Squabbles

Lautoka’S Absurd

SUVA, July 28.

AT mid-July, the faction war within the Lautoka Town Coun cil, between present Mayor Hollander and former Mayor C. A.

Adams, was still in progress.

The fight seems to have had its genesis in personal feeling, and intolerance. It directly manifested itself in June, when Mayor Hollander —for some reason un known—refused the use of Churchill Park to the Lautoka Basketball Association (11 clubs) because it was not affiliated with the Suva Basketball Association; whereupon a majority of Town Councillors in sisted the Mayor reverse his decision, and allow the Lautoka basketballers to use the Park.

The Mayor says he permitted the use of the ground as soon as he knew more of the circumstances.

Mr. Adams says he “surrendered with a bad grace.”

All sorts of petty matters then were ventilated. Late in June the Adams section got a special meet ing of the Council which, by 6-4, passed a resolution of no-confidence in Mayor Hollander. (Ayes, Adams, Beddoes, Naidu, Nityanand, Patel, Prasad: Noes, Hollander, Stokes, Corbett, Saukuru.) Mayor Hollander refused to re sign over such a “petty” thing; he declared the attack upon him was organised by one man, out of per sonal grudge. He challenged the malcontents to petition the Govern ment for the dissolution of the Council.

It seems an extraordinary storm in a teacup, and is deplored by re sponsible people in the Northwest districts. Both Mr. Adams (who has given much excellent public service to this area) and Mr. Hollander (a newcomer, and now the man ager of the Northern Hotels Com pany) are held in high respect in the district; but both now are blamed for an absurd situation.