ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF A MULTI‐RACIAL SOCIETY—THE FIJI CASE1
| Date | 01 November 1961 |
| Published date | 01 November 1961 |
| Author | Alan T. Peacock |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9485.1961.tb00167.x |
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF A MULTI-RACIAL
SOCIETY-THE
FIJI
CASE'
I
INTRODUCTION
WHILE
economic conditions may often give rise to class conflicts, it is
not necessary to suppose that the division
of
classes must
follow
some
rigid Marxist scheme. Divergencies of economic interest may
certainly manifest themselves in conflicts between capital and labour,
but they can also be observed in relations between producer and
consumer, between different producers, and, in certain circumstances,
between races and nations.
Fiji
provides an interesting example
of
an acute problem of
growing racial tension which has been influenced very markedly by
economic factors. In
this
article, an attempt is made to explain briefly
how this situation has come about, and to examine, in particular, the
'
strategies
'
considered or actually employed by the two main racial
groups, Fijians and Indians. In conclusion, some remarks are made
about possible solutions to the conflict between the main races.
11
THE
GENERAL
ECONOMIC
SITUATION
Tables
I
and
I1
present two basic series
of
economic statistics
which give
us
a shorthand method of describing the economic
situation.
The tables tell a familiar story. The economic situation is very
similar to that found in many developing countries.
Fiji
relies heavily
on
export crops, notably sugar, coconut crops and bananas, deriving
something like
25
per cent. of her national income from this source.
Indeed, something like half the Net Domestic Product at Factor Cost
is represented by agricultural products, and nearly
60
per
cent.
of
her
'The author was a member
of
the
Commission
of
Enquiry into the
Natural Resources and Population Trends
of
the Colony
of
Fiji
me Burns
Commission) which reported its findings to the Government
of
Fiji in March
1960
in
Legislative Council Paper
No.
I,
1960.
The author owes much to
his
fellow commissioners, Sir Alan Burns (Chairman) and Mr.
T.
Y.
Watson but
would not commit them
to
the conclusions reached here.
233
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