UNREST IN FIJI.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 4

UNREST IN FIJI.

;:;;/:;:.; ; AN;:qF.F : p^ -V^ri..'-i)yßpn'-gla^';'Qs^ini^'ip/ner\ : of:prowri-: . liands: ; in ; Fiji; wno. is *at' present 'in: Weljing- • ",ton,-h'asVbebn interviowed:by:'a': ; reprbsp'i'jt!itiyev ;pf iTiiE DqiiiNioN' with- regard ;to ihe. recent. disquieting;. rumours' of impendiiig -troublg bo-. tyejav :il\e-/.\fl\\Ui- sellers and -.tj\c Indian'■ cboV> flicß/pn.-the , . s|a!.it?tiqng .Mri ".Blair,. wh'o;-,had ; :.previ6us •• • to. ■ his .arrivalriq-v/TTiji,. spent- fifteen-years in; Ceylon,,- and view?, afrfajrs jn/'ii'iii/.very. /largely thrpugh-Indian sp/ectacloSi l /-pi:(;faced his remarks/i/witK'. the! observation*: tnat v his ''official' position-'-di^, , . not ihim-'giying:-more -thani-a/, gejjeral. of the; : mattey,>'He did' suggestion ;..that ,'tlia'■''irelat.iona'?-:between : stho coolies', and. -the/".-■whlt'e'a oh.tbft evigar plantations .were such as.jq p e 'pngjv grave anxiety j\a;was ■ ?tated "by"!a'/%rrespqndent in' ; an 'Auckland diy.i.•■■ /The ■;Indian coolie;' ;af^jis'".tltJi:-..mj(n j ner- , d.{.' : -his race;, was' rather■prpiip;. to .inseii§atq "outbursts of ; ragq,'.and habit.;of.eherisK-. i Ingt'a.'faiipip'd.grie.vanciP which ranklecl in bis '.niiild.:-and'finally,rp,sultcd:.,in an;attaqk on■: 'ihq; object'of -h'is hatred.'. Whatever : pr'jmes ■ jof ''vfqlehce: ;r lmd' ''beon committed by.- tho /iFiJi /pp..u.ld/ n be traced,'•;in . nearly: every-case, to this characteristic, and fQ 'did,' not; tli|j\k..;tl(at ■ thesp crjni.es were', sympt.oms of ; an' or^iinTsed' conspiracy^a.gajn.sj;. the spSurqpean': ".'.".regime. .'■'"■'■■Jβ ';leases:' ! - ;V\yJiore .PYer'seerß''/~ ( on,, the;'f>/sug((r " .plantations 'fiac|'liepivimurdored,/it was.invariably.'fgund; qn'- inYPstigatioh/ |hat - '"fatality was: more "thq r?s'uli;''qf a'peTsonal.'than enmity. ;Cqnsiderab)(s , 'been ■, made'/of ■: the iiai tint a .large iiuriiber "qf'cqolie.s./wptild strbngtliening ; |pr/fjtUjp.mi9c}iiof,--. IJe-did ■ ! not -seaV'i'hpw/:' tliat , - could : ''b'e'.'" lij /■ tho: ■first/place, tho inc}Bntured:c(}o|ies i: ..wlic).were urouglif'put;!tb/'tKe/'plantatiQUa we.ffi:in'tho Jmajority'of cases-of .low.caste, and: very lit-, tie/trouble/.wHs. expenenced.; .in/-; handling '■fliein,' ■"tKpir 'reHgipiis;;projudices being;-hu.t few:' ■■' Secondly, this ■ draft ; on arrival would ;i!ftvgepar fi ted^into sent;in various directions.to plantations alloyor- the,'-'.islands;/; There.:cpuld, /therefqre,. an '.prganise||/;denibnstra-; tipni't : ': , /"' : -'/ '•' ■; '"■■■■ ■''■■ ■■"'■' ; ■:: - : - : : ; '- :-.-- : ' ; : ; :: '-Tie :it :not/' a :; ! P!air,/,:that • these ■coolies-.,rem'j)|n pp /the; islawSij '.*$ free/ men ;p/irqd?:'':/ :'".'•//:■' :; " ■■'■■.■.'■:■'. ';:':v-:, ! : : : : ■■'■■■'.'/ '■■ ';/.- ."The-/poytipp,;::wi{h : re.gard tq/ftpat, :;repliqcl .'Mr. '/Bigir,; '-'is" : that / iv": deport of, tbe rqt«rn: passugq'. money' b9 with the "Pi jiatf Government fpr eapji cqolie.laqfled in "the islands,' / At'the expiry of the 'five, /yesrs'iindenture, thp. oppljp has:the opijion pf/remaihing:fpr : a further/term of five y§ars as tt'lfpe jnw'. /Thftiii if he.ivi?hes;to.return tp.flii'dia, jie may; pjaim his ; passage";money from 'th'e/, Government; if .pot,'ho. ou isjand, .ip wlliqh casp, the dep/bsit jiioney'.gbes"-tp;.thq .Treasury. ; '/ As '.very-, few cboljes :liaye taken advantage' , of: the option 'ol'-f^u'tnmfe-.'-^ njenli : has," hettecl-a: pqnsiderijljlp sum in ;e- ; spectv qf pasaagq moneys. .-..The copliq)'onthe.wlVblp, mak'os"a..;contented'and ippflqns.iveq'etllef, pd wsuajly comtneripei-in business j\s a'small shopkeeper.; .. :- -. . . :'". 'IThpre;/- j? really, very little inducement fbr'tho' coolip to 'return to: the land', pf his birth; the conditions .of the.; Indian village/ sottilqmfmtsi / dp,; ppt :p,fe : r.. suffipieijtZ/attractions'for/him 'to/dosp. -, Ho cannot return .to .his pwrj: village,/ except, under" circumstances.'which he would doubtless foel. to l;p la'ge but his/own, ho wpuld/bo mqrp ior le§s an ....-.-.'■. -~'--.'■ - : '■'■.... -. .. ;.