Millions For Fiji

Plans For Development and Social Services

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Nov. 21.

FIJI’S post-war Ten-Year Plan, which came partly unstuck when the Sec retary of State for the Colonies asked for more emphasis on productive de velopment and less on purely welfare schemes, has been put together again by the Development Revision Committee, ap pointed last year.

The committee, of which the Governor (Sir Brian Freeston) is chairman, has drawn up a plan involving the expenditure of £4,250,000 between 1949 and 1958, ap proximately as follows: — Economic development £1,500,000 Communications extensions and general £1,500,000 Social services £1,000,000 In reserve £200,000 The £4,250,000 is made up of the £1,000,000 (sterling) allotted to Fiji by Great Britain under the Colonial Develop ment and Welfare Act, plus £85,000 which, it is hoped, will come by way of grants from the Colonial Development and Wel fare Funds for research and survey needs, plus £2,000,000 which, the committee re commends, should be raised by local or overseas loans.

In addition, the committee proposes that for the next nine years, £50,000 should be provided each year from public revenue for development works and that £636,690 be appropriated from surplus balances for development.

If this year’s working should show a surplus the greater part of it will be added to the appropriation, and borrowing reduced accordingly.

The proposals allocate £1,531,942, or 36.05 per cent., to schemes relating to production and to the development of natural resources.

The largest item is £566,000, as contri bution to the Navua River hydro-electric scheme, followed by £445,000 for feeder roads and £150,000 for agricultural and in dustrial credit.

Sums of £50,000 for aerial survey, as a preliminary to land development, and of £26,700, for forestry development, are pro vided.

Social Services

SOCIAL services account for £1,077,507, or 25.35 per cent. This comprises:— £245,942 for the Suva Medical Centre; £200,000 for the Suva water supply; £lOO,OOO for Queen Victoria School (this grant was approved by the Secretary of State last February, after disclosures of the state of neglect into which this famous all-Fijian school had been per mitted to fall had produced a storm of public indignation); £BO,OOO for industrial housing; £59,500 for seven Indian central schools; £58,000 for an educational building pool.

The report states: “We cannot agree that expenditure on social services, as they are called, must necessarily be regarded as uneconomic. A country cannot be econ omically healthy if its people are physic ally unfit. It cannot achieve maximum output if its workers are unable to contri bute sustained and energetic work because of ill health or recurring sickness. Simi larly a country cannot progress if its in habitants are illiterate and unskilled.”

Suva Point Airport

OF the proposed expenditure of £1,500,000 under the heading “Communications and General,” the largest item is £340,000, as Fiji’s contribution to the in ternational airport at Suva Point.

The report makes it clear that the com mittee allocated this sum “with consider able diffidence.”

However, it states, the allocation re presents only one-sixth of the total cost of an irremovable asset, which will always be useful for regional and local services.

“Whatever the ultimate verdict of pos terity,” the report adds, “we are convinced at this stage that Fiji stands to lose nothing and may gain much from an in ternational airport. It is at all events worth taking a chance.”

Lautoka’s new electricity plant, installed by the Fiji PWD Department, is now in full operation. Extensions outside the

town will be completed next year. Mr. N.

G. Turley is electrical foreman in charge.