BLACK LABOUR IN QUEENSLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12027, 25 July 1902, Page 5

BLACK LABOUR IN QUEENSLAND.

A BISHOP'S DEFENCE OP, THE

KANAKA.

By Telegraph.-Press A~6sociation.—CopyriEht,

Sydney, July 24. ; \ Bishop Stretch, of Newcastle, who ■■■ re-"-cently visited Northern Queensland, writes! in his parish paper in reference to black' labour in Queensland, that the Federal - Government, with that rare courage whichtf '". marks truly great men, fastened upon thai most harmless and unprotected for their.! special fury. The Chinese are .there in', -C'j thousands, and the Japanese also, but - ib; is the kanaka who must go. These last 1 ' seem singularly inoffensive. • They workj hard at work that no white man should be/ ■. asked to undertake. They are law-abiding,., and spend their money where they earn! it. These men, many of whom have wives) and families, and who are really good-j living people, an enlightened Government! v insists upon deporting to heathen where the chances are they will be mur-*j' dered by their still heathen countrymen., i A more curious and cowardly proceeding i'si would be hard to imagine. He trusts that' in some way Australia may be spared the; scandal of it. If not, white Australia will/ ' have to blush a pretty high-coloured red( ,•"-'■' for very shame. , If is curious there ar«( no plans for deporting Chinese and Japa,-' nese put forward, but it is not hard to see' the - reason. When we wish to play -thai. bully we naturally choose the smallest boy*'