With Half-Truths And Exaggeration

Fiji Suffers Some Chock-Eyed Journalism

What A 2-Days Tourist Can Do

Sydney Bulletin, in its issue of June 13, published a mis chievous summary of political n,d social conditions in Fiji, ritten by someone signing himself CC (NZ). Indications are that he some sort of half-baked journalist, ho spent a few hours in Suva hile a tourist ship was in port.

Without knowing anything of iji’s history —especially in the last ) years—he said that Fiji has too uch autocratic rule; that the hite man oppresses the Indian and zploits the Fijian; that the system '■ permitted liquor-drinking is lop ded and based on racial prejudices; lat autocracy and the Government mtrol the local news-stories; that Ijian ex-servicemen were excluded om Anzac Day reunions; that lis racial discrimination and itocratic rule provide a "nursery ' communism.”

The following is the substance of reply sent to The Bulletin for nblication by Mr. R. W. Robson: LS one who has known Fiji in timately for 25 years, and as Publisher of Pacific Islands

Monthly and Publisher and part owner of The Fiji Times I ■ P r ° te strongly against the fari ;¥?9' nonsense which you have published in your issue of June 13, unde heading of The White Mans Burden.

It is typical of the cunning exaggerations and vmious half truths which now find their way into print in many newspapers, and which completely misrepresent con ditions in countries somewhat off the beaten I deal seriatim with the absurdities supplied by your contributor. c ol° ur dl stin c tioris m Fiji exist mostly m the jnmds of a small section of Indians perpetual inferiority complex. The great majority of Europeans, Indians, Fiijans, Chinese and part- Europeans dwell quite harmoniously together. I have seen nothing such as your imaginative contributor de scribes—and I have been living m the midst of them for months.

I know of no hotel bar that is closed to persons of any colour, so long as they have a permit to drink alcohol. There is a very serious and

increasing liquor problem in Fiji— but it is caused, not as a result of some races being forbidden to drink, but because they are allowed to drink.

The permit system was introduced because all races insisted that they should have equality in this respect; and it is now likely to be revised because it has been and is being so gravely abused.

The majority of Indians can hold their liquor quite well; but the majority of Fijians and Fijian- Europeans, definitely cannot.

Drunken disorder and noise are in creasing, especially at week-ends, and now are so serious that casual visitors are appalled by what they can see and hear, even around so well-conducted a place as the Grand Pacific Hotel.

Of all the Islanders I know—and I know the lot—the Fijian is out standing as Nature’s gentleman; yet there is something in the Fijian make-up which reacts horribly to alcohol—with a few drinks, he be comes a howling and irresponsible savage.

About 25 per cent, of the trained Fijian school-teachers produced at Nasinu College have to be cancelled out as teachers because of drunken ness —a very serious problem to v/hich not enough attention has been given.

Personally, I would keep liquw away from all Fijians, except in special cases. (Over)

YOUR contributor animadverts on the Fiji political system, under which the British Governor is a complete autocrat, and the aver age man has no vote. It was dis covered, by trial and error, 20 years ago, that any large measure of self government, based on a common roll, is quite impracticable, so long as the present community set-up remains.

The Fijians, although literate in Fijian, are still mostly ruled and directed in all everyday affairs by their village chiefs, and know noth ing and care less about self-govern ment.

The British, under the Deed of Cession, must protect the Fijians’ land rights. The Fijians, number ing 140,000, own the land. The Indians, numbering 165,000, own practically no land, and naturally are land-hungry.

What would happen if all the people were given voting rights?

Inevitably, the Indians would seize political power; and, inevitably, they would try to share land rights with the Fijians. That, surely, would lead to a struggle between Fijians and Indians.

People say: If they can give in creasmg self-government to Mauritius (which is so similar to Fiji), why not to Fiji? There is a fundamental difference. In Mauritius (which I visited last year) the non indians are a mixture of people from Africa and Asia—there is no indigenous race, with irrevocable

land rights, as in Fiji. Until the Fijians change their communal system of life —and they are chang ing quickly, now—the only kind of Government likely to maintain the present peace and harmony in the Colony is the present system—a wise Governor with unrestricted powers, advised by a Legislative

Council that is partly elective partly nominative.

YOUR contributor’s description oi the enslavement of Fijian housegirls at £4 per month ii absurd. The cheapest Fijian women servant I could find for four hours daily work (no Sundays) cost £i

month, and was supplied with ills s publisher of The Fiji Times, I say that the statement that e Government controls local /s stories” is a deliberate he, and t of the campaign which a cer i class of irresponsible news lermen has been waging for nths against Fiji s well-known jlic Realtions Office. As far as I >w the Fiji PRO has never either hheld a Government news story . for publication, or attempted influence its presentation by the fl newspaper. r ou r contributors statement ,ut the Anzac Day reunion and emonies is the worst misrepre tation of all. The march was led a Fijian band; if you will put magnifying glass onto the at hed photograph of the marching amn you will distinguish the as of the Fijians; and I myself sonally saw Fijians present 9" i Anzac Day dinner, although it 5 intended to be a private Euro- Ln function. There is a warm i increasing friendship between ropeans and Fijians, and any :gestion to the contrary is purely

ichievous.

ERTAIN Indian agitators, strongly anti-European, have been working upon a section of i Indian cane-growers, but they ve not achieved much, rhe great majority of the fiji •n and educated Indians are rthy people, good citizens, and trouble-makers; the relations ween them and the British are tegood; and they accept the pre

it non-representative admimstra

n as a necessary stage between I old, communal set-up and the ainment of a new system of in casing self-government, based on >ater education and the gradual appearance of racial barriers. £eep the political agitators and j irresponsible, sensation-seeking irnalists out of Fiji, and Fiji will very well indeed, and will con ue to provide all four races with secure and comfortable home. rhe Governor of Fiji, Sir Ronald irvey, accompanied by Lady Lrvey, is to pay a State visit to nga (including outer islands), >m July 30 to August 9. In ikualofa, capital of Tonga, they II stay at the British Residency guests of the British Agent and insul, Mr. C. R. H. Nott. Functions their honour have been arranged Queen Salote.

Major C. A. Swinbourne, of Syd y, who is known to very many icific Islands residents as the hos table President of the Pacific lands Society, suffered a heart at ck at the end of June, and was ken to the Manly District Hospital r special treatment. He is making good recovery, but is instructed to ke life “quietly” in future.