Fiji Floods Bring

A Backwards Move

The lower picture shows the site of the bridge over the Nadi River, Fiji, following the recent floods. Only abutments remain. The footbridge, float ing on oildrums, allows pedes trians to cross. A hard cross ing, to allow cars to ford the stream when it is low (which it is normally), has been built upstream.

At left is the punt which at present ferries two cars at time across the Sigatoka River.

Note the line of cars waiting on the Sigatoka town side.

The Colony is in a muddle over its developmental organisation.

Commissioner Sir Alan Burns, in recommended the establish Natural ™nt of a Council Natural Resources, working through a Development Commissioner with Ja p oWers and, presumably, au thority over departmental heads,

Development Muddle

, \ .. . e , om .

But the late Maddocks regime and the Comm i ss i o ner j s little more than an i nte r-departmental message uu >- . .

The first Commissioner, Mr.

Bevington, retired in 1963 after a short time in the job, and the new Commissioner, Colonel Basil Rogers, who has had wide experience of this type of work in Africa, obviously is

embarrassed by the shackles he must accept in Suva.

There is another complication.

One of the new Member-Ministers almost certainly will be in charge of Economic Development. Is there room for “Minister” and Com missioner?

That looks like another uncertainty for the Governor.

If Fiji, in the future, is to remain orderly and well-governed, there must be large-scale development.

That needs a lot of money. Where will it come from?

Britain, since World War 11, has been generous with grants—millions

have been poured into all sorts of necessary constructions and services.

But that system is ending. Both the spirit and the machinery for it have gone with the Empire, wiped out by a combination of American politicians and bearded sociologists who have made a fetish of anti colonialism.

Closer Fiji-Australia Links Britain is turning a cold and calculating eye upon Australia.

There is no doubt about it.

Already, as the result of talks in London, an Australian Com missioner (Mr. R. N. Hamilton) has been sent to Fiji. The appoint

ment of a Fiji official representafr in Australia is expected at ai moment.

Even as this is written Mr. H.

Ritchie (Fiji’s Colonial Treasure] and Colonel Rogers (Fiji’s Develo ment Commissioner) are in Canberr on an official visit, meeting Au tralia’s new External Affairs Minist (Mr. Hasluck); and they are goii also to Sydney, to meet the heads < the big Australian corporations whic operate in Fiji.

What does all this mean? Qui clearly, it points in one direction Australian corporations own ar operate at least 70 per cent. < Fiji’s trade and industry. Australi annually, sells millions of poun< worth of goods and service to Fi and buys Virtually nothing from tf British Colony.

Australia, therefore, has certai obligations towards Fiji—statists cannot be denied.

It is probable that the Australia corporations will make no effort 1 dodge those obligations—in fac most of them, and the CSR Co. i particular, have done a great de; in that respect. Probably, Australia investors will put many more millioi into Fiji development—always pr< vided that the investment is attende by political security.

And there’s the rub.

How can there be political securil while there is mutual suspicion an distrust between the two largest con munities in Fiji?

That is perhaps the second bigge: uncertainty on the Governor’s disl How can he get those two race working together in harmony, in sue a way as to permit big-scale oversea investment in the country?

What Of Next October?

Finally, here is His Excellency major uncertainty. What will be th attitude towards Fiji of the Goven ment which will take charge of th British Colonial Office after th general election in October?

Will it follow the Colonial Office present praiseworthy plans? Or wi it have different ideas, involving common roll, or withdrawal fror the Colony, as in Africa and Asia In the latter event, will respor sibility for Fiji be dumped in the la of the country which already owe so much of the Fijian economy namely, Australia?

Fiji’s new Governor faces a rathe terrifying task.

But Fiji appears to have bee given the right man for the job young, capable, unflappable, and ver widely experienced in the difficu] inter-racial problems which he ha found in Fiji.