NEW HEBRIDES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9418, 17 August 1907, Page 8

NEW HEBRIDES.

— A GRIEVOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS. [press association.! 'Received August 17, 9.33 a.m.) MELBOURNE, August 17. Mt Licas manager for Burns., Philp. inUrviewied the Department of External Affairs with regard to the salo and distribution under Frtßch connivance of spirits and firearms and ammunition in the New Hebrides. The dtiffculty hitherto has beea to induce the French Government to use its influence to put a sitop to the practice. The pnohibitiui of liquor and firearms traffic h< contained in tho New AngloFrench Convention, but nothing is done to enforce it. Though the agreement is loyally obsemad, by British steamers. France noit> only has not done its share but advantage is taken of tho British refural to participate, in thy traffic by vessels flying the French flag to ship to the islands rifles, gunpowder, cartridges and dynamite, besides large quantities of inferior spirits, mostly gin.- Meanwhile the trade is rapidly passing into French hands. Aitl'wugh the volume of trad© in the New Hebrides had in the last 12 months in creased by 20 per cent-, in exports and imports, since the Convention was adopted British trade had fallen off by about 40 peir cent. The natives have sperfal fond. nebS for gin &nd firearms, and while French vessels, couild supply their exports wtodd be. cltained and cionveyted away by French vesi=iels. Frenchmen were boosting of tht "pipll" they had over Australians, anal wteire extending their operations tc oil parts of thia ."islands. Mr Lnca* described^ the liquor traffic as a disgrace to humanity. MELBOURNE, August 17. Rev Leggiitt, a New Hebrides mis. sionary, has leceiwd a letter {.torn Mr Roxburgh, one of the oldest settlers of the gr.nip, giving details of .outrages upon rm.tiv.es for which the French, Norwegian. German and English residents appear to be equally responsible. In one instance a native boy was flogged to Heath fmr dJesiertion, aad another boy is alleged tc have been brutally murdered. Steps are being taken to bring the cases i«ndcr the notice, of bh& Federal Government for representation to the Secretary for the Colonies.