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l&asey university, :.z •

•

11.

:;.u.gar ia .Fiji•a child' �x.;� ii�.nd accoonts for over oi.,;bty per cent ot

its t.ct;:..l ex?Ort er:.rninfl • 'i'he 3et tip of the • 'i.ji:u:-. susar 100 a try 1 per­

hnpa uni·.;ue ln tbe .>orlcl.. ..:'llo buying nd proc se� of cane a l u the

dht.rlhutinn of eug.s.r up until 19tt .• :' wer�

l::.l. __,ugar ! ef'inlng Com.pao.y (u.m.uuly referred to M the ...,. X or tbe Company)

or latrslia. 'l'he :...owpan,y as al.· o the . .,wn or lea&oo of net ly hal£ of

tl e colon.t • s total cane land:l vrhich wer .leased Ol' aa la a*'i t.·:l ov r 5,200

awUJ. lnd.ian t-eruu1t f • In lt 1� operaticm transport net-

,..s far as contro 1 or ertn ' lBllt!s 'U conccn.ed. From this stror...,� poaitic.n

it CO<.iL deal with too C'l."'le f<i..l:"-;;ers 3uecee-ssfullj over m tt 3 su.ch as cane

• a;> cnts t.o the fa.t"lllors m• oonJitiona rega.rUne harveatiz� and trt,.neport­

ln� oi' cane to its mill •

1 f' t.h eane e;rowcra fu..Ued to r &Ci'l �� favourable A.-;zoeeu t ·� i th th

L: ·� -:w r the ale anu purcnns er eane th ,- w e fr.ced <'�i .... h "�t� un viable

�:si ti011 . r be.vin5 · a 00\'irGS�·e.ial crop r.ri •

::,o ition t1 tbe t the c it 1t

'

•

•

u.

grow s' . oi tion M • t o't

aai.nly by s: "'1.ng far beyo their

ere reoci ved

at t end of the y ar-. Furthenaore. it was dif'f'icult to estimate the can

.;ield tJbich could be o.ffeeted by t'loods or dro\lght. , .1 tho-u . ..,;t th4.7 held a

the d bpute catu: grower� u id not cut their cane. and (,'l u�i• �.n � \NU} =.l�l!t.;red for

five m�nth3 with th�! resultant los� 1-o tho colo�:r o:' \t�ll over 2 cilllon in 1 o�-port reYenue.

'l'he diaput�� hiJhl��'ht-:ld t!le problert.i� o{ tno s · �· .:.n>luntr.t alll.l 5how

the u.n.su.rpAss eeomadc &t�""th o · th � _,4.{ and til.o potential for lnturnal

Udatratio.a, cut ot t.ouoh

-- able to win their

c.h

'· J ( .}

file colony's

fwllling comrm.m1 ty • wu

� tOUl1d it

tb

1t • t

• 1

!t.

u.s.. Th far.:; lo t tz battle . tnst the . ,a. ion caua

tl apllt �t tJ1att NBUlt.in..; in the d.,snin..:; nf' an ar.:ro.c!lnen:t \111 24 July

by t�"' of th six socia.tiona.

11;;! 10 :ept .b r all the four mills were oruahin,r-,: but an tt vory licit.ed

s •· h..1J.;' ot .. the ere still on etrlke uch tOO.

on 15 �tob r ;dth u., " r· . .ters �it'l. n": mnd

l'ir� a"!.rer1J;J ���ed to tn the 24 July n$ t.

thus a fn.llurtJ lue much to f.nct kna.lbm th"'t �ll0c ·a<l r. ;rou�; of' f'Armer to

continue cru::!hirw o.'hi l0 the rast r�cr�.· ln.u.ctlve.

'\lthoJ ,:·. the C it :ruffor&..� 1;oo by not beJ:;;:: nblr" •o ntart cruzh ., on

ita aehednl-.·l . te its lOS8t!.:S 11 r...: ln.!";� ly tlt'fset by h _v�n- · n :Jtock a

1�..;+ :lUI' lug o. 3ui::tr · ith i'">'�iC'.h it r:, t its e-o;:f>Or ru-··.,1 ·rot:·.t.mt;� ..mtil the

the su 1 for selfish, poll tic • or p

p

ott over the 1' ;

t

l r

..

- Ji. �a.r,

.1.'hls stu .1 also a · ines t..� .�ature of

e1 po&i tion ot FiJ 1' s cnn� farmlng ovmm:-•ni t.Y.

dth D ;vid fA!t.ler tr. t 'th

the pr aent 2 nJ the futUFe' •

t sbnu

, ho er, su.rr

K till� of

the U:Apot-

ne nnmic

1 · ·annot t n.mMa

·.&..l&- running into

Urm f'roo; th 'th

f'AeiNr. .ugar ,. 1ls l;td., a c . . -oltned subsiJiaey which took over the auger

Uing aaseta nf thf� Company on 19 looa�ber 1961.

1 ati ind�bt .. l to nHUl.l poople who have �i.ven f�l.; nf' their t .e to

help me in my work.

.:y tbr.nlts ttlso r,o to ' � l'Ollt.:s for their

, ·r Rodt1J"lok �Ue,t of V1c�rl<i. univ\�r 1t.f f"or 1'-...is help t

oriti 1 time, f'rofe r . • H . Oliver .md Dr .?.•'. l'yler ror th�lr critic-

1 •

ti •

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

LIST OF ABBREVIA TIONS

CHAPTER I - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUGAR INDUSTRY

CHAPTER II - CANE FARMERS' UNIONS AND FAC TIONALISM

CHAPTER III - THE MILLER, THE GROWER, AND THE GA THERING CLOUDS

CHAPTER IV - THE SUGAR STORM: THE ISSUES IN DISPU'rE

CHAPTER V - THE 24 JULY COUP

CHAP TER VI - THE WINTER OF DISCONTENT

EPILOGUE

APPENDIX I

A PPENDIX II

APPENDIX III

APPENDIX IV

LIST OF SO URCES

page

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vi

1

10

27

39

64

71

92

98

99

104

107

109

f;M., -

(' I '-" • . -

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. ' . . \.., -

� . ..-r -

Fiji itne5$

le 3 fro·. lji, rur.�<:Jletwr put.J.i�h&l by tht' 'Ubl!c

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