WORSE THAN THE CONGO

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1913, Page 12

WORSE THAN THE CONGO

PUTUMAYO RUBBER SCANDALS. Giving evidence recently before the Select Committee of the House of Cony moils which is enquiring into ths Putumayo rubber scandals, Sir Roger Casement said that at more than one of the board meetings of the company he strongly advised that a Mr. Bell should be sent to Brazil to replace- the native manager there. Mr. Bell was never cent out. Witness produced photographs, which showed Indians with marks of the illtreatment they had received on their bodies, and also their emaciated condition. He said a great many deaths took place owing to the long j&ttrnpys and heavy weights imposed upon them. They had to carry heavy loads sometimes 50 and 60 miles,' and these loads were mucu heavier than were permitted on the Congo. On th& Congo every carrier was paid for merely carrying. For a load of 651b carried 120 miles the carrier would be paid ample remuneration, and would be given sufficient food for the journey. But these unfortunate people- m Peru had first to collect large quantities of rubber, and were not fed all ih&t time, and then they hod to cany that heavy weight of rubber down a long distance and deliver it without any payment or any food on the journey. Sir Roger produced a sinffle-barrel gun, the alleged cost of which to the Peruvian Amazon Company was 295. To obtain on© of Iheee guns from the company the Indians would have to do two years* work 5 in other words, they would have to bring in rubber which woald be ! Valued at £57 or £58. In on© case, lie said, a man and his wife ratt, away, and some* little distance off they waited in the hop© that their children would follow them, but one of the manager's men took these children fetid killed them. 1 ' ■