SLAVE-TRADE HORRORS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 53, 2 March 1907, Page 13

SLAVE-TRADE HORRORS.

FRESH CHARGES AGAINST CONGO OFFICIALS. Particulars have just Seen sent by the Cougo Reform Association to Sir Edward Grey of the horrors of tne slave traffic carried on with the toleration of Congo officials in North-Eastern Katanga, near the western shores of Lake Tanganyika. An Arab chief has been carrying on the traffic at least since 1904, and, despite protests, by, among others, tne Germans, no action was taken till August last. Nothing, however, has been heard of the result of an expedition raen sent out, and in view of tie proved of the Congo authorities, Sir Edward Grey is asked to make inquiryFurther, the combination of tax-collect-ing and abusive porterage appears to be threatening not only the partial destruction but the utter extermination of the people. For the arennotis labour of a twenty-two days' transport march they are paid two yards of indifferent cloth, plus rations—often conspicuous by their absence. The borders of the terrible transport route are markee t>y the bleached bonea of carriers, fallen though ovework and insufficiency of food. Tb.e corvee thus imposed appears to differ little, if at all, from the Arab slave trade. In addition, the population is expected to collect rubber as a "tax," and to furnish labourers for the Kabinda station and for the rubber plantations. "Overwork, misery, disease, lack of nourishment, aud .'taxation' in one form or another," conclndes the appeal to Sir Edward Grey, "are producing the same effects upon the people of this region as similar causes have produciae upon the people along both banks of the i Upper Congo for a distance of many hundreds of miles-H-e----£enera-tiDg them «£C tie face of the earth."