIS week a substantial nail went into the coffin of the legend that the young Fijian of to-day is still the “childlike” soul that his great-grand father was after he had been, as someone has said, safely sidetracked from canni balism to Calvinism.

It has been announced that the first Fijian has passed the Fiji Marine Board’s examination (picture in April “PIM”) for a certificate of compentency as mate of an interinsular vessel—with no tonnage res trictions. Previous certificates won by Fijians have all been in respect of vessels ranging from 15 to 100 tons.

The poineer is Jese Sarovi, of Oneata, Lau.

After several years in cutters, he went to Hong Kong in 1940 as a member of the crew which brought back the newly built Government ship “Viti.” During the war he served with the Fiji Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and last year went to London with the Victory Contingent from Fiji.

In the Navy he obtained a sailing licence as master of a 15-ton vessel, and after returning from London passed the Marine Board’s examination for a certi ficate as mate of a 100-ton vessel.

IN a recent dispatch it was mentioned that in some cases Europeans prefer Fijian medical practitioners to Euro pean doctors. Support for this contention has since come to hand in a note from a Savu Savu correspondent published in the “Fiji Times.” “There is no sign, as yet, of a European doctor for that part of Vanua Levu,” said the writer, “but there is a notable absence of agitation about it because of the skill and hard work of the Fijijan practitioner, who keeps an eye on the Europeans as well as on his own people.”

The success of Fijian medical trainees from the Central Medical School was the first blow at the catch-cry about the childlike irresponsibility of the Fijian; and since then the wearing down process has gone far.

Even ten years ago it was not thought that Fijians might conceivably be capable of driving motor vehicles; only the war opened the door to Fijian drivers of cars, jeeps and heavy trucks, as well as to a flock of Fijian mechanics.

Ten years ago the sight of a Fijian inspector of police conducting the prose cution in an extraordinarily complicated, embezzlement case would have indicated, more or less, the end of the world to Suva’s pukka old-timers; to-day the re action is: Well, what of it?