Must Be Used
p. 49 · Read in the full issue
The Land
Governor’s Pointed Remarks to Fijians
THE Governor of Fiji, Sir Ronald Garvey, addressing the Fiji Legislative Council in Suva in November, emphasised the urgent need for the economic development of Fiji, and for a changed attitude towards land utilisation on the part of the Fijians.
“In a mixed community such as ours,” he said, “with three major races living cheek by jowl but hav ing few social contacts, the economic development of any one of them must not be allowed so to lag be hind as to retard the progress of the whole.”
Although much progress had been made by the Fijians since Cession, and their present contribution to the economy was considerable — especially in the banana and gold industries, and increasingly in the sugar industry of which they now produce 6 per cent, of the crop—it remains true that the Fijian economy has narrow foundations and is largely at a subsistence level based on primitive and unscientific methods of cultivation.
“I regard it as a matter of urgency,” said the Governor, “that the Fijian people themselves, and especially their leaders, should adopt every means available to broaden the basis of their agricultural pro duction ... to ensure a more efficient use of their lands.
“It should be remembered that land in itself is of no value. It is the use to which it is put that gives it value. And this, of course, applies to Fijian reserves.
“The demarcation of these re serves, I am glad to say, is now approaching completion; but it will be a mistake for the owners to re gard them as a guarantee of future economic security. To achieve this objective the land must be developed to the fullest extent.
“It is the duty of all to assist in this development. It may be that, in some ways, full land usage will conflict with the social structure and communal organisation at pre sent applicable to the Fijian people.
If this is found to be the case, adaptions may be necessary since some traditions may conflict with full economic development.”
The Governor considered that the best way of putting this work into full effect was by the appoint ment of Development Officers and the amendment of the Social Ser vices Regulation so as to make the growing and maintenance of economic crops a communal service.