THE NAURU MANDATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18206, 27 September 1922, Page 10

THE NAURU MANDATE.

MISINFORMED CRITICS. MINISTER REVIEWS POSITION. £»T TKIiEOttAr-H.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Tuehdwr. With reference to the cable messages in connection with the recent meeting of the League of Nations, when matters regarding Nauru, Island were discussed, Hon. W. Nosworthy, Minister for Agriculture, states that tho original report of the Mandates Commission was made under a misapprehension, and without full knowledge of the facts. The validity of the administration no longer was challenged by the League. It was considered that the adverse criticisms against the Nauru administration probably were based upon G eman It was unreasonable to attack the British, Australian, and New Zealand Governments for alleged exploitation of phosphate deposits, seeing thati the working rights had been acquired by the three Governments by direct purchase, apart from the original mandate granted to Britain by the League of Nations. The present administration had been appointed by the Commonwealth Government, in accordance with an agreement entered into in 1919. The New Zealand Government had kept in touch with the work of the administration, and he was able to say that everything necessary for the preservation of law and order was being done. The welfare of the natives was receiving the greatest care, and they realise that much more was being done for them than previously. The island was only 11 miles in circumference, and the natives numbered approximately 2000. A good indication of the care taken of the natives was shown by a comparison •«f the payments made to them for phosphate rock. Germany had paid a moderate sum for trees removed, whether foodbearing or otherwise, and a royalty to the landowners at the rate of id per ton. The present administration paid the owner £20 an acre for the lease of the land, and a royalty on the phosphate actually shipped at the rate of 3d per ton, of which 2d was paid in cash, and Id held in trust for the benefit of the natives.. The 2d royalty represented an average cash payment of £200 per acre. Productive lands did not contain phosphate deposits, therefore the industry did not interfere with the food supply of the natives. The Mandates Commission's views in respect of labour also were based on a misapprehension. Of tho labour employed at Nauru, half consisted of Chinese and the remainder of Caroline and Marshall Islanders and New Guinea natives. Outside labour had been employed since the inception of the industry, as the local natives were not inclined to work. The housing of the labourers was under the control oT the administrator, the commission's manager being responsible for the carrying out of the terms of the agreement with them. The Chinese were housed in compounds, under close control, and* were not allowed out at night. The Chinese were engaged for three years, and the other labourers for two years, except in a few instances. It wbb believed that in no other part of the world were coloured labourers better housed, fed, paid, medically looked after, and treated than at Nauru.