PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17538, 2 August 1920, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

- SAMOAN DISCUSSION. THE HOUSE RISES LATE. INDENTURED LABOUR ISSUE. DEFEAT -OF AMENDMENT. ' [fit' TE£i&BAp£— bepobteb.] .:•*■' ;i ' WELLINGTON, Saturday. SanWanv-aßairs occupied the attention of ■ the House lot. Representatives ~ until nearly three o'clock this morning, when fee motion ■ that the report lie on the table was adopted. The criticism of the indenture system, which came chiefly from the extreme Labour section, called forth a reply. from the Prime Minister. Ho was . followed by the Leader of the Opposition, who - said that at the present stag? he would vote for the Government on the question. Mr. H. E. Holland's amendment , recording opposition to indentured labour was eventually defeated by a substantial majority. One of the most noteworthy speeches in the course of the debate was made by the Hon. A. T. Ngata. LABOUR FOE SAMOAEARLY MORNING DEBATE, j ——~ SPEECH BY MR. MASSEY. [BIT TEtBUBAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINTGON. Saturday. The debate on the Island Trade Commission's report - waft continued in the House of Representatives . .this.': 'morning : after the /telegraph- office closed; when members' further / discussed Mr. H. E. Holland's amendment *thatv this House records its opposition to the entrance of indentured 1 labour in Western Samba." _Mx,_p;. Eraser (Wellington Central) said something" about immorality scandals in. ti'G Chinese cantonments in South j Africa. Be asked;ro ..'whether* the Govern-, ment would ,-.: tolerate like \ practices in Samoa, for he assumed that in. like circrmatances" like effects would be produced. The Prime Minister rose to reply.;«■.■ He expressed horror and disgust with the suggestion, contained in "the question, that the i Government would tolerate'. such dirty imnrorai;/practices.' He hoped.,there would . bo' less of these suggestions, which were no credit .to Parliament and humiliating t>* every- member of Parliament. * Mr. M&saey proceeded then to speak of Samoa, the group" Of islands whieh had been, a bone of contention for £0 ' years. The Germans had*esteblished themselves well' in the group, but their interests had been confiscated, and ? the"; assets were probably Zealand would get by way of indemnity from < Germany..v-New Zealand •" make the most of. it. The strategici importance of Samoa was realised by t the Germans, and they had v made good use of: Samoa as a' base of operations...... Those were forgotten now, but in the early days of the war, whenVtiW % German cruisers :i - sack the British, squadron sent out destroy the Germans, the failure cost the loss of 1600 , lives, of British seamen. This should help them to remember that it was important V to keep enemies out of the Pacific. - ' < Obliged to Accept Mandate. Mr. Massey reminded the House that successive statesmen "of New Zealand had recognised ; the importance of Samoa to this country, and had urged that it should be taken over. He himself had not been anxious to accept responsibility for Samoa. Ma.. had - placed on record at ; the . time of the; Peace Gonferene© his wish that Britain w&uld accept the mandate.- Bat if New Zealand v '-lefused the mandate, •a' foreign Power .would have* : accepted it. The".' House had : been *:,tdld that the SsmoansShbnldvbe left to work their owiV'-desfinyi" That " B "ae hot possible* r"TPT . the British Empire liift. Samfia lanofcher Power would step in. The responsibility would Rot be declined; The use of the :; indentured labour was absolutely neces- ... sary.., Hej^jd. not like the system, and-y^hed'-to^vget-' away' from ;. it .as 'soon as - possible. -But it was not the objectionable system", depicted by some people, ' He hoped that within a few years it would be possible, to work-the plantations with fre-jT labour,; In' the meantime the period of-indenture had been reduced to two years, ajid permission had been obtained . frpjn the Chinese Government, for wives toacoampany the labourers- " Ht believed that,.i women were now on their way to- Samoa. Mr,. Massey mentioned that the 'j"?amoanjs were blood-kin to the Maoris. New Zealand would not refuse .to .recognise >'ts interest in the affairs of - the South ' PscifJG Islands, and he Hoped that the difficulties would be discussed without any attempt 7 to create prejudice or distort facts, . .-"i";..-'' " .:* -' I,' ' ',"- ":•";'.?" The Asiatic Menace. . r jfe-'-THtf.. Wilford (Hutt) said that he ■would vote always againfit the admission of Chinese or. Japanese to any of the ..Islands, on grounds of national safety. -He believed that the prediction made in the United 'States Senate that the next war would find Japan, China, Russia, and Germany allied against the rest of the world'was a prediction that .New Zealand could not afford to disregard. »if -he had had his way, >' every Chinaman would be turned out of New Zealand, and no Chinaman or Japanese would be admitted to any island under British control. Hawaii had become a Jf-paneae colony. ; The Philippines could t)3 token by (Japan at any time. The > Japanese had a footing in California, and could"-not be turned out. The menace was plain to see. Opposition Leader's Support. Tho Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. W.-D; S. Mac Donald stated that the question was an Empire question, and the Liberals would not .make it a party matter. They thought that if possible it was a good thing to do without indentured labour. Samoa was very much better in British hands than under the control of aliens. It was understood that when New Zealand accepted the mandate if, brought home a difficult problem. If: th«». .Government could fix a definite period ..>.' the utilisation of indentured labour it vcald create a better feeling in the House. ' -' Mr Massey: So far as lam concerned I will do my level best to replace indentured with free labour. Mr. Mac Donald concluded bv etating that at the present stage he would vote with the Government. Mr. Holland's amendment was defeated hv a large majority, and after adopting *h« motion that the report be laid on the table, the House rose at 2.45 a.m.