FIJI AND NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 11 June 1936, Page 9

FIJI AND NEW ZEALAND

GROWING IMPORTANCE OF ISLANDS

“NOMINATIVE GOVERNMENT

RETROGRADE?’

The Rev. C. F. Andrews, who is on a tour through the Dominion on behalf of the New Zealand Christian Student Mission, arrived in Christchurch yesterday morning, and continued through to Dunedin by train. When he was in Wellington earlier this week, Mr Andrews presented his views on New Zealand and Fijian relations to members of the Cabinet, and emphasised the necessity for New Zealand to pay more attention to the importance of the Fijian Islands. “The New Zealand Government should regard Fiji, which is so close and of such strategical importance as being more and more the outpost oi New Zealand" said Mr Andrews, who was invited by the Indian and Fijian Governments to visit Fiji, and enquire into many social and educational questions affecting the Indian agrculturists of the group. “I urged with the Cabinet that this matter of policy within the British Commonwealth should be taken up very seriously indeed by the New Zealand Government. I hope they will support me with the Home Government in pressing for the retention of the democratic form of elective government instead of the retrograde movement toward nominative, which would give dictatorial powers to the Governor.

“There has been much pressure on the part of some Europeans in Fiji to obtain nomination for the Legislative Council instead of election. Mv report will be strongly against this and in favour of the continuation of the elected form. I will also urge that on the Executive Council there shall be Fijian and Indian representatives as well as European.” This move by some Europeans to secure more power in the Government came, said Mr Andrews, from their fear of being relegated to second place by the increasing Indian population. There were only a few thousand Europeans and there were, as th? census, not yet published, would probably show, about 98.000 Fijians, and about 85,000 Indians. Between the Indians and the Fijians there was no friction and no intermarriage. The Indians, peasant proprietors now, had shown themselves to be remarkably industrious and skilful sugar cultivators. The Fijians, too, were slowly taking „to sugar cultivation, learning from the Indians. They were not a declining race, rapidly increasing In numbers.