Conditions Reviewed In Budget Session Speech

FIJI MUST FACE WORLD FACTS, SAYS GOVERNOR Conditions Reviewed In Budget Session Speech

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Suva. Nov. 14.

that the world outlook A J was sombre and disquieting, the Gov ernor of Fiji (Sir Brian Freeston) pleaded for a more realistic attitude by the Colony’s “isolationists” in his speech at the opening of the Budget session of the Legislative Council on November 12.

“I seem to detect in the thought and attitude of many people in Fiji a certain reluctance to face squarely up to the stark facts of the world situation, and perhaps a readiness to imagine that, even if tne rest of the world collapses in ruins, Fiji will somehow manage to survive as an oasis of comfort and contentment in a desert of misery,” he said.

Sir Brian listed Fiji’s immediate duties as follows; (1) To contribute its quota towards effective defence against external aggression. (2) To give every possible ounce of support to Great Britain m its heroic struggle against economic submergence and political eclipse. (3) To convert these islands into an “arsenal of production,” exploiting natural resources to the full with the object not only of early economic self-sufficiency, but also of contributing to the stocks of foodstuffs and raw materials needed by the world.

Dealing with the working of the Gov ernment of Fiji, Sir Brian said: "In the light of previous experience, and from wnat I have seen in Fiji during the ten months of my sojourn here, I have no hesitation in recording the view that the Government service of Fiji as a whole compares very favourably with that of any other territory with which 1 am acquainted. . . It is high time that the in telligent public of this Colony recognised that in respect of its administrative and professional officers, Fiji at present enjoys first-class services in return for second class salaries.”

WITH reference to the tentative defence estimate of £150,000, Sir Brian said that this was made up of £50,000 to wards the liquidation of existing indebted ness to New Zealand for the costs of the Second World War, and of £100,000 to wards the cost of the new defensive measures which are shortly to be put in hand.

This £100,000 worked out at about 7/6 a head compared with Britain’s £14 (sterling) a head.

“The broad result of the defence pro posals is that increased expenditure of £125,000 will have to be balanced by additional revenue,” the Governor added.

Referring to the long-standing problem of Fiji’s airfields, Sir Brian said that this would come before the meeting of the South Pacific Air Transport Council at Wellington this month. Fiji’s interests would be fully emphasised and safe guarded, but whatever the decision, it would be impossible to escape the burden of very heavy expenditure, amounting probably to a capital sum of six figures.

South Pacific Commission

TURNING to the recent session of the South Pacific Commission at Syd ney, the Governor said that despite the best efforts of himself and of the second United Kingdom Commissioner (Mr. H. H. Vaskess) they were unable to persuade the Commission to establish its permanent headquarters at Suva.

He congratulated two officers of the Government of Fiji (Mr. Howard Hayden and Mr. B. E. V. Parham) on being appointed to the commission’s Research

Council and expressed gratification at the appointment of the Resident Commis sioner, Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (Mr. Harry Maude) as Deputy Secre tary-General.

“I have no hesitation in assuring this Council that Fiji has nothing whatever to fear from the activities of the Com

mission,” his Excellency added. “Fiji has perhaps something to learn from the other Pacific territories, and undoubtedly Fiji has much to teach them.”

Ur. R. J. Snodgrass, Deputy Director of Medical Services, Fiji, has retired on medical grounds. He became a Govern ment Medical Officer in Fiji in 1927, and during 19 years’ service he was stationed at Taveuni, Makogai. Nadroga, Rewa, Ra, Lautoka and Ba, and was for some time in charge of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva. He became DDMS in 1947.