Five-Year Plan

For Rotuma

A five-year plan for Rotuma, a dependency of Fiji, 400 miles north of Suva, was outlined by Fiji’s Governor, Sir Derek Jake way, during a visit to Rotuma in May.

The plan includes the possible construction of an airfield, pro posals for increasing copra pro duction and improving roads and water supplies, and schemes for rearing cattle and pigs.

If the plan to build an airfield is proceeded with, it would make Rotuma much less isolated than it now is—as its only links with the outside world at present are small inter-island vessels from Suva which call every few months with passengers and stores, and to lift copra.

Sir Derek Jake way was in Rotuma for celebrations on May 13 marking the 84th anniversary of the cession of the island to Britain. This was 6i years after the cession of Fiji.

The Governor told the Rotumans he hoped to hear the views of the Council of Rotuma on the question of constitutional advance, which would be dis cussed at a conference in Lon don in July.