Ignorant Indians
p. 63 · Read in the full issue
Cause A
Press Explosion
Suva, Jan. 19.
ON January 15, a new Indian member of the Suva Town Council penetrated, without authority, the printing-room of the Fiji Times , read through some sorted but unset copy, and pro ceeded to sub-edit a report of a Town Council debate, to his own satisfaction. When an agitated worker reported to the main office, the Fiji Times management all but went up in a puff of smoke.
Threatening to boycott Town Council debates, the newspaper said that this instance of “colossal effrontery” marked the end of patience with certain Indian coun cillors who, in their ignorance of normal relations between public and press, had since the last election, attempted to dictate what should and should not be published, had “made personal representations based on a desire for self advertisement”, and had kept up a barrage of trivial objections.
An editorial ended: “Recently there has been a sharp increase in attempts to direct or influence the conduct of the Fiji Times. In case this has to be dealt with drastically, the situation is now placed before all readers”.