PORTUGUESE SLAVE TRADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 99, 28 April 1909, Page 15

PORTUGUESE SLAVE TRADE.

ACTION BY BRITISH COCOA FIRAIR. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 19th March. In consequence of the neglect of Portugal to mitigote the horrors of slave | labour in her islands of S. Thome and I Principe, three large British cocoa firms — Messrs. Cadbury Brothers. Bournville, Messrs. J. S. Fry and Sons, Bristol, and Messis Rowntree, York — have agreed to discontinue commercial, relations with those islands. Mr. "William A. Cadhury returned to England last week from a journey extending over five months to the islands of S. Thome tind Principe, and to the mainland of

Angola, in which he was accompanied by Mr. Joseph BurttThe object of -his visit was tb ascertain to what extent the promises of leform made to him at Lisbon in December, 1907, by the Portuguese Government had been carried out. These piomises were the result of the presentaiion to the Government and the estate proprietors of the report of Mr. Joseph Burtt and Dr. W. Claude Horton. EVILS STILL EXISTING. It will be remembered that these gentlemen were sent out in 1905 by the three principal English cocoa firms and a, ieading G^unan firm to investigate the conditions of indentured labour in S. Thome and Principe, and tho methods by which it was recruited in Angola, and that their enquiry lasted nearly two years. Mr. Cadbury has found that no adequate steps have yet been taken to remedy the evils proved to exist. lie intends very shortly to publish a full narrative of his investigations. His report has been carefully considered by the three firms on whose behalf he went out; these firms have come to the conclusion that the time his now arrived when they must mark by definite action their disappointment at the iailure of the Portuguese Government to fulfil the pledges of reform on the strength of which they agreed for a time to continue commercial relations with the islands. They have, therefore, decided not to make any further purchases of cocoa produced in the islands of S. Thome and Principe. I ■ i ■ -a j

The custom of the bridal orange blossom wreath is, according to many authorities, derived from the Saracens, who regarded the flower as a symbol of ( a prosperous marriage In the East, the orange tree bears blossoms and ripe fruit afc the samo time. There ar© 11,000 brass bands, connected with the Salvation Army in various , parts of the world.