[?]Ijian Development

[?]Und’S

[?]Ork Expanding

)ROVINCIAL balances in the Fijian Development Fund on September 30 totalled £548,310, jording to a statement by the iian Development Fund Board on vember 30. ✓opra levies in August-September ailed £44,721 (of which Cakau >ve contributed £11,590 and Lau ,484) and withdrawals from the id in the two months amounted £28,013. ?he board’s balance-sheet for the r ended on July 31, 1955, showed r ear’s surplus of £2,126. ’he annual report states that to intain efficiency administration ts have not been reduced. Ad listration cost £7,649 in the year, tries accounting for £5,943. The f comprised a secretary, account , travelling inspector, four Fijian ■ks, two machine operators, a lographer-typist and an office he report adds: “A large per fcage of the depositors are con : to allow their cess to accumu until they possess a sum which be expended on something worth le. Nevertheless applications for idrawal are received daily, and :h time is occupied by the staff rviewing depositors who come to board’s offices from remote parts he Group. There is ample evid * that depositors realise and reciate the purpose for which fund was created and seek ad regarding applications for with val and information concerning amounts held on their behalf.”

JIANS produce between one half and two-thirds of Fiji’s output of copra. When the in Development Fund trust was blished in 1951, the then etary for Fijian Affairs (Ratu Lala Sukuna) said that the st was “to obtain for the Fijian nunity some lasting benefit out he high prices being paid for nodities and to ensure that the jrs of the fund provide them s with better houses, healthier brighter surroundings, and good sufficient water supplies before hing else.” e 1955 report states that the i has had prepared, under the '6 of Ratu Dr. J. A. R. Dovi, >, a plan for a type of house suit for Fijian villages. The “Dovi, ’’ houses can be built in several s: (1) iron roof, thatched walls earth floor; (2) iron roof, ;hed walls and wooden floor; iron roof, wooden walls and en floor; (4) as at (3) but com with kitchen.

These plans, states the report, are popular with depositors and many applications for the purchase of materials have been approved.