[?]Commentry

ne Silver Lining

Fiji's Clouds

SPIRIT of optimism seems abroad in Fiji. Perhaps it is ied. Let the reader judge for elf. Here is a balance sheet of 1, political and economic condi , made as on November 30:

On The Debit Side

A loss of £2 millions in over trade, a direct result of the Patel red strike of cane-growers in . Crushing ceased in October ise there was no more cane, nally, there should have been lillion more of marketable sugar.

No worth-while progress in in ed land usage or the establish of new industries, to take care e increasing population—high in :ase of Fijians, phenomenal in ndian community.

No spirit of unity or co-opera in attacking the Colony’s prob among the Colony’s communi ; Fijians, Indians, Europeans and Europeans). is is due mostly to the with ti and suspicious attitude of the is, brought about largely by the : of Indian cane-growers. For pie, the negative stand of the is hamstrung the recommenda of the Burns Commission de -1 to meet Fiji’s economic ems.

On The Credit Side

Millions of new money is com i (some from Fiji Government , but mostly from Colonial and iopment funds) for expenditure :apital accounts—for example, £3 millions on Suva port recon ion, now under way.

The newly-appointed Develop- Commissioner, Mr. Eric Beving has gone to work with siasm, and tireless industry. He naking increased availability isage of native-owned lands his task. More land for increased iltural production (for home imption and for export) will some of Fiji’s acute problems, he Development Commissioner’s and energy could be blunted st a wall of Fijian indifference unco-operativeness. Governmen icking is not enough—he needs lelp of both the Fijian com ty and the big Australian in s operating in Fiji.

Fiji’s normal revenues, this

year, are healthy, and increasing. • The adoption of the recommen dations of the Sugar Industry Com mission gives promise of urgently needed peace within the Colony’s most important industry. If the new Chairman of the Industry has the right qualities (which will include an ability to work closely with the CSR company, the Indian growers and the new Development Commis sioner), Fiji might soon enter a much better era. • All the various Fiji communi ties—whose political views are widely divergent—have accepted, with ap parent content, the Governor’s amendments of the Constitution. Re cent attempts to introduce some measure of self-government (especially, the idea of Legco mem bers becoming Ministers) have been abandoned, but representation of Fijians in Legco will gradually be transferred from Council of Chiefs’ nominees to Fijians elected by in dividual Fijians.

It seems a sound move; but the process—representing a challenge to age-old traditions and privileges—will be complex and slow. • Governmental policy—based on very recent Colonial Office decisions —is to continue with the present system of administration for the re mainder of the 1960’5. That means continued rule by the Executive Council. (Resolutions of the Legisla tive Council, on crucial matters, have little significance and no force.) It would therefore be wise if Fiji looked occasionally at the composi tion of the Executive Council. Here it is:

These Are Ex Officio:

The Governor; Colonial Secretary (Mr.

P. D. Macdonald); Attorney General (Mr.

A. M. Greenwood); Financial Secretary (Mr. H. P. Ritchie); Development Com missioner (Mr. E. R. Bevington): Secretary for Fijian Affairs (Mr, A. C. Reid).

Appointed By Governor,

Generally On Nomination Of

Legco Or Fiji Council Of Chiefs

Mr. C. W. Cayzer (general manager of Emperor Goldmines); Mr. J. H. Falvey, MLC, a leading lawyer; Mr, A. I. N.

Deoki, MLC. a prominent Indian; Ratu Penaia K. Ganilau, MLC, a prominent Fijian.

Those ten men comprise the Gov ernment of Fiji. It is not an im pressive government—too much Colonial Office bureaucracy and some rather noticeable weakness in per sonnel. However, there is comfort in the thought that it now will be Fiji’s system of administration for some years, with no immedate risk of self government based on a common roll.

and similar horrors of the lain Macleod era. By the time the re arranged Constitution becomes com pletely effective, the Fijians may be ready to come into the Government in a more helpful and co-operative spirit. • There are peace and healthy activity at present in the sugar fields.

The widening areas of newly-planted cane, seen from the air, give com forting assurances of next year’s sugar-crop, • The tourist industry continues to expand, although not as quickly as its operators would like. Its biggest handicap is the road between Nadi and Suva—9o tortuous, dusty miles that now are a motorist’s nightmare, but should be a visitor’s delight. If £3 millions had been spent on that road, instead of on Suva’s docks, the reward would have been quicker and more beneficial.

Salutations For a

New Nation

WE asked Professor J. W. David son, Samoa’s adviser on her new Constitution, and a man to whom the new nation owes much, for his com mentary on Samoan independence, and what he has to say we endorse: “West Samoa’s transition to inde pendence should be one of the smoothest on record. The Joint Heads of State, the Cabinet and the Legis lature, have all gained extensive ex perience during the long years of pre paration. The new Constitution has been thrashed out in as thorough a public debate as has been provided in any country on the verge of in dependence. Finally, the Samoan leaders and people—unlike those in many new States—will be able to col laborate with their former adminis tering authority, New Zealand, on terms of friendship and trust.

“One misfortune will cast some shadow over Western Samoa’s first year of independence. 1961 has been a bad year economically; and the prospects for 1962 don’t seem good.

The Government has, however, already turned its attention firmly towards the problems of economic de velopment. If bold and constructive policies are now produced and put into force, present difficulties may re sult in long-term good.

“In any event, those who know Samoa and enjoy the friendship of her people can rejoice that the plan ning of the future will now be fully in Samoan hands.”

The people of the South Seas wish their independent neighbour well.