1914 Fijian general election explained

General elections were held in Fiji between 19 May and 20 June 1914.

Electoral system

The Legislative Council included seven elected Europeans who were elected from six constituencies created as a result of amendments to the constitution made on 31 January 1914, which increased the number of elected Europeans from six to seven and the number of constituencies from five to six. The new constituencies were Eastern, Northern, Southern, Suva, Vanua Levu & Taveuni and Western.[1]

ConstituencyGeographical areaElection date
EasternLau Province, Lomaiviti Province, Levuka municipality19 May
NorthernBa District, Colo North Province, Ra Province19 June
SouthernColo East Province, Kadavu Province, Naitasiri Province, Namosi Province, Rewa Province (except Levuka), Serua Province, Tailevu Province19 May
SuvaSuva Municipality20 June
Bua Province, Cakaudrove Province, Macuata Province19 June
WesternColo West Province, Lautoka District, Nadi District, Nadroga Province19 June

Results

ConstituencyCandidateVotes%Notes
EasternJohn Maynard HedstromUnopposedRe-elected
align=left rowspan=2NorthernHenry Lamb Kennedy5358.2Elected
L. Davidson3841.8
SouthernRobert CromptonUnopposedElected
align=left rowspan=3SuvaHenry Milne Scott22141.9Re-elected
Henry Marks21039.8Re-elected
C.A. Brough9618.2
align=left rowspan=2Vanua Levu & TaveuniEdward Duncan9979.2Elected
James McConnell2620.8
align=left rowspan=2WesternCharles Wimbledon Thomas8966.4Re-elected
J.C. Doyle4533.6
align=left colspan=5Source: Ali

Appointed members

PositionMember
Governor (President)Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott
Agent-General of ImmigrationSydney Frederick Smith
Attorney GeneralAlfred Karney Young
Chief Medical OfficerGeorge Lynch
Colonial PostmasterHerbert Paul St. Julian
Colonial SecretaryEyre Hutson
Commissioner of LandsDyson Blair
Commissioner of WorksWilliam Akerman Miller
Inspector General of ConstabularyIslay McOwan
Native CommissionerKenneth Allardyce
Receiver GeneralRichard Sims Donkin Rankine
Superintendent of AgricultureCharles Henry Knowles
Fijian memberJoni Madraiwiwi I
Fijian memberJoni Antonio Rabici
Source: Fiji Blue Book[2]

Aftermath

Further changes were made to the constitution in 1916, increasing the number of nominated members from 10 to 12; eleven were civil servants and the other had to be a British subject not holding public office.[3] [4] Badri Maharaj was chosen as the twelfth nominated member, becoming the first Indo-Fijian member of the Legislative Council.[5]

Notes and References

  1. http://fijielections.blogspot.com/2017/01/1914-fiji-legislative-council-elections.html 1914 Fiji Legislative Council elections
  2. Fiji Blue Book for the Year 1914, p85
  3. http://www.oocities.org/girmitya/FijiElections/1917.htm 1917 Legislative Council Election
  4. Fiji, The Stationery Office, pxli
  5. Brij V. Lal (1992) Broken Waves: A History of the Fiji Islands in the Twentieth Century, University of Hawaii Press, p38