Votes for Fijians

Significant Move in Fiji Racial Problem

Suva, May 8.

THE first official admission in public that there is a consider able stirring, in the customary quiet way, among Fijians who are interested in political developments, was made in forthright fashion by the Governor (Sir Ronald Garvey) in the course of his opening address at the 1954 meeting of the Council of Chiefs.

“I have heard from quite a num ber of different quarters,” he said, “that the Fijian commoner feels that the time has come when he should have a vote similar to that possessed by the other racial groups in the Colony: and I feel that this is a matter to which you should address your close attention. You will, I am sure, agree with me that the Chiefly system on which so much depends should march with the times and should not ignore— for too long—the modern trends of democracy.”

A broader basis of Fijian repre sentation in the Legislative Council was proposed by the Governor. He continued: “I do not suggest any immediate change in the constitution, nor am I thinking in terms of any change in the balance of racial representa tion. but I should like to know whether you feel that one. or per haps two, Fijians should represent the Fijian people generally, and should be voted for on the same basis as other elected members of the Legislature.”

Editorial Note

Experienced and thoughtful Fiji-Europeans, anxious for the future of the Fijian race, for some time have been pointing out that, in the circumstances being created by the more rapid increase of the Indian population, steps must be taken to encourage the individual Fijian to accept a share in local government.

Fijians generally adhere to their old-time communal system, under which all local government authority and decisions are left to their Chiefs and head-men. That has served admirably in the past. It may not serve so well in the future, when the Fiji-Indians, already outnumbering the Fijians, demand the implement ation of the one-man-one-vote system ■which, under Western de mocracy, must ultimately be the basis of the country’s government.

It is gratifying to the friends of Fiji to note, from the Governor’s guarded statement, that the govern ing authority is giving thought to this angle of a very difficult problem.

At present, all five Fijian un )fficial members of the Legislative

Council are chosen by the Gov ernor from a panel of ten elected by the Council of Chiefs, voting by secret ballot. Of the five European and five Indian unofficials, three of each group are elected and two are Government nominees. r Capt. H. M. Boulton. MC, has been appointed Commanding Officer of the Ist Heavy Regiment, Fiji Artillery, with temporary rank of Major.

Mr. D. T. Lloyd has arrived in Fiji on transfer from Sierra Leone to take up the post of Deputy- Director of Lands. if Mr. A. H. Chadwick has been appointed Supervisor of Technical Services in Fiji and is expected in the Colony in September. Mr.

Chadwick has been a teacher of woodwork, metal-work, book-bind ing and pottery in the United King dom since 1934.