Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 76

From the Fiji Times, June 27, 1900

From the Fiji Times, June 27, 1900.

Sir.—Now that the question will assuredly arise as to whether or not Fiji shall be federated with New Zealand, it behoves those interested in the colony to look carefully into the whole matter in a business-like manner before saying "aye" or "nay" to the question. Mr. Berkeley, in his very able letter has put so glowing a result to federation that it would seem a pity for any person to argue against same. If federation means a change in the Government policy in any way whatever then Fiji could not possibly be a loser by the transaction, and it might possibly be a great gainer. Since Britain annexed this group of islands, what progress has been made that can be attributed to the good form of Government we have enjoyed? Absolutely none! If any progress has been made it has been entirely owing to the energy of the few settlers and merchants who, in spite of bad times, hung on to their properties and businesses in the hope that better times would come. What has become of the large number of planters that 25 years back were settled on the Rewa? There is not one there now to the ten that were there in the early 70's. The hard despotic labor laws caused the bulk of them to sacrifice their properties, and to clear out of this "Crown page 14 Colony of a severe type" poorer and very much sadder than when they first came to the colony. The soil was just as fruitful as ever, and had the policy of the Government been such as to foster industries, instead of having at the present time four sugar mills in the colony owned by one large monopoly, we should have had perhaps forty. There are a dozen other districts besides Rewa that were once occupied by thriving settlers, now practically deserted. Fiji is able to provide all the sugar, rice, coffee, tea, and spices required in New Zealand, and were we federated with that colony, within three years we would actually be providing same. There are thousands of acres of most valuable land in the same virgin state that it was a hundred or perhaps a thousand years back and that Will be in the same virgin state a thousand years hence, under our present form of government; but with a government that would open up the country with good roads and that would foster and encourage industries, even to the extent of erecting "central mills" (sugar and rice) as is done in Queensland, this idle land would spring into cultivated farms and plantations, and Fiji would advance in those "leaps and bounds" prognosticated many years back. I must not forget to give the Government credit for having within the last two or three years had a few miles of tracks (called roads) cut from Suva through the Rewa district, and also to having had a few bridges made over the creeks intersecting these tracks—this is work that should have been done a score of years back. We are also going to have a wharf built out to deep water to enable steamers such as those belonging to the Canadian and Australian Steamship Company to load and discharge alongside; but surely this should have been done while those steamers were calling at Fiji and not after they were taken off the line owing to the small subsidy being withdrawn by our far-seeing Government. Of course, Fiji cannot do without cheap labor, or, in other words, "colored labor," and if Federation means that no more coolie labor would be allowed to come, then we will have to do without Federation, in which case perhaps the Government might be persuaded to do away with some of its "severe typo" policy, and thus give the colony a little more chance of going ahead; and I would suggest to the Government the good results that would accrue if encouragement was given to settlement on the land. If the land belongs to the Fijians, compel them to sell or lease at reasonable rental the land they do not and page 15 never will require for their own use. If they will not sell or lease, then put a tax on all unoccupied land whether belonging to Fijians or whites. If private enterprise will not erect sugar and rice mills, let the Government erect "central mills" wherever a sufficiency of cane or rice could be planted. In 1902 the C. S. R. Co. contract for cane purchase with the planters will expire, and rumour says it is the intention of the company to further reduce the price to be paid for cane, If such is a fact then cane growing must cease. If the C. S. R. Co. can pay their dividends yearly with cane at present price a Government mill to pay a dividend of say 7½ per cent, would be able to increase the price, and this is a matter which will have to be taken in hand by the Government whether we are federated or not. I would suggest that every means be adopted to induce steamers to call at Fiji, so that the colony becomes "on view" as much as possible. It may be said that the colony cannot afford to do any or all of these things. It never will be able to afford under the present policy, but give us a chance, as it were, to extend our business. Let us supply five tons of sugar where we now supply one, or 1000 tons of rice where we now sell none. Let us increase our exports ten times over and we will soon be able to afford to pay for all we want, only, as in all other businesses, we must make the outlay first, the returns will come afterwards.

I am not much of a letter writer, so I hope your readers will excuse this rather disjointed effusion, and perhaps some more able pen than mine will assist the matter along.

—I am, etc.,

J. B. Turner.

Suva,