[?]iayor Of Suva

The Tireless [?]iayor Of Suva

By a Staff Reporter

In Suva today, between the >uth of the Nubukalou Creek, Awards to the area behind the ble office, a vast reclamation the harbour foreshore is tak

-5 shape.

LREADY, the tidal waters, which > used to lap the foreshore on the oon side of Victoria Parade, have :n pushed out a couple of hundred ds, to where a heavy wall has been istructed from broken stone brought die from the widening of Edinburgh ive.

Steadily and quite quickly, the area ween the edge of Victoria Parade I the new stone wall is being filled Within months, Suva will see there vide, level park, extending far out lind the Cable office fire station, »al Theatre, Central Building and ik of New South Wales, h-obably, the citizens of Suva will unanimous in calling it Stinson k. Others share the credit for the nirable plan; but the thing really taken shape under the ceaseless ye and enthusiasm of Charles ison, while he has been Mayor of ra.

Suva has been served by some worthy, devoted Mayors in the past quarter-century; but it was lucky that Charles Stinson developed his quality of public service just at a time when problems were being created by the rapid growth of the capital, and by the willingness of the Fiji races, other than European, to serve the muni cipality.

Many Problems

Sooner or later, when the swinging pendulum provides us with a less forceful type of European, Suva will have as Mayor a Fijian, or an Indian, or a part-European, or a Chinese, But, at the moment, all the races— and all are represented on the Council

—are well content with Mayor Stin son. He gets things done, and he is trusted to a remarkable degree by all the communities.

Charles Alexander Stinson was born in eastern Fiji, the son of a coconut planter, 42 years ago; was educated at Levuka, and at the Suva Grammar School; and—there being nine children in the family and a Depression still on in his early teens —he went early to work.

He became a professional photo grapher; and, today, through long years of industry and shrewd man agement, he has the largest photo graphy and camera business in Fiji, In World War 11, Stinson served in the Navy; and at Flinders Base, in

Mr. C. A. Stinson.

ustralia, he met and married Miss ollie Dean, an Australian WAAF.

They have three attractive children id Suva has a pretty and gracious ayoress, who matches her husband public service.

Charles Stinson went into the City □uncil in 1952, and now is serving s second term as Mayor. Meanwhile, tanges in the Council’s composition e pending. Next year, the Council ill consist of six Fijians, six Indians, c Europeans, and one Chinese (nom ated).

Whatever happens, when the Coun [ elects its Mayor, Mr. Stinson, by s fairness in a difficult job, his tire -58 activity, and his ability to get ings done, will have set a high mdard of service for the next Mayor.

Mrs. C. A. Stinson.