Fiji's Government

Commission of Inquiry

No Changes, But

Some Plans, For

Fiji's Government

The Commmission of Inquiry

to consider the future economic

and social needs of the popula

tion of Fiji (announced by the

Governor of Fiji on August 15)

has been appointed by the British

Colonial Office.

r:E chairman of the Commission will be the well known Sir Alan Burns, GCMG, who was a British Colonial Governor from 1934 to 1947, and Britain’s repre sentative on the Trusteeship Council of UNO from 1947 to 1956.

He came to the South Pacific, as the head of one of those Trustee ship Council Missions, in 1950, and made a favourable impression in New Guinea and Western Samoa.

Another member is Professor A.

T. Peacock, Professor of Economics at the University of Edinburgh. As a member of the Colonial Economic Research Committee, he carried out a national income study in

Tanganyika.

The name of the third member of the Commission has not been announced.

The terms of reference of the Commission are wide and simple: “To examine the surveys of the Colony’s natural resources and population trends and, having regard to the need to ensure the maintenance of a good standard of living for all sections of the community, to recommend how the develop ment of the Colony and its resources should proceed The Commission is expected to arrive in Fiji in July or August, 1959. It is unlikely that it will report to the British Colonial Office before 1960.

Meanwhile, a new Governor (Sir Kenneth Maddocks, KCMG) took charge of Fiji on October 28. He is due to retire about 1961.

Professor O. H. K. Spate, who has been Professor of Geography at the National University, Canberra, since 1951, and who has had ex perience in London and in Burma, is now in Fiji, to prepare a report

upon the social and economic conditions of the Fijian people, “and the difficulties which they will meet and must overcome in their efforts for economic advancement”.

It is presumed that this report is for the guidance of Sir Alan Burns’

Commission.

See Editorial Commentary, “And The Deadly Inertia of Whitehall”.

Fiji Swears in a

New Governor

Fiji's new Governor, Sir Kenneth Maddocks, took office in October. He was sworn-in by the Chief Justice, Mr.

Justice Lowe (above) at a colourful ceremony in Suva which was attended by leading Government and private dignitaries.

He is the 20th Governor of Fiji.

An official welcome to Sir Kenneth was extended by the Speaker of the Legislative Council, Suva solicitor Mr.

Maurice Scott, who said that at times Fiji had been urged to model itself on other Colonies, but Fiji, which was free of serious internal strife, preferred to retain its identity and be an example to other communities.

Photo: Rob Wright, Fiji PRO.