[?] Milne Scott, QC,

Very Notable

In Is Dead

[?] Milne Scott, QC, [?]er Statesman of Fiji

EATH and retirement have been wiping the names of Fiji's elder statesmen off the Fijian slate y thoroughly in recent years, th the passing of Sir Henry ►tt, the little band which in toed Fiji’s history in bold letters ;e the turn of the century, for succeeding generations to read, e nearly all gone, he future of the country rests ti a younger generation of Euro ns, Fijians, part-Europeans and ians. A new line-up of patriotic i—with perhaps a new view it. enry Marks, Maynard Hedstrom, *ry Scott, Hugh Ragg, Alport ker, J. P. Bayly, the older tellos—there never was any bt about where they stood, and it Fiji meant in their eyes. They ►ed to build it as a 100-per-cent, ish Colony, and as a bulwark of vidualism and enterprise. They wed implicity in the flag which r fathers planted, and which f themselves protected. r ith the passing of Sir Henry

Scott, on May 20 —only a month after his 80th birthday—the old order is nearly finished. He had not taken a prominent place in Fiji public life for a couple of decades: but always he was there in the

background, a strong influence upon Governors and Departmental heads, whether they liked it or not. They may not have accepted Sir Henry's

advice—but none could ignore it, or him.

HE was a Kai Viti —born in the Colony only 18 months after the Fijian chiefs had ceded it to a reluctant British Crown. His father, William Scott, arrived in Fiji as a cotton-planter long before Cession; became qualified as a lawyer; and in 1874 he established the law firm of William Scott and Company; and Harry, naturally, was destined to carry on the law practice after his father died in 1898.

He not only built it up to be the biggest and best law business in the South Pacific Islands—he also, as a result of his forensic skill and outstanding business ability, be came personally a very rich man.

He had remarkable success as a lawyer; and, as a commercial man, he was associated, through various

Sir Henry Milne Scott.

channels, with the growth and de velopment of such major corpora tions as Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd. and Burns Philp (South Sea) Co. Ltd. For thirty years, there was scarcely a major move made in Fiji, in law, in commerce or in government, with which Henry Milne Scott was not connected.

His sense of public duty was re markable. He attained, and occupied with credit, practically all the public offices available to a civilian in Fiji. He was a member of the Executive and Legislative Councils, and Mayor of Suva on many occasions and for long terms, and he was very proud of the worthy service he gave to the Colony, with out stint and in many fields. For decades, he was Fiji’s most prom inent civilian. He earned, over and over again, the Knighthood which was bestowed upon him in 1928.

In his later years, after he had retired from more active public duties, he took personal charge of the organisation which controls the Leper Hospital at Makogai Island, off Levuka, to which are sent lepers from the surrounding archipelagoes.

The care which he gave to the supervision of this establishment and his intense personal interest in the welfare of the unfortunate people gathered there, and his in

sistent demand that governments, press and public should give to Makogai all the help that lay in their power, were typical of him.

His Makogai record will remain always as a monument to the best

qualities of a truly great man. ] No one with positive qualities, strong will and a stubborn mind his own can escape criticism a: enemies: and Sir Henry Scott h his share of both. But none deni

outstanding qualities, nor failed give him respect. Fiji is a sr country for his citizenship; Fiji will not be the same with his dominant personality. ; was a stern mentor, but never ig. As a strong young man in young Colony of Fiji, he ured life to the full. He was a 3, athletic type; he shone in il activities of all kinds; he no hesitation in sampling all of pleasures that Fiji and Britain Australia had to offer. He a famous sportsman, cricketer, big game fisherman. In his years, he was called upon to e many people, in his public in his professional spheres; but judgments and decisions were :ed by a tolerant understand and softened occasionally by a humour. 1900, Sir Henry Scott was led happily to Miss Nellie Weir say, daughter of the Chairman he Methodist Mission in Fiji, hey had four children —the Hon. [aurice Scott, DFC, who, apart a distinguished war career, had been a member of the law firm, now becomes head of William ; and Company; and three hters, all of whom are now He took silk in 1912.

Henry became ill about the ming of this year; and it soon ne apparent that his powers failing. But, such was his nitable spirit, he refused to d himself as an invalid. Even [arch last, when he found it difficult to walk, he insisted he be taken to Sydney, where alists soon would put him on eet again, so that he could be •man of the Third South Pacific srence, to start in late April, duly went to Sydney’s St. ;nt’s Hospital. But the alists there could give him only ?ath sentence, and he was ;ht home by Mr. and Mrs. ice Scott, in early May, so that uld spend his last hours in the ;ry he loved so well, lumerable tributes to Sir y Scott, as citizen, lawyer and ) man were paid to his memory month in Fiji, Australia and Zealand. isea Tikoilau, brother of Cor- Sefanaia Sukanaivalu, Fiji’s Victoria Cross winner, is to go andon for the Victoria Cross ;nary Celebrations in June. He lever been away from Fiji be but arrangements have been for him to be met in London r. J. S. Thomson, an adminis e officer from Fiji who served tie Solomons with Corporal laivalu in the Third Battalion, Infantry Regiment. Mr. ison is at present seconded to Colonial Office.