ISLAND NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 56, 7 March 1929, Page 20

ISLAND NEWS.

OUR FIJI LETTER.

RACIAL FIGHTING. (From Our Owa Correspondent.) SUVA, February 21. There is always a keen sense of hos-1 tility between the native full-blooded Fijians and the halfcastes. Of late several encounters have been reported. On Sunday morning matters came to a climax. It appears that a party of Fijians, who resented the fondness of some halfcastes for their Fijian sisters, arranged to "take it out of them." About 10 a.m. the native* arranged their plan of attack by taking up in pairs or singly advantageous positions. The etage wae set for a riot. Later two halfcastes appeared, and at once they were set upon. The fight developed. " More halfcastes arrived, and took up the cudgels for their companions. More natives appeared from nowhere, as if the occasion had been well advertised. The fight became general, with many lookers-on. Struggling forms were locked together, and several, thus affectionately bound, rolled over the embankment on to the beach, still fondly clinging. Suddenly the roar of the police vfcn was heard, and soon it arrived laden with constabulary. But there was nothing doing. All was quiet and the combatants had faded out of sight. No arrests were therefore made. It is said that a bigger fight will be staged next Sunday, police or no police. Education in Fiji. That Fiji children are not backward in education has been proved by the success of Miss Mary \V. Harper, daughter of Dr. Harper," who came sixth out of 1100 students in the New Zealand Public Service examination. A second Suva pupil, Miss Hulck, came 120 th. A little girl named Floyd won the Government's bursary for three years. She is only 12 years old. This year the two Suva Grammar Schools report a greater number of pupils on the roll than ever before. Coming Election. The approaching election for members of the Legislative Council will be one of the'most important in the history of the colony. Great movements must take place among the population during the next term. The Indians are out to have a big slice in the government of the colony. In May they have arranged to have a giant demonstration in Suva, wherein 12,0()0 Indians will take part. Big things are in the making, and the election will mean a good deal. Already three candidates are in the field—Sit Henry Scott, K.C.. and a member of the Executive Council; Mr. Henry Marka, C.B.K. (these are the sitting" members for the electorate of Suva municipality); and Mr. Alport Barker (sitting member for the Southern Division). The new Letters Patent abolish the Suva constituency and join it to the Southern Division, reducing the European representation by one member. Scott and Barker are the favourites among the men in the street, but one never can tell in Suva how the cat will jump. Dysentery. There is quite a mild epidemic of dysentery in Suva just now. The cause is still a mystery. A number of cases are being treated in the hospital. So far there has only been one fatality, an 18-months-old child of Mr. Charlie Tiirbot, Government veterinarian. Another child, aged four, is in a dangerous condition. The C.S.R. Company. The C.S.R. Company continue to make extensions to their activities. They are now busy putting dowir a considerable length of railway from Tavua to their new mill at Peoiang. Already Penang is connected by rail with the port of Ellington, and the new estate of the latter is well planted with cane now.