Everything's sweet (including sugar)

as Fiji independence nears

Prom a Suva correspondent On July 20, a barely-noticeable paragraph appeared in The Fiji Times. It gave notice that the "iji Independence Bill, giving Fiji fully responsible status within the Commonwealth, had just passed ts committee and report stages without amendment in the House of Commons and been given an un ipposed third reading.

Just as well, because the same day t was reported that Fiji’s new tational flag, to be raised on October 0, was already on order from Aus ralia and Japan. In addition to ,024 flags in the three large sizes, ome 200,000 small hand-waving ags, eight inches by four inches, ave been ordered.

Plans for independence celebrations re proceeding apace, under the hairmanship of Ratu Penaia Ganilau.

Tie tentative programme includes isits to Ovalau, Vanua Levu and le Western Division by the Queen’s jpresentative, who will be Prince Charles, heir to the Throne. (After rards he will visit the GEIC).

The preliminary programme pro ides for the royal representative to rrive at Nadi on October 9 and fly ) Nausori the same day. Visits to le civic centres and Albert Park >r lavish Indian and Fijian welcom ig ceremonies are envisaged and the iji Military Forces will beat retreat id lower the Union Jack in the irk at sunset.

No flags will fly until the next lorning when the new air-force ue Fiji flag will be ceremonially listed at 10 o’clock.

Fijian and Indian entertainment ill follow the flag-raising. Albert ark is to be the venue for a festival : youth in the afternoon and for i Islands night in the evening. On ctober 11, a thanksgiving service r all denominations will be held in e park.

Sports events are scheduled for e afternoon of October 11 and the md of the Fiji Police Force will ve a concert in the Botanical ardens that night. Indian concerts e also planned.

On the Cession Day holiday, ctober 12, the programme provides r the young Prince Charles to sit Levuka, where the Deed of cssion was signed almost 100 years ;o.

The tiny town will be bursting the seams with visitors from :arby islands and descendants of ose early chiefs who signed the

deed, placing Fiji under the protec tion of Queen Victoria. For outside visitors however, there’ll be little chance of accommodation, for the tourist tide hasn’t reached Levuka yet.

The itinerary provides for the royal visitor to go to Labasa, Matei and Savusavu on October 13 and leave Fiji on October 15 after visiting the Western Division.

The Suva Chamber of Commerce has asked the organising committee for as much information as possible about the form and size of the celebrations, so that businessmen can go ahead with plans for decorating their premises.

Hotels are preparing themselves for maximum bookings, particularly in view of the fact that the 10th Fiji Tourism Convention will be held from October 7 to 9 at Korolevu.

Several hundred people will be gathered for that and will un doubtedly stay on for the celebra tions.

The Indian community will take a leading part in the entertainment programme on and around October 10—and on October 9, 20 minutes have been set aside for Indian girls

to garland the royal visitor and the Governor, Sir Robert Foster.

After a Fijian meke lasting about three-quarters of an hour, a further 35 minutes will be available for wel coming entertainment by Indian people.

Performances by Indian school children, the Indian concert at Albert Park and Indian entertain ment after a rugby match on October 12 are also being arranged.

Mr. Ram Charitra, who was nominated to the organising com mittee by the Leader of the Op position, Mr. S. M. Koya, is in charge of organising the Indian con tribution to the October 10 celebra tions.

The most ominous ripple on Fiji’s political pond in July was in sugar country, where farmers had been refusing to cut cane on Sundays for some weeks. Some young canecutters in the Nadi district were reported to be demanding double rates of pay for Sunday harvesting despite a joint call by the Chief Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. M. Koya, to cut cane on the Sabbath.

The Chief Minister was reported to have told the farmers to “cut every stick of cane and deliver it to the mill, so when the time comes to buy the mill you will have some money in your pocket”.

The Sunday harvesting issue was said to be linked with elections on July 8 to the Lautoka Sugar Advisory Council, which resulted in National Federation Party members winning seven out of eight nominations.

Only one candidate sponsored by the Alliance Cane Contract Com mittee was successful.

The names were to be submitted to the Governor, who would select four of the nominees for a three year appointment to the council.

By the end of July, the South Pacific Sugar Mills reported, the majority of farmers were back harvesting cane on Sundays. “Only a few small pressure groups, in places

like Lambasa, are not,” said a spokesman.

During the second week in July, Fiji’s four sugar mills achieved the highest ever tonnage of cane crushed in one week in the history of the country’s sugar industry. The total was 100,691 tons—over 7,000 tons more than the previous highest total, set in September, 1968.

Common roll showed its head above the presently peaceful' surface of the pond. Like the iceberg, nine tenths of the controversy is hidden below.

At the annual convention at Nadi of the National Federation Party, leader, Mr. Koya, urged patience on common roll. The advocates of common roll had waited patiently for many years—surely they could now wait a few more years for its introduction, he urged.

Mr. Koya said advocates had to realise that in a complex society such as Fiji’s and in the context of present political conditions in Fiji, it was virtually impossible to obtain ac ceptance of common roll by the NFP’s political opponents.

A common roll could become a reality and a viable proposition, and a successful method of election, only if significant numbers of Fijians accepted it. Mr. Koya said that the number of Fijians did not necessarily have to be a majority.

He told delegates that “having regard to the national good and Fiji’s political future, I have already declared that it was not the intention of the National Federation Party to impose this system of election on our Fijian people”.

In the future, the party intended to maintain its party campaign and obtain acceptance of common roll elections by persuasion.

“The other side has not closed its door on us in this vital question and is prepared to continue dialogue with us on the subject,” he said.

A government team led by the Chief Minister opened talks with Suva City Council about the common roll issue on July 21. The statement issued after the meeting gave little away, but said that the council would consider the matter further.

More talks would follow.

At a previous meeting, all mem mers except NFP councillors —who did not take part in the debate— unanimously agreed to reject the principle of common roll.

The Lautoka Town Council decided to inform the Ministry for Local Government and Fijian Affairs that it no longer stood by its 1966 resolution calling for common roll elections.