Gear As Fiji Agitators

Sugar Industry In Top

Defeated

In Fiji the anti-mill forces which have been fighting a stub born battle against peace in the sugar industry, have finally been forced into ignominious retreat.

IN May, the four sugar mills began crushing cane. There were in dications that before the year’s end Fiji will reap and sell a sugar har vest that will, in some measure, recompense the Colony for the money (at least £2 millions) lost in the dislocation of the industry in 1960- 61 by the anti-CSR war.

In North-west Viti Levu—part of the sugar industry, or battening upon it—there are elements which dream constantly of driving out the CSR and getting political and economic power through control of the indus try. Whenever the chance offers, they induce the canegrowers and mill-workers to embarrass and dis locate the millers.

The latest battle of the North west’s Cold War really got going in 1960. In its defence the British Administration chose a long, tortu ous and expensive procedure. How ever, the procedure worked.

The conditions of the whole sugar industry were studied by a Commis sion from Britain, lead by a brilliant London lawyer, Trustram Eve. Un der its direction, the Government created an independent authority to control the sugar industry, and gave it teeth. The authority drafted a form of contract to control all re lations between growers and millers for the next eight years. The con ditions were no easier for the millers than for the growers. It was indi cated in January that two-thirds of the growers had to sign the contract by April—or else.

Thereupon the battle was joined.

The millers sent their field staffs out among the growers, to explain the contract and induce them to sign.

The more important growers’ organi sations advocated acceptance. But the North-west anti-CSR group— which is neither small nor without influence—went to extraordinary lengths to scare the farmers off the contract.

For some weeks, it was touch-and go. The Indian farmers were con fused and frightened. Many, having signed the contract, subsequently signed a withdrawal or cancellation

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form, brought to their doors by the anti-mill gentlemen.

But two things swung the balance against “the group”. It was seen that, as a result of the loss of over £2 millions last year—the direct result of the group’s activities—there was grave suffering among sugar workers generally. And such irregu larities were shown in the union of mill-workers, directed and controlled by Mr. D. B. Lakshman, that the mill-workers were obliged to elect a new executive—and Mr. Laksh man, rightly or wrongly, was asso ciated in the growers’ minds with the anti-CSR Co. group.

The better classes of growers signed; the other classes slowly fol