Fiji Liquor Bill

More Deliberations On Fiji Liquor Bill

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva. May 23.

IT has been announced that, the Liquor Bill Select Committee (the Commis sioner of Police, Mr. I. E, Lucchinelli, chairman, Messrs. A. A. Ragg and H.

Maurice Scott. Ratu George Tuisawau and Joeli K. Ravai, and Messrs. Vishnu Deo and A. D. Patel) appointed in November to look after the Bill, has asked the Indian Advisory Committees throughout the Colony to submit their views.

The committees, which are Govern ment-appointed, will invite Indians in their respective districts to attend meet ings and express opinions on the Bill, which proposes to remove all the liquor restrictions on Indians but to re tain the permit-system for tjie Fijians.

A writer in the “Fiji Times” suggests that the Bill has stirred up more bitter ness and inter-racial strife and jealousy than any other in the recent history of Fiji, and should be referred to the South Pacific Commission, now in full opera tion. He objects also to the Indians be ing consulted when the Fijians will not be permitted a voice. Many months ago, when the Bill was first introduced, the Government stated that the Council of Chiefs had approved the Bill. It was sub sequently shown that the only liquor matter ever submitted to the Chiefs was whether or not the present Fiji permit system should be abandoned.

As a footnote to all this it may be mentioned that on May 22, a Chinese was fined £l5 for supplying whisky to three young Fijian girls. The girls, charged with drinking liquor, were each fined £l.

This case is quoted merely as an illus tration which seems to support the anti- Liquor Bill contention that, in view of the war and post-war record of Fiji’s Asiatics, the bootleg exploitation of the prohibited Fijian population would reach fantastic proportions if unlimited liquor were made available to any Indian who cared to get into the business.