THE QUEENSLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 9866, 24 March 1893, Page 2

THE QUEENSLAND LABOUR TRAFFIC

By Elsotrto Copyright. INTERVIEW WITH MR R. U STEVENSON. (PRESS ASSOCIATION.) {Received March 23. T.35p.m.) Sydney, March 23. The Presbyterian publishes an account of an interview with Mr R. L. Steveneoo, the noTcllet, on tbe subject of the labour traffic in tbe South Sea Islands. Mr Stevenson says there Is tbe greatest difficulty in being satisfied with any supervision of tbe traffic by the Queensland Government owing to the multiplicity of languages among the various islands rendering it impossible (or an agent to discover Whether tbs natives go to Queensland of their own {see will. As a matter of fact many of them consent to go in order to save their lives froth their enemies 5 and as to the question of returning, many of Mr Sfcetenson says, are as often aa not sent to the wroog place; which may mean death to theiq it is a common triok, .when, an wishes the labour he bason board to re volunteer for work in Queensland, to bring up tbe vessel opposite «n ehemy’s bay and tell the natives they are to be landed there. There are. however, alleviating circumstances in tbe case of the natives of the Gilbert Islands, where tbe atolls are so desolate that tbe people are In danger of perishing by famine. Qaeensland requires temporary labour, and those islands supply its want, and at. the earns time relieve their own diet oss, yob probably ha bad never seen anywhere in the World anything so hideous as this labour treble. He believed that to day Undisguised kidnapping was practised at the islands. He was ignoratU of the New Hebrides group, but from what ho knew of tbe other islands he believed any race was best civilised in situ.