Chalmers And Fiji’S

Sugar

Hold-Up In Cane-Growing Contract

From a Special Representative SUVA, April 8.

THERE are possibilities of trouble in the Fiji sugar industry, where the CSR Co. has not yet been able to complete agreements with the Indian cane farmers in relation to contract price for cane.

By now, the CSR Co. would probably have got all the growers’ unions together in a reasonable agreement regarding the terms of the new contract—probably with a general rise of 10 - per ton—had it not been for N. S. Chalmers, who can only be described as a thoroughly mischievous in fluence.

He is president of the Indian cane growers Union called Kisan Sangh, and he has persuaded that body to stand out of discussions with the CSR Co., and even has been urging them to refuse to plant cane at all. Other Indian leaders —especially Mr. Patel and Mr. Vishnu Deo— are watching the antics of Mr. Chalmers with amusement —but probably are await ing an opportunity to pop in with some claims for which they can take full credit.

This is election year.

There has been little sugar planting so far—but that is really due to the ex ceptionally wet weather. We shall see the effect of the Chalmers’ campaign within the next few weeks.

Mr. Chalmers, once a Government policeman, and for years a practising lawyer in Ba, may be described as a thoroughly frustrated man who, all his life, has wanted to be big and important.

He belongs to that most irritating type of public man—he is woolly-minded. His speeches generally are long, rambling, and full of irrelevancies. When he wants to quote figures he scrambles among a pile of papers—and usually finishes up with the wrong paper—that type of man.

As a propagandist he is not impressive —but he somehow persuaded the Kisan Sangh to make him President and to pay the expenses of a visit first to Australia, and then to India, and to England. Over seas journalists knowing no better, quote him as a representative of the cane growers of Fiji. The Auckland Star made a complete fool of itself recently by pub lishing a piece of nonsense in the shape of an interview with Chalmers, who was returning from England. Chalmers was permitted to inform Auckland—and, through the Press Association, the Empire generally—that there would be a strike unless the Fiji sugar industry was nationalised by June. An utterly ridicu lous statement.

Chalmers, back in Fiji, has denied that he said it.

Private reports received from London say that Chalmers had a very poor re ception in the Colonial Office —mainly be cause of his vague statements and general “woolliness.”

So far, the Government of Fiji has kept out of the argument. The Governor evidently takes the view that this is not a Government fight—that the industry itself must try to settle the dispute over the contract price—and the Government will interfere only as a last resort.

Two doctors recently arrived in Fiji from Canada to join the medical staff of the South Pacific Health Service. They are Dr. G. O. Hallman and Dr. H. W. Con ran. Both have been posted to Fiji. Dr.

Conran is to relieve Dr. J. Taylor, Medi cal Officer of Health, who- is to go on leave shortly. Dr. Hallman is to be posted to Taveuni to replace Dr. B. H. B.

Upton who will also shortly go on leave.