Fijians Won't Accept Major Clauses

Of The Bums Plan

Little progress has been made in the adoption by,Fiji of the Bums Plan, published last March, and designed to re-arrange the govern mental structure so as to provide for the demands of a greatly iozcreased —and increasing — population.

A LARGE proportion of the Report’s minor recommendations have been agreed to by the Government; but the few major recommendations—w ith o u t the acceptance of which the Burns Plan is virtually useless—have still to be agreed to. , Council of Fijian Chiefs, after lengthy sessions, informed th e Governor on September 7 that it mission s report for the 8-Dolition ox the Fiji Administration and the merging of its powers in the Central Administration; penal taxation of Fijian-owned lands which are not being effectively used; and other recommendations relating to the use of revenues from lands. The Council by a small majority, accepted in ’ principle the direct election of three Fijian representatives to the

Legislative Council, plus two elected by the Council of Chiefs, The effect of the Council of Chiefs’ decisions is to stultify the Burns Commission’s plan of reform. The Commission in its Report em phasised that its plan must be accepted as a whole.

Expert observers say the refusal of the Fijians to agree to the major

recomme Adations-?especlally refoi-m

of administration and reform of the i nAnffAi nf :n rwnKnKiTr _•__ i probably cripple th ® wh “ e . p J a JV „ The Legislative Council will meet on September 27; but several weeks probably will elapse before it will commence consideration of the Burns Report. This debate would be come one of the most important and critical in the recent history of Fiji.