"No Change For

Change's Sake"

Jobs and an income for Fiji’s growing population are more important to Fiji than political change for the sake of change, or because of outside pressure.

This is one of the main points made in a memorandum released in Suva in April by the European members of the Fiji Legislative Council. The memorandum, drawn up after wide-ranging discussions among the European electorate, puts the European point of view on constitutional changes for Fiji.

Its contents can be regarded as an indication of the kind of submissions to be made by the Europeans at the London con ference in July.

The memorandum says there is a danger that constitutional change may be sought by the Government or Colonial Office merely for the sake of change.

It should be insisted that any major change should be decided on only in the light of Fiji’s special requirements. There should be as little disturbance of the present situation as pos sible.

“If change is gradual and made following full considera tion and explanation to the people of Fiji it is possible for successive positions acceptable to all sections to be reached,” the memorandum says.

Nothing should be done to

discourage overseas investment in Fiji or to discourage avail ability of skilled knowledge in agriculture, industry or market ing. The greatest investment in agriculture, mining and in dustry is European, and Euro peans and European companies form the largest tax-paying group.

It says, “Europeans who come to live in Fiji are gener ally easily and willingly as similated, and are active in community affairs, and have sincerity of purpose in seeking to further the welfare of Fiji through stability, economic de velopment and opportunity, and the application of principles and standards based on the Christian tradition.”

The memorandum says there is no evidence of demand for great change (other than more adequate representation of minorities) except from a section of Indians, mainly politicians. “The aim of these politician s,” it adds, ‘is widely feared to be to obtain legislative control of Fiji. The bitter effects of attempted political domination based on race have been made clear in British Guiana.”

The memorandum supports the present system of communal representation in Fiji, rather than a common roll, and says the communal system works well because the three groups are the same size, when it is taken into account that num bers are not the only criterion to be applied.