ISLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4457, 7 December 1871, Page 3

ISLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC.

Jek Soafch Sea "labour trade " — What is it ? The name, a* a name f is by no means inauspicious or of ybad ,omen' if it bo applied in its genuine signification. If it ■be applied ■ otherwise, then it "may be used as a euphoniduß title, setting as a Qloak tq cover over the foulest < of monsters, or blackest of crimes. liet us proceed to examine what the term implies or signifies as applied to the .traffic which has for years past been, .carried on by some of the Australian colonies, Fiji, and New Caledonia, with the various groups of islands lying towards , the line, containing, amongst others, ■ the islands of' the New Jlebrides, Tanna, Banks's,' Solomon's, and Santa Cruz groups. The first question which presents itself is, "How do the skippers and crews of the vessels engaged in this so-called labour trade obtain men from those islands ? How ? If they do not kidnap them, steal them, and carry them away against theijr will, then upon' what representations, upon what understanding do they induce those unfortunate men to exchange their native country, always so dear to the heart of a savage, to exchange a life of ease and plenty for a strange land, a land unknown, and toil, and in many instances even scantiness of food 1" We have said " unfortunate man," but with paiu we must also say "and women, too ;" for be it known that poor innocent young girls, as well as adult females and wives, are carried away from their fathers and mothers and husbands, and sold to the highest bidder in Australia, Caledonia, or Fiji ! Of course, if we ask the skippers engaged in the " trade " the above question, the answer is ready — "They all come of tbeir own free will." What other answer could be expected ? Is it to be supposed that a "trader" would criminate himself by saying that they did not come with their own free will ? Would any " trader" give an answer which would imply that he decoyed them on board, intercepted their canoca, kidnapped, and carried them off by force ? Let us, however, for the sake of argument, suppose that they — the wretched islanders, both male and female — do come of their own free will, another question immediately arises out of the supposition. The question is this : Upon what representations, upon what understanding, are they induced so to come? Not one skipper in a hundred can speak the language of auy one of the groups, much less the countless dialects of the various groups. How then can he and they make themselves intelligible to each other as to a contract or bargain ? "Ob," the trader replies, "I always employ an interpreter." Yes, and what then]? Who is the interpreter ? What is his character ? To whom is he responsible ? According to what condition or scale is he paid ? The interpreter i 3 either some native who, in some way or other, has picked up a few words of English, or, what is infinitely worse, a "mean white," who, as a rule almost without exception, fled to those shores to escape punishment for his crimes elsewhere. The veracity of the former class of interpreter generally depends on the truthfulness of the statements made to him by his employer ; the veracity of the latter may be measured by his character. What he wants is money. The "trader" kuows his man. Accordingly ho pays him so much a -head for all the simple creatures whom he, by lying representations, betrays on board, or induces to leave their homes ! And who knows for how Jong a period of time they are told that they shall serve, where they are going to, and what they are going to do ! Now, even if we grant to the "trader" this position — the strongest position that he can take up — is it not, nevertheless, too sadly evident what tertible crimes must be inevitably perpetrated in this the very first stage of procuring "labour" ? The skipper wants the men; the "mean white" interpreter wants the money. At what will either of them stop ? Where could a jury of Britishers or Americans bo found who would not pronounce such proceedings as a felony ? But we are not so childish or ignorant of the subject as to believe that the islanders tue, as a rule, obtained in the above manner, criminal and cruel although it is. We are in a position to prove that the mode of obtaining them by kidnapping predominates over all others. With shame and sonow we have to confess that certain vessels, sailing from New Zealand ports, have, by their kidnapping achievements, cast upon this colony a share of the system's tlisgraco. But the horrible massages which have naturally sprung out of the atrocious conduct of the " tradeis" will so shook and rouse and unite the civilised world that, ere long, the death-blow will be administered to this abomination. Murder never fails, when first its sound falls upon the ear, to stun us for the moment ; and, as quick as lightning, it rushes through all our senses and affections, rousing instantaneously a feeling of execration against the murderer, and a desire and demand for his immediate puuishment. But to avoid being unjust, in order- to come to the right judgment, we must pause and carefully reflect. Is it to be wondered at that these sable sava»es, robbed of their owu flesh and blood — husbands hereft of their wives, and fathers mourning for their children — should seize the first opportunity to wroak their vengeance on the first whito man who came in their reach ? How could those especially who despise the black man, who set him down as little superior to the brute beast, expect from him such a course of reasoning as would permit his, spear or his arrow to transpierce only the miscieant spoliator of his happiness and his home ? Besides, white men themselves, be it borne in mind, even now-a-days act as extensively on the same principle. What could wo say if a South Sea Islander wore to call our attention to the system which according to the law of nations tolerates, aye, directs the execution of ,hostages— guiltless men it may be? Bishop" Patteson saw things in this light, and, with that justice and benevolence which were inseparable from a heart so noble, while he , foresaw and foretold that murders would soon be perpetrated by tho islanders in consequence of the execrable, conduct of white /'traders," he protested against reprisals against the blacks. * We shall not now follow jthe " labour," obtained as we have described, 'to the' auction block or the plantation. The picture is already dark enough. We could say more; but Sve shall await the thrilling details wliich may be expected from ;Dr. Macartney, president of the late Royal Commission issued by tho Qoverument on the' "labour question and 'the murders arising therefrom," in 'the j lectures which he will, as soon as possible, deliver in this and the other principal [towns of- New Zealand.. "Labour trade" forsooth ! Is that honourable name ." trade" ;to be defiled by its application to traffic r^- , ; rotting to .the, sense of humanity, i and con-*, jtrary to natural law ? Is that word "labour," iwhich^expresseß' the toil^-the honest and' Swilling work— by Which' the . freeman, cah ■comfortablyi.liye rise in, society, to be jused any longer as synonymoua with j" slavery" ? We shall call the bloodstained ; traffic by its pfcopername, aa'Lord Brougham teaid fonts' spcechon slavery on- August 1, 1859, •in London, " finding that it was absolutely : neeeMapjr-4h«t-«we-«nottld-for the-firafc~*irae> call the thing by its^right name, and that we Jshould no longer slander trade by calling that, a trade : which. - W jw- a ierim^ " •Wa donqtmcr it as slavery, and call on- the Government! _f£ jftll civili&ed cjo^n^ries,; for^ thja sake of humanity, to.un.ite i *nd,s.weej>she^cean, clean bf the white slavera.^M defile' its face. — fComnau.?ucftted,r] *n : , i so/' - r.i f-ti, f -ti, / ,. /•/ • j

«**'YOICJB< FBOJ4 oSOUTJI (AMEBIOA.—JUtrM innajßedifarijruuhl.wlth dandfuff!.ta'au<diatt extent! that it kept continually « fulling i oil. my meek. 1 and! ihoulder*. lboklaft •fftldrenly tb»fe Tiwiu s KshMbedb to M .rattotf • Atuluy .l" ulad ißarry l^ T/ic6ph'arom» and >nef bottlei»f lit ;ie«toT»d ajrety JxU-tioli^ol d-tsdhtff/ tad tonrf. I h*v« «mUnti«d.'vabgulfr > u»dd»jh»lrt!. i«wJ-Men»:iltDr''qfd«njira/rjino^- T ¥oarf ? pOMZAttf t Mama, 17, Adiuna-itreetj'jValpmJwirrn Wholesale Ajent* lor New Zealand : Meiira. Kempthorne, Prouer, *nd Co., Dunedin and Auckland.--(ADV.)