Fijians' 'New Freedom'

Quiet And Orderly

Beer-Drinking

Fijians' 'New Freedom' On February 3

From a Special Representative Suva’s first day of beer-without permits, for Fijian and Indian males over 18 years of age, on February 3, was a victory for the protagonists of the system.

The good behaviour of those who were permitted to drink for the first time in hotels was a blow for those who had forecast dire results.

Restraint and orderliness were apparent all day in Suva’s five hotels.

The majority of public bar patrons were Fijians: and Fijians have a reputation—often deserved— for becoming objectionable and unruly when under the influence.

There was no unseemly behaviour whatever on February 3.

Groups of Fijians in the bars chatted animatedly among them selves, or called out cheerfully to friends.

However, it is difficult to form a balanced judgment on what hap pened on this one day. There are a number of factors to be con sidered.

The first day of “free beer” was two working days after pay-day, and a week-end after the Club Hotel public bar was reopened; and a large proportion of these Fijians already had had “permits” to drink.

End-of-th e-m on th pay-days usually bring bedlam in their wake in and outside all hotels in Suva.

On Friday night, January 31, there was the usual noise.

Next day, February 1, the Club Hotel bar reopened (see elsewhere) —and for years before its closure this was the traditional meeting place of Fijians. So the Fijians had had three opportunities prior to February 3 to spend money on beer.

It could be that permit-holders already had spent their money; and the new drinkers were proceeding with caution.

Scenes in the Bars I made several tours of Suva’s hotels during February 3, and this is my summary.

Grand Pacific. —The public bar almost as quiet as a cemetery, with the biggest crowd between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Few voices were raised.

Bar patrons sat in groups and talked quietly among themselves.

Melbourne. —Everybody well be haved, and the licensee reported no “incidents”. He asked one man to stop singing—but nothing unusual in this.

Club. —Fairly well crowded during most of the day. Biggest crowd, 5

p.m. to 7 p.m. The usual hum. conversation generally assoco with a big bar. The assembly sees happy, but no one was objection!

There were about 100 there closing time.

Garrick.— A big crowd all until about 7 p.m.—no untoward cidents.

Metropole. —A big crowd dvf the evening, but all quiet. Thisl closed an hour before normal ing time.

Regular police patrols may had some effect. Off-duty police f noticeable among the well-behrf bar patrons.

From Ba it was reported thaif bars were “quiet”. There were ; a handful of new patrons—tt who held no permits in the pasi At Tavua, it was pay-day, , the bar was crowded: but tf was no unruliness. There about 50 new patrons.

At Lautoka, conditions wvs “normal”.

What the Drinkers Said Mosese Waqa, 23, of Wailoko, , Suva, having his first drink ;

hotel with the knowledge thasi policeman would not tap him onn shoulder and ask if he had a pern said he had taken a little time; from work to sample his new-fco freedom, and he “liked” the system.

“This is a good idea”, he s “Now I know that I can haw drink of beer whenever I wan'E there is no temptation to try to) something I was not allowed to ( Tomasi Waicala, of Toga, R(£ who had held a “permit”, said:: j is good to know that my ym T friends can now come and havf drink with me, under good coio tions. They could not go into a r because they had no permits.””

Parmanand, 21, an Indian do who lives in Samabula, said he ;

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k beer before, although he had k been in a hotel bar. it this is a good idea”, he said, i having a few drinks now with ds who asked me to join them, it it is spending money for ng. I won’t be here every pay I don’t like the system, and iidian women don’t like it”. cieu Vakaloloma, 22, said it is irst time he had ever had a in a hotel. some ways this is a good thing, in others it is bad”, he said, m we were not allowed to have ■ we respected the law, and our i. Some of that is being lost.

Fijian women don’t like this n. it it is good to be free to drink you feel like it.” \i Bera, a prin ti n g-press tor, did not think the proposal ood for Fijians. ‘‘Most of them >t receive much money, and if spend this in hotels they have ng left until next pay day.” lakai Soi, a work-mate of thought the new system was because the Fijians drank horrible home-made concoc if they could not get beer. But reed with Peni on the financial lesa Sikivou, a member of the ative Council, and senior i master at Queen Victoria il, spent part of the day mak iis own observations. He said is quite satisfied with what he he saw no misbehaviour at all. en told that Fijian women ;ed to the abolition of permits, sa commented: “Only the more ones.” the record, the number of :s for drunkenness in Suva on tiree days was: uary 31, three; February 1, ebruary 2, none. ! number of arrests for drunken in Suva has been very low in t months, except at periods Christmas and New Year. The ge has been two or three on days.