Banabans sign—

for $l½ million

The Banabans of Rabi Island in Fiji have agreed to the mining of a further 100 acres of Ocean Island by the British Phosphate Com missioners. Their signature on the agreement, after nearly a year of bargaining, will he worth about $1 i million to them. It represents half the value of the phosphate which is in ground originally scheduled for housing and roads and outside the areas of the leases held by the commissioners.

Several times during the negotia tions in London, the commissioners put a time limit to the talks, threatening that if agreement was not reached by certain dates they would no longer be interested.

But the Banabans held out for a bigger share than the 15 per cent which they get from the proceeds for phosphate mined on the re mainder of the island.

The Banabans are also waiting for the opening of their action in the British High Court. They arc claiming money which they allege should have been paid by Britain as their trustee and also $2l mil lion which they claim for an alleged breach of contract by the commissioners for the replanting with coconut palms and other trees in the worked-out areas of Ocean Island.