General elections were held in Fiji in July, August and September 1920.[1]
Electoral system
editThe Legislative Council consisted of 12 official members (eleven civil servants and a British subject not holding public office),[2] seven elected Europeans and two appointed Fijians. The Governor served as President of the Council.[1]
The Europeans were elected from six constituencies; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Suva, Vanua Levu & Taveuni and Western. Voting was restricted to men aged 21 or over who had been born to European parents (or a European father and was able to read, speak and write English) who were British subjects and had been continuously resident in Fiji for 12 months, either owning at least £20 of freehold or leasehold property or having an annual income of at least £120, and were not on the public payroll.[2]
| Constituency | Geographical area | Election date |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Lau Province, Lomaiviti Province | 30 July[1] |
| Northern | Ba District, Colo North Province, Ra Province | 6 September |
| Southern | Colo East Province, Kadavu Province, Naitasiri Province, Namosi Province, Rewa Province (except Suva), Serua Province, Tailevu Province | 2 September |
| Suva | Suva Municipality | 21 August |
| Vanua Levu and Taveuni | Bua Province, Cakaudrove Province, Macuata Province | 2 September |
| Western | Colo West Province, Lautoka District, Nadi District, Nadroga Province | 3 September |
Results
edit| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | John Maynard Hedstrom | Unopposed | Re-elected | |
| Northern | Frederick Clapcott | 60 | 58.3 | Re-elected |
| L. Davidson | 42 | 40.8 | ||
| N.S. Chalmers | 1 | 1.0 | ||
| Southern | Francis Riemenschneider | 80 | 55.9 | Elected |
| Robert Crompton | 63 | 44.1 | Unseated | |
| Informal votes | 1 | – | ||
| Suva | Henry Milne Scott | 242 | 36.3 | Re-elected |
| Henry Marks | 194 | 29.1 | Re-elected | |
| S.H. Ellis | 123 | 18.5 | ||
| James Burton Turner | 107 | 16.1 | ||
| Vanua Levu & Taveuni | Herbert Valentine Tarte | 62 | 45.9 | Elected |
| W.C. Fisher | 38 | 28.1 | ||
| E. Duncan | 35 | 25.9 | ||
| Informal votes | 3 | – | ||
| Western | Charles Wimbledon Thomas | 63 | 56.3 | Elected |
| John Percy Bayly | 49 | 43.8 | ||
| Informal votes | 4 | – | ||
| Source: Ali | ||||
Appointed members
editThe nominated members were appointed on 15 October; one of the Fijian posts was left unfilled.[1]
| Position | Member |
|---|---|
| Governor (President) | Cecil Hunter-Rodwell |
| Agent-General of Immigration | Percy Robert Backhouse |
| Attorney General | Alfred Karney Young |
| Chief Medical Officer | George Cecil Strathairn |
| Colonial Postmaster | Herbert Paul St. Julian |
| Colonial Secretary | Thomas Edward Fell |
| Commissioner of Lands | Dyson Blair |
| Commissioner of Works | Henry Berry Lees |
| District Commissioner, Rewa | Richard Rutledge Kane |
| Receiver General | William Henry Brabant |
| Secretary for Native Affairs | Douglas Ray Stewart |
| Superintendent of Agriculture | Charles Henry Knowles |
| Representing Indo-Fijians | Badri Maharaj |
| Fijian member | Joni Antonio Rabici |
| Source: Fiji Blue Book[1] | |
Aftermath
editA by-election was held for the Vanua Levu and Taveuni seat on 4 October 1922, which was won by William Edmund Willoughby-Tottenham.[3]