Fiji's Sixpenny

Rocket Was

A Fizzer

Prom a Suva Correspondent The Battle of the Tanner the 6d in the £ basic tax whic the Fiji Fiscal Review Committe has recommended should be in posed on all and sundry in Fiji was joined in the Legislate Council in November and fc two days the wordy encountt ensued.

TT finished, as was expected, wit A the Government steam-rollin through the motion that the cor troversial fiscal report, which contair more than the tanner tax, should b accepted as a “general guide to Fi fiscal policy”.

“Sing a Song of Sixpence” will b on the programme again at the en of November when Financial Sec retary Harry Ritchie presents hi Budget. It goes without saying ths the basic tax of 6d in the £ will b one of the proposals, or at least on of the changes which a new Incom Tax Bill will usher in, probably i time for the Budget.

Despite the opposition of th Indian community, united in Fiji fo once, the 6d will be insisted on.

It is to be introduced in additio to income tax, to bring in low ir come earners who never pay tax.

Biggest attraction for watchers o the sidelines was the dilemma facin the Member for Social Services, Mi A. D. Patel, who was committed h collective responsibility with the re mainder of his companions, Fijiai and European, in the Executiv Council.

Out On A Limb Mr, Patel had put himself out 01 a limb by opposing the basic ta: recommendation as a member of th( Fiscal Review Committee, publishin] his own minority report on thi subject. He was thus faced with th< dilemma of either opposing it in th< Legislative Council and resigning hi position as Member, or supportinj something he opposed.

With singular adroitness, whicl marks the expert politician, Mr. Pate squared the circle and looked botl ways at once.

It had been thought at first, aftei the Indian members on the Opposi

ion side of the House had declared heir implacable opposition to the asic tax, that Mr. Patel must go with lem.

One Fijian member, Semesa K. ikivou, asked why Mr. Patel had not ;signed.

Explanation

Attorney-General Mr. Justin Lewis that Mr. Patel wrote his linority report describing the basic lx proposal as “grossly iniquitous” i a private individual, and not as member of the Government.

This was fair enough, because Mr. atel had not then accepted the asition of Member for Social ;rv'ices.

Mr. Patel’s lieutenant, Mr. S. M. oya, went to his defence and obably caused Mr. Patel more nbarrassment than would half a )zen Semesa Sikivous, Mr. Koya id Mr. Patel had not resigned, be use the Federation Party to which ey both belonged had not com anded him to do so! This clanger is eagerly seized on by Semesa 10 said he had not thought that signation depended on an outside •dy. He had thought it was a alter of conscience.

But, Mr. Patel himself later ex ained in a neat exercise in ilectics, it was a matter of con ence.

He had not resigned because he d opposed the basic tax as a private lividual, and he had supported the Dort as a Member of the Govern mt because he was helping to rmonise the different, conflicting erests of a conglomerate Govern ;nt.

He was being a statesman and [ping “to steer the ship of state ar of all rocks”.

Then he repeated his momentous tement made at the time of the

istitutional change.

‘lf it ever comes to a choice be- Jen sacrificing my community and ' interests of this country and rificing myself, I would rather rifice myself,” he said.

Hie ended with: “The day my iscience tells me I am of no use my country by occupying this seat the Government benches I will ;ate it without any hesitation”.

Mr. Patel "Eloquent" fhe Member for Natural Re trces, Ratu K. K. T. Mara, waxed te sentimental in congratulating . Patel on his “eloquent speech”, dr. Patel thus voted with the vernment, as did another member the Federation, Mr. James Mad ran, who is in the Executive

Council as a Member without port folio. A division was taken and Mr. Patel’s name now officially appears among those who voted for the 6d tax.

Mr. Patel’s opponents will no doubt circulate that list all over the Colony, but Mr. Patel will probably worry very little about it. Nowadays, the ability to somersault is part of the statesman’s stock in trade.

The battle of the tanner was not

the only interesting item in the council.

Ratu Penaia Ganilau—who may possibly be given a very important and powerful post in his country’s service when one certain retirement is announced—delivered a strong snub to the United Nations’ ram shackle Committee of 24.

Committee On Colonialism Only a few days before, this com mittee, comprising representatives from a score of cardboard states, had demanded that Britain should give immediate independence to Fiji, Ratu Penaia was scornful. He asked that the “British Government should be requested to tell these meddlers to leave us alone”. Another Fijian member, Josua Rabukawaqa, declared, obviously with the Congo and other places in mind, “We have no desire to tread in their blood stained path to independence”.

The interesting part of that par ticular debate, however, was not the indignation expressed by the Fijians or the Europeans, but the attitude of the Indian members.

Mr. Andrew Deoki said Ratu Penaia had made a most forceful and eloquent statement. Mr. Deoki didn’t say he agreed or disagreed with his views. But he asked, pertinently, when the various groups in Fiji were going to get down to the job of holding conferences to hammer out a policy before the con stitutional conference was held in London next year.

On that point, the Government, like Brer Rabbit, laid low and said nuffin. (See story, p. 21).

NO, NOT SAMMY DAVIS JR. ..The grin belongs to Theophilus Kaembo, from Popondetta, Papua, who for the past five years has been boiler attendant at the Lae hospital. He has the local reputation of being the most cheerful boiler attend ant in the country.— Photo: Pat Robertson.