40 Fijians Charged With Rioting

Rioting

Sequel To Goldminers 7 Strike

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Suva. Feb. 10.

REPORTS of the strike at the Vatu koula goldfields in December, when more than 900 Fijian employees were involved, have been very sketchy.

Fragments of information have now come out as a result of a court case at Tavua, in which 40 Fijians were charged with taking part in a riot at the Vatu koula police sub-station on December 11, during the strike period.

Following complaints of strike-intimid ation, the police (considerably reinforced by drafts from outside the mining area) had apparently taken two Fijians from their barracks at the mines to the Vatu koula sub-station for questioning. Be lieving the men to have been unlawfully arrested, a crowd of between 200 and 300 strikers moved on the station and sub jected the building and the Fijian and European policemen who lined the com pound hedges, to concentrated stoning.

The police subsequently released the men.

At the trial, twenty-four of the 40 accused were released on probation under bond for two years, and the remaining 16, including those judged to be ring leaders, received gaol sentences ranging from one month to six months.

Public reaction to the whole business is that it was “not Fijian.” But the question of origin is still open.

Mr. John W. Cox, of the New Guinea Public Works Department, fell heavily and injured his foot and leg rather severely while on furlough at Manly, Syd ney. His return to the Territory, in con sequence, has been somewhat delayed.