TELEGRAMS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 152, 29 June 1914, Page 15

TELEGRAMS

MAROONED IN TONGA PLIGHT OF NIUE BOYS. RESULT OF LABOUR CONTRACT. (BY TELEORAPU— SPECIAL TO TUB POST.) AUCKLAND, This Day. There are at present twenty-three young men, natives of Niue. living in the Island of Tonga, who wish to return home, but are unable to do so. Like hundreds of other young Nieueane. who are _ famed throughout the Southern Pacific for their industry, these "boys" were- taken away from their homes in order to be employed elsewhere, and they went to Tonga under contract to certain planters there. They agreed to be_ taken to Tonga to accept there a. certain wage for a certain time, and at the expiry of the stipulated period to be re turned to Niue. When the contracts were made, two small trading steamers were making occasional visits to Niue, and the "boys" were sent backwards and forwards' by these vessels. These vessels do not now make trips to Niue, and it is in connection with those "boys" whose contracts have expired since the cessation of thia intermittent service that the trouble haa arisen. If tho "boys" are to be return ed to Nine, they must go by steamer to Auckland, and thence by the ketch Kereru to their island, a voyage which will be somewhat expensive. , Tongan employers have declined to send the "boys" back via- Auckland, and are keeping them in Tonga waiting a direct eteajner. Many months have elapsed since the first of these contracts expired, and tho*e is no more prospect of a steamer running to Nine than there was months ago. When the Hon. Dr. 'Pomare was in Niue recently a deputation of influential natives brought the matter onde* fc'A notice, and asked that the New Zealand Government should force the Tongan employers to keep to the terms ot their contract. The Minister said that thero seemed to be no doubt about the legality of the position, and some action would have to be taken. Later, when he visited Nukualofa, Dr. Pomare had a conference with the British Resident (Mr. Grant) on the matter, and if the Tongan authorities do not take action in the direction required of them there may bo some interesting developments.