‘Spring Cleaning’

[?]i's New Governor [?]icates ‘Spring Cleaning’

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Dec. 1.

OPES that Fiji has acquired a vigorous and forthright Gov -3r who will show scant patience i unnecessary official window ing and will inject a blast of h air into some of the stuffy tiers of the Colony’s governmental up may be justified. Sir Ronald vey’s opening address to the ;islative Council’s Budget session gested that some administrative ng-cleaning is on the way.

Vith almost uncanny accuracy, Ronald pointed a rebuking finger many of the blunders and short

lings which—too often glossed

r or evaded in suave official state tits—have in the past caused anger I a feeling of frustration among •pie who have the interests of Fiji heart. Some of the points made the Governor’s address were: Kt a certain well-equipped district pital the laundry arrangements :ggar description’’ and result at sent in the spending of £l,OOO a x in “farming out the dirty linen.” \t another hospital, for the last 17 irs, lighting has been provided by landful of hurricane lanterns which any time could have been replaced an electric light plant at the cost a few hundred pounds. \ third hospital is “possibly quite fond redemption.”

While some of the housing for the lice in country districts is admir e, in other cases it is “so cramped d squalid as to be a disgrace to * Department, the Administration d the Government.”

At Suva Gaol, the accommodation ■ condemned men, in relation to the Hows, is “inhumane and should be rtified without delay.”

Sir Ronald expressed surprise at * fact that no progress had been ide in the provision of cool holiday

resorts such as a mountain resort at Nadarivatu. He said: “In view of the heavy cost of passages to the neighbouring Dominions, especially for a man with family responsibilities, as well as the cost of hotels and so on, I hope that we shall be able to press along a little faster with the provision of such facilities. I am not suggesting that the Government should enter the hotel business—God forbid!—but it may be that we can find the means to assist those who are interested in such a development.

The Governor said he had noted persistent criticism in the press of the conduct of Fiji’s War Memorial Anti- Tuberculosis Campaign. He promised

to go into this matter at an early date, and added that the campaign was a subject in which Lady Garvey would take particular interest, j s som e time since Fiji has had so muc h plain speaking from a repre sentative of the Sovereign. The public rea ction has indicated keen interest anc a w ide measure of appreciation, recently Mr - * re> T’ £1 ♦ t l hi manager of K.madan Plantation, to gone to Ko p & Manager on Londip p^ a " tatl °"* ** place r at Meto Mr. J. Caulfield, formerly of Meto Plantation, Vitu.