MISSIONARY DIFFICULTIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14486, 28 September 1910, Page 8

MISSIONARY DIFFICULTIES.

NEW HEBRIDES PROBLEMS.

[BY telegraph. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Tuesday The Rev. J. McCaw (Hutt) brought under the notice of the Wellington Presbytery to-day correspondence from Professor Hewitson (Dunedin), with reference to the disabilities under which missionaries of the Presbyterian Church laboured in the New Hebrides. Charges were made against the French of permitting the sale of alcoholic liquors and firearms to natives, of permitting the deportation of natives for work in other places, " blackbirding," in short, and of practically abducting women and girls for immoral purposes, or, at least, taking them away without the consent of the chief or parent or other authority, and of returning them to the islands, when they did return, in a worse moral and physical condition than when they were taken away. Objecting to such things, the missionaries had been charged by the Deputy French Resident and the Mayor of Vila with hindering colonisation and thwarting commercial enterprise. It was also pointed out in the correspondence that British residents were rightly prevented, under the Anglo-French Convention, from selling natives either liquor or firearms. Gross lawlessness was permitted by tho French, and in consequence the Presbyterian missionaries were doing their work under extreme difficulty. The French are allowed, it was said, to do very much as they liked. It was suggested that the Wellington Presbytery should agree to approach the New Zealand Government, together with certain members of Parliament, to urge upon the Imperial Government the urgent necessity of upholding and supporting tho British resident in his desire for the duo observance by French citizens of tho terms of the convention, especially in the direction of putting down the salo of strong drink and firearms to natives.

A motion expressive of sympathy with the missionaries in their extremely critical position, and appointing a deputation to the New Zealand Government, was carried unanimously.