NEW HEBRIDES CONDITIONS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18073, 15 May 1924, Page 5

NEW HEBRIDES CONDITIONS.

CONDEMNED BY PRESBYTERY.

At meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery the question of the existing -conditions in. the New Hebrides was' disc/ussed, The matter., arogg. .Otit of a proposal to fittingly celebrate the centenary, on May 25th, of .Dr. J>G. Paton, the well-known Presbyterian missionary stationed in the New Hebrides group. ' ' '" A letter wasieceived from the Rev. H. H,,Barton, secretary of the Foreign. Missions : Committee, Dunedin, who stated that a petition would be sent,to the New Zealand Government urging that the islands be brought solely under British . control. . The French adminis-. trationhad failed-to carry out its part of the joint convention, and there was a danger of'the islands passing'entirely into French control. At the present time the position of women in the French plantations was becoming intolerable, and the British Government acknowledged this fact, but professed its inability -to move the French Government to put a stop to, the,'brutal practices which were in vogue.-' The BevJ J. :V. Jacobson supported the statements in the letter. ■■■:■■ The Eev. N. L. D.'Webster stated that he had been,told that, the cruelty and immorality of the French traderswas horrible, and that the divided rule was a failure. The' Rev. J. Paterson said that both' the Federal and New Zealand Govern : . inents were in sympathy with the Presbytery, and the Presbyterian Church had -spent large sums'* on missionary work in the islands. ■ The Imperial Go-i vernment, however, seemed indifferent: on the matter. " The Kev. W. Tanner,- Moderator, said that the Nonconformist,'or Free Church influence now was more pronounced in the Imperial Parliament, and, consequently, in the Imperial Government, than previously. Representations to the Imperial Government should have a good effect. . \ ■ .- Mr Jacobson said that'he did-not know how the British Government could go about obtaining sole control of the islands.- Would it buy the French Mr Webster: That's for the British and French Governments to settle. The Presbytery, on the motion of Mr Jacobson, seconded by Mr Webster, decided to ask the New Zealand Government to take any steps possible to end the condominium.and to establish sole British control, and to . commend 'to members of congregations, and electors generally, the petition in circulation.