NAURU UNDER THE BRITISH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 243, 27 September 1922, Page 2

NAURU UNDER THE BRITISH.

IMPROVED NATIVE CONDITIONS. EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION. Wellington, Sept. 26. With reference to the cable in connection with the recent meeting of the League of Nations, when matters regarding Nauru Island were discussed, the Hon. W. Nosworthy states that the original report of the Mandates Commission was made under a misapprehension. ,apd without a full knowledge of the facts. The validity of the administration was no longer challenged by the League. It was considered the adverse criticisms against the Nauru administration were probably based upon German propaganda. It was unreasonable to attack the British, Australian and New Zealand Governments for the alleged exploitation of the phosphate deposits, seeing that the working rights were acquired b ythe three Governments by direct purchase apart from the original mandate granted Britain by the League of Nations. The present administration was appointed by the Commonwealth Government in accordance with an agreement entered into in 1919. The New Zealand Government has kept in touch with the work of the administrator, who was doing everything necessary for the preservation of law and order and the welfare of the natives was receiving the greatest care. The natives realised that much more uas being done lor them than previously. The island is only eleven miles in circumference and the natives number approximately 2UOO. A good indication of the care taken of the natives was the fact of the payment to natives for phosphate rock. Germany paid a moderate sum for trees removed, whether food-bearing or otherwise, and a royalty to land-owners at the rate of one halfpenny per ton. The present administration pays the owner £2O per acre for the lease of the land and a royalty on the phosphate actually shipped at the rate of threepence per ton, of which twopence is paid to tne owner and a penny to the administrator to be held in trust for the benefit of the natives. The twopence royalty represents an average cash payment of £2OO per acre, so it wlil be seen that since Nauru came under British administration the native owner has received much more generous treatment than under the Germans. The rates for phosphate lands and the royalties, which remain in force for a period of six years, have be3ii unanimously accepted by the native owners. Phosphate lands are not used for producing to any appreciable extent and productive lands do not contain phosphate deposits. Therefore the industry does not interfere with the food supply of the natives. The Mandates Commission’s views in respect to Chinese labour was also expressed under a misapprehension. Of the labour employed at Nauru half consists of Chinese and the remainder of Caroline and Marshall Islanders and from New Guinea. The natives were not inclined to work. The housing of the labourers is under the control of the administrator, the commission’s manager being resonsible for carrying out the terms of the agreement with them. The Chinese are housed in compounds under close control and are not allowed out at night. The Chinese are engaged for three yeaers and other labourers for two years except in a few instances. It is believed there is no part of the world where coloured labourers are better housed, fed, paid, medically looked after and treated than at Nauru. The labourers are far better off than in their own respective countries.