Upsurge of Enterprise
p. 69 · Read in the full issue
Among Post-War Fijians
From Our Own Correspondent
Suva, May 3.
IN the post-war period, and particularly in the past year, there has been a quiet but astonishing upsurge of Fijian enterprise in unexpected direc tions.
In a general sense, it may be said that it is due primarily to the war; but a more immediate cause is the belated dis covery, by influential people, that .the time for treating the Fijian as an irres ponsible child has gone.
There are other factors, including, as the “Fiji Times” said editorially the other day, “the insistent demands made in the Legislative Council by the Indian leaders, who, perhaps unwittingly, are doing the Fijians good service by compelling them to realise that, as a race, they cannot stand still.”
As a result of the unsatisfied demand for Fijian products, such as copra, (the Fijians already produce two-thirds of the Colony’s copra) and the need for in creased production, a suggestion was made recently that a strong, independent, all- Fijian planters’ organisation should be formed.
Such an organisation, the Fijian Plan ters’ Association, was started as long ago as 1932, and had seemingly died in in fancy.
The Fijian planters’ Association, how ever, had done nothing of the sort and on April 28, 1947, it held a general meeting of 212 delegates representing 1,600 members in the Suva Town Hall.
The managing director, Levani Vaniqi, was in the chair; Wiliame Vulowai, was secretary, and the headmaster of the Rewa Central School (Inoke Cakautini) was
translator of the address given, by invita tion, by Mr. H. Maurice Scott, MLC, who was later elected the Association’s legal adviser.
“The Government is reserving the best land for you, and this means that you must increase production,” Mr. Scott told the meeting. “It is no good sitting and waiting for rents to be paid. With pos session of much of the best land, you must produce crops.”
It was significant that the Fijian speakers who followed him during the
conference at no stage declaimed about Fijian rights or grievances, but stressed the urgency of the need for Fijian solid arity in a full-scale production drive.
The Australian Government is extend ing its Reconstruction Training Scheme for New Guinea soldiers to mission ac tivities. Subsidies will be paid for courses in technical work, teacher training and domestic training at all mission schools.