THE KANAKA LABOUR TRAFFIC.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 142, 16 June 1892, Page 2

THE KANAKA LABOUR TRAFFIC.

SOME ■•■'FACTS ' ABOUT::'::AN^

SUBJECT.

As might have been anticipated, the revival of the Kanaka labour trade by the colony of Queensland aroused awarmidi 8" cussion in the Imperial Parliament;* >-■■ The debate may be said to have virtually ended in favour' of the [ ] Queensland Government, .as the • Imperial authorities are evidently averse to proypke a quarrel with.what .is described aa the " mosb independent Australian ' colony." A cable message from London states that "The Imperial Government entertain no doubt as to the efficiency of the safeguards proposed by the Queensland Government in connection with "the labour traffic." The British authorities in fact appear to have adopted the view that the labour trade is one of those questions which the great colonies must themselves settle withoub Imperial' interyentibn, and that as the Government -waß. unabletq suspend the regulations it would be unwise on their part to veto the Bill. So it triay, be taken for granted that wo will hear no more of Imperial intervention in the matter. Ibia an open question; we may remark, whether Imperial interference in such questions would be prudent or in the best interests of the colonies. Notwithstanding the'fact that the labour traffic cannot be defended,' and that its revival, even under, the most care-fully-devised regulations, will be likely to be attended with grave abuses, there is .yet reason to question the right) of the British Government to thrust upon the colonies legislation of its own on the matter, - The black labour traffic between the South Sea Islands and Queensland; in order to supply cheap labourers for the sugarplantors of that colony, has already fairly commenced, under the provisions of the. South Pacific Labourers Act recently^ passed in the Queensland Legislature/ and a number of vessels have sailed from Queensland ports for the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, New ; Britain, . NewIreland, and other South Sea locali-, ties on Kanaka recruiting intent. The amended conditions under which Government recruiting is to be carried on in the Islands are'somewhat interesting, and an evident attempt has been made to so frame the regulations as to .prevent the more flagrant abuses which became so notorious, in years past. They consist of 54 clauses, and provide for every contingency which is considered likely to arise. Only British subjects will be employed in recruiting, and separate accommodation will be provided in vessels for Kanaka women. No firearms, liquor, or dice are to be given the natives jnrhile on board the vessel. The recruiting agent and crew are not to sleep away from the ship, and the shipmaster is to obey the instructions of the Government. The labour is to be recruited in the presence of the agent, and no attempt ia to, be made to take those Islanders who; are unwilling to go to Queensland. On returning to the Islands they will be taken to their own villages. A hospital is to.be established in Queensland for the treatment of those Islanders who may fall ill. • ■ . > •• y ■•■--.: ,\ These safeguards, and others previously Jin force, may appear very, complete, but there1 is grave reason to doubt that* any system or regulation, however efficient :on paper, will ever entirely put a stop to scandals and disgraceful abuses in connection with such a mode of obtaining labour. The principle of introducing thousands of members of an inferior race, into a white man's country, either permanently or as a temporary labour supply is inherently bad, I and;, can s . ( by:, k , no j .means; be defended. However, at the present time, other of the Australian colonies have caught the cheap labour epidemic, and are inviting future trouble with their own working * population. Queensland wants the Kanaka, South Australia declares for the; Coolie, and West Australia opens her gates to the Chinaman. Mr Playford, Premier of South Auabralia, while on a 'visit to Brisbane, recently said in .the course of an interview, that a hundred Indian families would be immediately settled in , the Northern Territory as a primary venture. ;. Such a course may be deemed expedient! at the present time, but its after-results will, inevitably be disastrous to Australasian national interests. An anti-black labour journal, in Australia, recently cited the case of a British Group of West Indian Islands containing 385,000 negroes and 4,800 whites aa an instance of whan Queensland may come to when its population of im- ; ported Kanakas " provide work for white men." '•' . .■■ -■.'..,;;' '.■'■ \ "'■■.■■,■■.. '~:■... ...I' \

In a recent article we enumerated the principal reasons which form indisputable arguments against the: deporting of the Kanaka population from the South Sea Islands to Queensland,, eithor by fair means or foul. It is impossible to dispute medical and statis-j tical evidence on the point of mortality amongst the Kanaka labourers in Queensland, which distinctly proves that the South: Sea Islands are not physically fitted for hard and continuous labour in Queensland, and that they die' off rapidly if compelled to remain on the plantations. There are other physiological reasons which should have weight with those who advocate ;the alienation of the Kanaka from his native islands. There is so much to be said against the businees, and so little in favour of it, that io is difficult to understand how the majority in the Queensland Legislature ever managed to dull- their intellects or to stifle their consciences so far'as to agree to a revival of the One of the staple arguments of the Kanaka labour party seems to have been that' the' white man was unfitted for labour oh the• plantations; and that, therefore, some other variety of labour was necessary. But if the white man is utterly unfitted for moderate pla-n----tationwork, how much more so the weaker Kanaka, who, in physique, is infinitely inferior to the' white working man ? We venture to say that white men can do the labour of the Queensland plantations, if worked, say,' only, a few hours each - day, and properly paid and decently looked after. But the Queensland sugar planter will never consent to this because he knows well enough that white labour means higher wages, and he naturally prefers the Kanaka at a nominal rate of remuneration per annum. In connection with this question, the following defence of the labour system, from an Island planter's point of view, published in a recent issue of the Samoa "Times," will be of interest:—" As ; far as Britishers are concerned in Samoa, imported coloured labour is at present imDossible by reason of the Act or Acts provided for the suppression of slavery. Acts which every Englishman must uphold and approve.; The writer has seen these coloured labourers in some of their island! homes, and he has also seen them as employed by the German Company in Samoa, and his conclusion is that they are comparatively free men in Samoa, while they are far nearer slaves in their own home. He' has also talked with these black boys in different parts of Samoa,"and, among other questions; he.has asked them, >• When is their time up, and do they not want to-go home ?"•, In a great number (majority might be said) of cases the reply was that they intended to run away, so as to avoid the return ; that they much preferred to stay in; Samoa and work for .the white man, and they nearly all envy thel few free blackboys who are in service with various whitei men.' It is also stated-oh reliable authority^ thati" very often' when the pboyß are* shipped to their homes they re-enlist,' and so return in the same Bhip. There are no doubt individual cases of

harsh treatment and ill-usage in Samoa* bub under thb plan before hintep): atj'dt is the Vwriter's;;;wish and hope that very stringent regulations shall be enforced, which shall secure good food*±=andi good usage, with $i 75 par annum wages,- and there are millions of white boys and girls _in Europe ■in ■ far worse slavery than; this. There is, to the writer's mind, .a far wider and1 more metaphysical aspect to be considered* as regards* theintroduction' of" a large number of these black boys in a"state of celibacy, ">. and the ."same 'matter has affected America, and controlled her actions , in,:- shutting the > Chinamen : bub .of , the; States." "•• .; '.:

As a counter-picture to this, though not affecting the Queensland traffic, the,ioljqwing extract from the last Melanesian Missionary report regarding the New Hebrides, may be given, as showing the abuses likely to recur in the Queensland system :—•' The. New Hebrides group doeß nob tepl, to so great ;an extent; as .other islands,; the good effects of the cessation' of .the Queensland labour traffic. There: »are ; now ftboiib, in increased numbers many small'vessels under the French flag; and working with a perfectly free hand to perpetuate and; extend the many evils . con*, nected-with the deportation, by fair meanß or foul, of natives from 'their own islands; They have made.themselves obnqxiousahd Bhowri themselvee inimical to tHe interest's ptthe Mission in many ways, and on several occasions; ; and the whole system, as, at present carried on, cries for epeedy and thorough, reformation ,■ in. 'the, general interests of humanity and civilisation, if for no other." A former Australian naval station commander, Admiral Erekine, has r : also joined his 1 voice ' to '" "the many others raised in condemnation, of the Queensland labour traffic A recent cable, message from -London stated that Admiral Erskine's letter to one of the leading dailies observes with sorrow and; dismay the attitude that has been adopted by the Imperial Government in the matter. ' He;.** considers that even under the most stringent regulations wrongs and abuses of the traffic will occur, leading invariably to reprisals and bloodshed." The proposed recruiting in New Guinea, he states, is contrary to the terms of the protectorate. ; A suggestion made by the Premier of South Australia in connection with .this subject, iasignificant, as showing tbatf the question of even colonial;, federation ia seriously affected by the coloured labour system. He is of opinion that the subject should have more than provincial concern, and suggests that a conference be held between represen tatiyes of. the various Governments for the purpose of discussing the immigration of .coloured , labourers with a view to the adoption by the Federal Council of a course of action.

• There is now no. prospect of the prohibition of the labour traffic, unless,,a political whirl-about should occur in Queensland, and the labour party become so powerful as to repeal the present Act. There can be no doubb that by sanctioning the Island labour trade the Queensland Government are dealing a blow ab their labouring population and voters which will duly rebound on themselves in the near future. <■:. , ~;