to Fiji's

It's open sesame now to Fiji's Aladdin's Cave

From WAYNE BUTLER in Suva.

DIVERSIFICATION is certainly the atchword at Vatukoula these days —home of Fiji’s only gold mine.

A recent visit to the picturesque lining town and a guided tour over le sprawling surface installations con inced me that Emperor Mines Ltd. nd its many varied subsidaries are taking a genuine effort to pull them ;lves out of the red.

Driving force behind the fight for irvival is general manager Jim Kelly ad a small team of experts guided y a predominantly New Zealand aard of directors, who took over •om an Australian-dominated group >me 14 months ago.

The new board believes that the lose that laid the golden eggs didn’t a so in only the one basket. It is aing its damndest to see that Vatuk ila doesn’t become another ghost wn (it has been said that known e reserves would be exhausted in >out three years if mining continues its present rate).

With this in mind and armed with Fiji Government grant of $150,000, nperor Gold Mining Co. Ltd. has idertaken deep exploration in the irthwick shaft—one of three—and is come up with some exciting suits.

Says Jim Kelly; “We are getting o. new structures and things are aking a lot better—even to the ex it of us expecting increased pro ction very soon.

“We are very definitely confident it if these finds prove economic will provide a fairly long life * the mine—as long as gold’s place the money world is re-estab aed.”

The weekly average since the new ard took over has been about 2,000 nces a level which has been fairly

The grizzled old-time gold digger above and the cheery group below all find jobs in Vatukoula's diversified gold mines. While the miner digs, Manasa and the girls welcome the tourists who pay $1.50 to see what a gold mine is like.

Open sesame to Aladdin's Cave

constant for the past two or three years.

“While there has been no signifi cant increase in production, operating costs have been cut substantially. It is these costs in which the major difficulties lie.”

Diversification began in earnest back in February last year, when employees who were only semi-pro ductive in their jobs were re-distribu ted in the company’s subsidiaries.

The company has ventured into the tourism business by opening its surface installations to visitors at $1.50 a head. Says Mr. Kelly: “We thus hope to combine one of the country’s oldest and most historic industries with the newest —tourism.”

Mr. Kelly says there are “thoughts, not yet plans”, to build a hotel at Vatukoula catering mainly for over nighters or those wishing to stay two or three days.

Of the $1.50 charge per head, 15 per cent, goes to the tour operator and the rest to the company. The operator supplies the transport and the company provides a Fijian guide.

Several local women are also em ployed to make and sell handicrafts and refreshments, and gold ore and quartz specimens—all mounted and numbered —are also on sale.

Tours operate twice a day, five days a week, and visitors can make use of the company golf course, bowling green or tennis courts for i small fee.

The company makes no bones ibout the fact that it thinks any dnancially rewarding venture is worth mdertaking.

“The potential here is unlimited,” ;ays Harry Morris, busy sales rep resentative for the whole group. “We ire prepared to listen to suggestions :rom anybody. If it sounds all right, ve will undertake a feasibility study.”

The timber industry has been given op priority and is one in which Jim telly sees a great future.

Since the new board took over, out put from Emperor Timber Industries Td. has been increased by 50 per ent., and a similar production in rease is planned during the next six lonths. The mill it operates at Vatuk 'ula turns out mine props, railway leepers and timber for construction nd other work.

A new band mill will shortly be uilt at Vatukoula by the company nd will also be used by the Forestry )epartment as a training group for taff.

Another company, Emperor Forest

Developments Ltd., has big leases on Viti Levu’s south coast from which it hopes to produce timber for ex port. The leases cover almost the entire province of Naitasiri.

Big things are also planned by another associated company, Empe ror Quarry Industries Ltd., which has already tendered for the supply of metal for reconstruction of the Suva-Nadi highway.

The company has leases for river and other gravel between Nadi and Suva.

Emperor Gravel Supplies Ltd. op erates out of Vatukoula itself— its major task being the construction and maintenance of roads within the township and mining complex.

The subsidiary Tavua Power Ltd. operates the massive power station which supplies electricity for the mine and Vatukoula, and the nearby towns of Ba and Tavua. Its output is greater than that of Kinoya power house, which supplies Suva’s needs, and it costs less.

Said Mr. Morris: “We are able to supply power to the Fiji Electri city Authority for Ba and Tavua, and to the mine and the rest of Vatukoula, and yet still make a pro fit. And all we charge our ordinary

local workers is $1.50 a month for rent, water and power.”

He said that during the wet season it was not unusual for more than three million gallons of water to be pumped from the mines a day—all with electricity drawn from the powerhouse.

Mr. Morris—who has been travelling up to 1,000 miles a week around Fiji to set up various projects— recently had talks with Fiji’s Minister of Communications, Works and Tourism. Mr. Charles Stinson, on the possibility of Emperor Engineering Ltd. undertaking work for the Marine Department.

The other subsidiaries—Emperor

Industrial Gases Ltd. and Emperor Drilling Co. Ltd., are also being injected with initiative and are tak ing every opportunity to expand the scope of their activities, Diversification is, in fact, a valiant effort on the part of the company to increase profits and to keep its some 2,000 local employees in steady jobs.

Pay strikes and dismissals at the mine towards the end of last year made it even more vital that diver sification take place. To date most of those laid off have now been re employed, although many are not doing the same jobs as before.

The township itself appears pros

perous. There are new police barracks and the modem high school is being extended so company staff can initiate adult training in addition to normal classes for young students.

The dispensary run for years by the company was taken over by the government in December.

Social activities are varied and multi-racial and there is a definite atmosphere of harmony and good will between the many races.

The Methodist church at Vatuk oula is the second largest in Fiji and can accommodate 1,000 people.

The visual impact of the surroun ding countryside is not as one would expect. There are no scars or ero sion, thanks to a conscientious re planting programme initiated by the local Member of the House of Rep resentatives, Mr. R. H. Yarrow.

As Harry Morris says: “With this new management things are really going to happen.”

• See, "How Red Ted of Queens land became Emperor of Fiji," p. 79.