BARTON ON THE QUESTION

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7641, 5 February 1903, Page 3

BARTON ON THE QUESTION

OTHER SIDE OF THE QUESTION

By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Melbourne, Wednesday.. Sir Edmund Barton, on being interviewed as to Mr Humphrey Berkeley's statement regarding official tyranny in Fiji, said there was no reason to believe the complaints were hi any way justified, nor is there any evidence of popular feeling in Fiji in favour of immediate annexation to New Zealand. The people cf Fiji, both black and white, do not appear to evince any desire to move in that direction, It was easy to make charges, but harder to substanj tiate them. It was not very difficult to produce petitions from coloured people on any alleged grievance. Beceived February 5, 12.28 a.m. Sydney, Wednesday. In an interview, Mr E. Magnus, well known in connection with Fiji, declared that Mr Berkeley's charges were only too true. Sir Edmund Barton's decla- | ration that there " was no feeling in favour of annexation displayed wonderful ignorance of the subject, especially in view of the fact that Mv Berkeley had taken Home a petition hearing 1000 signatures asking the King for redress of grievances of the Fijians. Europeans had also signed the petition. As regards the talk about annexation by New Zealand, there was some misapprehension on that point. The natives wished to amalgamate with anyone who would change the present lamentable state of slavery. Why New Zealand was mentioned so prominently was because the idea had got abroad that the Commonwealth did not want anything to do with black people. Another thing was that New Zealand was much closer and had a better chance of trade, also New Zealand was used to ruling natives, who would be placed under similar rule to the Maoris.