Sugar Report Sponsors

New Mood Of Hope

From a Correspondent Anything carrying so colourless a title as “Report of the Fiji Sugar Inquiry Commission”, would not ordinarily expect to do much for the morale of anybody.

BUT there is a new spirit and a new vigour abroad in Fiji, and especially in the Northwest districts where sugar is the real life-blood of the people, following publication in September of the little blue-covered book with that name.

The sugar inquiry was ordered at the end of last year in an effort to sort out the economics and the many troubles of the industry upon which this British Colony depends.

The inquiry should have been got moving even earlier than it was, but in any case it was done earlier this year and all races of Fiji in Septem ber have been absorbing every word written by Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve and his two fellow commis sioners. (For a summary of the re port see p. 57.) Even the man-in-the-street, the fellow to whom sugar is something to sweeten his tea with, has been dis cussing the report intelligently, for it has been the main topic of conver sation. Farmers, shopkeepers, traders, all seem happier. The main message in the report is that there is good hope the sugar troubles will be solved, and that is good news for the entire economy.

Inclined to Wait When the report was released the Government felt inclined to wait un til the millers, growers and mill workers first mulled it over and came to some agreement as to what they thought. But fortunately it soon rea lised that a Government’s job was to give a lead, so it came out and said what it felt—that it supported the report’s principal recommendations about the need to set up a Sugar Board and a Sugar Advisory Coun cil. It promised to introduce legisla tion to the Legco “at the earliest possible moment”. (A bill has already been prepared.) The Government said it would take urgent steps to meet the Commission’s recommenda tion for an independent chairman— not from Fiji, Australia or India.

It is understood to be looking for a really top man, for it has accepted Trustram Eve’s view that the right man in this position is vital.

Various other Government moves

were made, all designed to show a note of urgency, as well they might.

The CSR, through the chief manager in Fiji, Mr. J. C. Potts, an nounced it considered the Commis sion’s report was a blueprint for the industry, and designed to provide a stable industry. It said the key to progress was the arrival of the in dependent chairman, and it hoped the Government passed bills very soon.

In the canefields they have been saying the same things. The report will do quite well—speed is now what is wanted. There has been one suggestion that a board is not wanted —that a conciliation commissioner could be appointed—but there has been little support for that.

And the factions that have been anti-mill at all costs are visibly losing ground, and many farmers who de layed planting this year are openly regretting their actions.

If the Government really does act quickly, if a first class chairman is appointed and gets working straight away, if the Government firmly meets any effort to intimidate farmers (in timidation after the style of last year’s tactics) then there is a very good chance that a new cane con tract will be signed while the present mood of hope lasts.

Everyone agrees that delay will just mean more problems again for everybody.