Plain Speaking By
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
Fijian Economy
Plain Speaking By Native Leader
From Our Owr Correspondent
Suva, Nov. 22
PLAIN speaking to an unusual degree occurs in the annual report (for 1947) of the Secretary for Fijian Affairs (Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna), which includes an outline of the historical basis of pre sent-day problems of the Fijian race.
Some of the points in the report are:— • “To improve social conditions and create new industries with which to ex tend markets, capital is, of course, essen tial. And this is just what the Fijian people have not got.” • “In this Colony the economic pros peritv of the Fijians was a matter that did not come into prominence until Sir Arthur Richards, as he then was, took up the question of native reserves. Once on the right road, the search to find answers to important questions on the way was given direction by Sir Philip Mitchell, the architect of Fijian Administration policy.
Cession in 1874, the report states; — g “Within 12 months of a solemn and momentous act that was going to secure the promotion of civilisation and Christi amty, and of increasing trade and indus try (Deed of Cession) > the flower of the race had been struck down by a strange disease. In the following decade more tried leaders passed on, villages continued to be depleted and some 400,000 acres of the best and most accessible tribal lands were lost for ever through transactions th |£ the 6 early yTa^^^tLs^mu^^the
re£rf th »
the Government to lease land, and to make more use of their own land. But that time the only crop with an assured “Unused to ploughs'and the handling 0 f bullocks and being generally regarded as incapable of skilled work—just as not many years ago the native policeman was considered unfitted for point duty—the Fijian was encouraged to lease his arable land rather than work it. After the col lapse of the indenture system the demand for land was intensified and was met to an extent that was, in many cases and in the long run, against the true interests of the owners. ... , “The results of this insistence we have
to-day-the Jeasmg
cane areas.
“Again, though the total rent-rolls in the cane areas are large, individual receipts, except for the comparatively few, are small and, what was important for the board to bear in mind, they are re ceived at a cost.
“So much cultivable land is alienated in these areas that many owners, having no land for subsistence agricul ture, are driven to a money economy which, of course, materially reduces the tax able portion of rent income.
“As a preliminary step to wards economic organisation, the people in the coconut areas were urged at Provincial Council meetings in 1946 to organise themselves by treat ing their own produce, selling it direct in the main markets, and putting by an agreed amount for village housing and economic development.”