Unemployment

Army Service The Answer?

Unemployment Growing Fiji Problem

From a Staff Correspondent In Fiji Many have been the sugges tions for easing the unemploy ment problem of Fiji, none of them very practical, with finance the main bugbear.

THE latest, from the lips of A Ravuama Vunivalu, a Fijian member of the Legislative Council, to raise an infantry battalion for service anywhere in the Common wealth, brought no joyous response from officialdom. In fact, they ignored it.

Ravuama, a young well-educated Fijian and a fluent speaker, made his suggestion at the annual meeting of the Fijian Association, of which he is president.

If put into effect Ravuama’s sug gestion would mean a line battalion of about 800 strong, plus a reserve of 150 to 200 as reinforcements— roughly 1,000 men drawing a pay cheque each week. Ravuama gave no details of how money should be raised to pay the soldiers and their de pendents, except that it could be paid from funds which, at present, support other Commonwealth forces.

Another snag, apart from finance, is that such a battalion would draw off the cream of Fijian youth. Only a handful of Indians could be ex pected to volunteer for such a battalion, and other men would be left to roam the streets of the main towns as heretofore.

Manpower Shortage

When a battalion was formed to go to Malaya in 1952 to hunt Communist terrorists out of the jungle the best of the young Fijians rushed to volunteer.

Their departure for foreign shores left a large gap which was not filled until the battalion returned four years later.

Villages badly battered in the 1952 hurricane and rocked in the earth quake of 1953, had to get along as best they could with temporary re pairs, until sufficient able-bodied young men became available in 1956 and 1957 to do a proper job.

So it would happen again if an

battalion were formed—for the is are intensely loyal to the n. Ravuama himself, incident was one of those patriotic Fijians joined the colours when the ion went to Malaya, an editorial on the matter, the Times commented, “It may well ked why any Fijians should be ted from their homeland be of a swamping population in !, due principally to the per tly high birth-rate of a non community.” j pressure of unemployment ease shortly when several major ;ts get fully under way. The Suva scheme, which will cost about 3,000 and which has already 3, will employ about 500 men. v Lautoka high school will take 150, and other projects of a nature, will absorb a few more, wever, these projects are not inent. When they are finished, next? Fiji is not likely to get dless stream of funds from the rovernment for development.

Not Enough Industry

andary industries in the Suva autoka areas would take in some )se who now roam the streets, lew secondary industries are nd far between. Fiji Industries which will operate a cement y, may take 80 or 90, but this Here drop in the ocean com with the figure of more than who leave school each year.

Suva Chamber of Commerce ggested a land battalion for all as a means of solving problems ited with youth delinquency, 'ere the Government to make available, if there is any to red, this would go a long way Is solving the problem, there would have to be ready ration from unemployed young

men who hang around the streets of the main towns. They would have to be prepared to work hard to develop virgin holdings, completely unroaded.

The Chamber suggestion has gone to a committee which is dealing with the problems of youth, and no doubt it will receive earnest consideration.

In July, Fiji will also introduce Employment Exchanges, which will enable the Government to assess accurately the degree of unemployment in each centre as well as finding jobs for those needing them. There will be 10 exchanges on the main island of Viti Levu, and at Labasa, Vanua Levu.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ayodha Prasad,

general secretary of the Fiji Kisan Sangh, which is a canegrowers’ or ganisation with over 3,000 members, has complained bitterly to a PIM staff correspondent that he could provide work for at least 300 cane-cutters at very good rates, but can’t get them, Mr. Prasad thinks the most prob able cause is that Fiji labour “does not like really laborious tasks” such as cane cutting, and prefers lighter employment.

He might have real cause for com plaint. Will the hundreds of young, able-bodied lads hanging round the pubs and street corners register with the exchanges? It will be interesting to find out.