Fiji and the Fijians

Southland Times, Issue 19002, 23 March 1903, Page 4

Fiji and the Fijians

By "VITA" in Argus

FiU has received a good deal of mention "during' the last week or two in**consequ'ehc6 of the criticisms mado by Mr Humphrey Berkeley and others upon the . administration of the colony;; especially, in regard to the ratives. '■'" Some remarks, then, upon the Fijians arid the manner in which the**/ ire" governed should come opportunely. In 1874 Fifi became a Crown colony,, and since its accession to Britain has made great progress. Its affairs, are adriiinistered by a (.over-npryiSirH^nty.-WCp'ore Jackson) and Executive Council. There is a Legislative" Council also, composed of the Chief justice and other L .ads uf departments as official members, and an equal number of unofficial members.

Fiji is governed iv native affairs as far as possible in .vccorJame with the usages of the people theinaoives. - — There is a graduated scale which connects the humblest individual with fche Governor, the -_pr.sentative of His Majesty. -'he first step up the ladder is the family council : then the village council : and after that the district, and then the provincial council ; and lmally we ascend to the "Bose Vaka-curan-ga," or assembly of great chiefs, the Fijian House of Lords, or perhaps, to -speak "more correctly. the native Parliament. Represcnttitiv .s of "i^l "classes-attend, it, but t, : «.e vot-

ing . powera '. are confined tho high chiefs appointed by the Governor to administer the seventeen provinces into ' which tlie. colony is divided.

This assembly meets- annually, and advises His Excellency on native nfffttrs^ and its-stiggestioiis; when considered proper, are subs---vi .ntly made : law % enactments of the Legislative Council. The high chiefs of the ..rovjnces are styled "Roko Tui," an r.ncient native title. Tlieir functions may lie compared to those of the ''ord lieutenant^ of English counties. They administer 'and are responsible to the Governor for their respective charges. Under them are the heads of districts, caUed; "Bulls," . who again preside over the "Turanga ni koro," or chiefs of the Villages, under their charge. These various r.omi>.'i_cnt parts "meet every six 'months i_ the provincial council, where they regulate their own .internal affairs. J«*vy rates for the payment of the police, district clerks, and local offic'ails generally, arrange for the making ond maintenance of roads, and r'll Matters connected with the oror.nce. Tlie proceedings aro conducted •vii r»ioper regularity, mainly d>ie .*• <he presence of a whito official from the Native department, who keeps the meeting from wandering 'mm the mazes of ultra-legislation. Pc . icction in government has uot yet. p<'* - haps, been attained, but with a r-ue such as the Fijians, strictly icrnrvative, "festina lente" has to '_•*■ the motto, arid ail progress must i»e e*'aduaL Nearly 30 years of liiiUsli rule has worn things into sli.-W w;\v, and on the whole the administration is quite satisfactory. - The Fijians are a, well -made s*taiwart race, with good f.B..uros, thenchiefs in particular b-nng really handsome, with grand oid coin-../ .beanng.' They we a most inuiy people,, always ready i«r v lauab, £nd are free from nearly all JLhe cares that civilisation create*. . ■* <*» instance, they are not vo_vicl «'>* tailors'* bills or such ills : for,^ a.. Mr Gilbert, the "Bab balladist, In_ forms us— o. Except a shell, a bangle ran*. A 'feather here, a feather there, The South Pacific niters wear Their* native nothingness. With the exception of being slightly oieagihbus, from their custom ot anointing their' bodies with cocoanut oil/ they are defeeht and cteaaly in appearance. .In character, ti.e. havelJeerdescribed as full of con. radiations. They are apparently incapable of feeling and enduring ffiatitude or lasting attachment. Ihere -is n6 word -in their language to express thanks/the nearest approach to it being "Vinaka" (good), and they tfo'-not; always say this y-hen anything is^^prreit them- In all their actions they are alive to their own "interests, wad in seeking this iro not overburdened with conscientiousness ; but in this respect they are not peculiar, for many of us aro the same: They are liberal in giving away presents, hut presents are merely modes of trade, for returns are always expected. They possess a great flow of words, and are fond ot oratory. Hospitality to strangers is universal, and they vie with each other in offering entertainment and food. At the present time there is, perhaps, not a more law-abiding community in'the world than these former savages, - travellers in all parts of the" group being secure from molestation from them. The Fijians .have few wants, and, being blessed by* -latvire with ample means of supplying them, are not spurred on to exertion. They aro really land-owning peasants, a class which, even aimongst. ourselves, - is exempt from the grinding necessity of perpetual toil. The labour required to work the sugar, coffee, and other ''"plantations is supplied byindiah cooljtes, of whom there are now about 20,000 resident there. The race of Fijians is gradually melting away. Some few years ago a Royal commission was appointed to enquire into the causes of tho very great" decrease in their numbers. It wap alleged to be due to epidemic diseases (an outbreak of measles years ago carrying off no less than 40,000), consanguineous marriage, foeticide, want of virility, mental' apathy, laziness,' insanity- dwellings and domestic habits, etc. The decrease in native population throughout the island groups of the Pacific is not less remarkablo and painful than it is certain. The aborigines of Australia and of North America have, obedient to some mysterious law, perished on contact with the •white races ; and the Fijians seem doomed to suffer the same melancholy, fate. The first appearance of a white man in any new country sounds the funeral knell of the children of the soil. It should be added that the Fijian Government is doing all in its power to stay the decrease, and with this purpose in view have established provincial hospitals for the treatment of the sick, made abortion a crime, and have appointed officials to see that the sanitary laws are strictly observed. in all: tillages ; but still the decrease goes on. |