The Month In Fiji

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, May 31.

THE aerial survey of Fiji is now being made. An Airspeed Oxford aircraft owned by the English firm of Hunt ing Aerosurveys, and piloted by Captain R. M. Rusk, a former squadron leader of Coastal Command, is now at work.

This survey is part of the colony s Development Plan; and it will enable accurate maps to be made of any part of the larger islands, assist in planning roads, water supplies, power schemes, and help in geological and soil surveys. The work of preparing the maps will be done in London by the staff of Colonial Sur veys.

The expedition is a self-contained unit with its own processing equipment, and comprises Mr. H. Lewis (a Bomber Com mand navigator during the war) as navi gating officer and photographic manager; Mi-. H. C. Adkins, as engineer officer; and Mr. D. Fergusson, as photographer.

The survey should be completed by the end of the year.

Population Of Fiji

It is estimated that the population of Fiji, at the end of 1950, was 293,764, an increase of 8,809 in a year.

The largest single racial group is the 1 Indian, being 138,425. Fijians, who now are estimated to number 129,896, formed the next largest group, showing an in crease of 3,246 on the year.

Europeans were estimated to total 6,501, an increase of 375 over the year. Other j members from Pacific groups residing in i the Colony were estimated to be 18,942. ;

Colony To Largely Control Its J

Own Finances

The control of the public finances of \ Fiji exercised by the Secretary of State I for the Colonies was relaxed on January 1, 1951, and most of his responsibilities in i this respect now devolve upon the Legislative Council of Fiji.

The Secretary of State, having relin- quished his detailed control of the colony’s J expenditure and examination of accounts, I will henceforth confine his interests to 1 the broad issues of fiscal policy. His in terest in these will be preserved by con sultation and discussion between the Fiji Government and the Colonial Office.

The annual estimates will continue to be submitted in draft to the Legislative Council for detailed consideration in sup port of the annual Appropriation Ordin ance, but they will no longer require the Secretary of State’s approval.

All supplementary provision will be authorised by the Legislative Council. In urgent cases, however, the Governor may authorise expenditure not exceeding £5,000 in any one case, the covering approval of the Legislative Council being obtained as soon as possible thereafter.

New posts in the Civil Service will be created by the Governor, with the appro val of the Legislative Council, without reference to London. Any general review of salaries and conditions will continue to require London’s concurrence, however.

London retains authority over the 1 raising of new loans, including local loans,, but formal sanction for expenditure from, loan funds will no longer be needed.

Local Price Of Copra

The Management Committee of the Copra Board on May 4 decided to reduce; the local buying price of Copra by £1 a t ton, in order to meet the increased costs of handling copra.

As from May 7, the local buying price of copra at Suva and Levuka became £54/10/6 a ton for Plantation Grade, and £54/5/0 for F.M.S.

No Export Of Motor Vehicles

The export of motor vehicles of all, classes, except with the written authority of the Comptroller of Customs, has been

prohibited.

This has come as a shock to those eople who were planning to take their ars to New Zealand with them, on the rst stage of their journey home to Eng ind. After touring New Zealand, the sual procedure has been to sell the car t top prices in that country.

However, this step has been taken be ause the rearmament programme in the r nited Kingdom will divert scarce labour nd materials from the production of Dods for civilian consumption to the pro uction of weapons of war. In consc ience, the supply of new motor vehicles ill be severely curtailed. It is thus lanned to safeguard the colony’s stock I motor vehicles.

Although permission will be necessary > export any vehicle, the Comptroller : Customs will grant licences freely in ;spect of vehicles which were manu ictured before the year 1947, owned by isidents who are leaving the colony to ike up permanent residence elsewhere, id who have had the car for more than x months; or vehicles, owned by Fiji isidents, who require the car for a tour /erseas, provided the owner promises le return of the vehicle to the colony ithin a certain period.

Notable May Anniversaries

Two anniversaries of local interest icurred the first week in May.

In 1789, which was 162 years ago, on mday, May 6, Captain William Bligh ught his first sight of the main island Fiji, Viti Levu, as he was making his ay to the Dutch East Indies in the aunty’s launch, after being cast adrift r the mutineers.

On May 2, 1867, Ratu Cakobau was owned King of the first Kingdom of au, in the church on the island. A con mporary report says that the crown as made of zinc by a carpenter of ;vuka, at a cost of 4i dollars and was esplendent with such gems as the stores Levuka could supply.” A later report scribes the crown as having been made

of wood, covered with gold paper, and decorated with gems taken from cheap brooches. However, all reports agree that Cakobaus strong natural dignity and deportment overcame the tawdriness of his re'galia. A salute of 21 guns was fired, and the Bauan flag—a rising sun on a blue ground with a crown in the top corner—was hoisted.

The first immigrant ship from India was the “Leonidas,” which reached Levuka, after a passage of 72 days, on May 14. 1879. with 481 immigrants.

On May 24, 1891, the then young town of Suva suffered a great fire, which de

stroyed the principal shopping and busi ness block of buildings, together with valuable stocks.

To put an end to internal troubles of Pong standing in Rotuma, the chiefs, about May 23, 1879, wrote to the Governor of Fiji. Sir William des Voeux, offering to cede their island to Great Britain. Their offer was accepted, and Rotuma was for mally annexed on May 13, 1881.

On May 21, 1924, the Special Service Squadron of the British Navy entered Suva Harbour in the course of an Em pire cruise. The squadron included the warships “Hood,” “Repulse,” “Delhi,”

“Denau,” and “Dauntless,” names which became famous in World War 11.

About People

Mr H. M. McMillan left for New Zealand this month. He is senior Lecturer at the Nasinu Teachers’ Training College.

Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Hewlett, and small son, have returned from holiday leave in Australia and New Zealand. As there is no home as yet at Nadi Airport for Mr.

Hewlett. Mrs. Hewlett is living in Suva while Mr. Hewlett carries out his work as Public Relations Officer at Nadi.

Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Stevenson, and

daughter, returned to Suva last week from overseas leave. Their daughter has recovered from her recent illness.

A large gathering of the staff of the Mechanical Engineers’ Branch of the Public Works Department recently fare welled Mr. J. E. Bish, who was proceeding on leave prior to retirement. A presenta tion was made to Mr. Bish by Mr. B. L.

Cronin, on behalf of the staff. Among those present was Mr. H. J. Sabben, 0.8. E., a former Mechanical Engineer who had arrived in the Colony on a brief visit from Australia. Mr. Bish entered Government service in 1928. Before that,

he was an engineer in Union SS Co. vessels. He was on the “Wairuna” when it was captured by the German railer “Wolf” in the Kermadec Group in World War I. He spent nine months on the “Wolf” before being taken to Germany, Mr. and Mrs. Bish and daughter have gone on a visit to Britain.

Air Vice-Marshal D. V. Carnegie, C. 8., Chief of the Air Staff, Royal New Zealand Air Force, has been inspecting RNZAF installations in Fiji and Samoa. He was involved in a forced landing at Batiki, in the Koro Sea, of the RNZAF Catalina flying-boat, during a storm late one after noon, on its return from Apia. The night was spent in the Catalina, which returned to Suva early next morning.

Mr. Harold Rabling, Chairman and Managing Director of the Vacuum Oil Co. Pty. Ltd., accompanied by Mrs.

Rabling, was in the Colony, from Sydney, on a week’s visit. He gained first-hand knowledge of conditions and problems affecting this area of his Company’s marketing territory.

The engagements are announced of Shirley, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

A. W. Evans, of Lautoka, to Mr. Alistair Flett, of Taree, New South Wales; and of Margaret Elizabeth, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Emberson, of Suva, to Mr. Kenneth Ross Bain, of Auckland.

Mr. P. N. Dalton, Crown Counsel, Gold Coast, has been transferred to Fiji as Solicitor General, and arrived in June.

The former Attorney General, Mr. B. A.

Doyle, has left the Colony on leave. Mr.

W. G. Bryce, Crown Counsel, will act as Attorney General pending the arrival of Mr. Dalton.

Superintendent B. F. Hooper, of the Fiji Police, accompanied by Mrs. Hooper, returned to Suva in May from a vacation in the United Kingdom.

Sir Henry Milne Scott, K.C., who is on a visit to the United Kingdom, expects to return to the colony in July.

Mrs. S. J. Cocks, widow of the late Captain Robert Cocks, a former Harbour Master of Suva and Levuka, died suddenly on April 29, at Sydney. She was the eldest daughter of the late Mr. David Wilkinson, who was interpreter at the signing of the Deed of Cession at Nasova, Levuka, in 1874, and a prominent figure in public affairs, both before and after the cession.