RUBBER TORTURES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11865, 26 February 1913, Page 2

RUBBER TORTURES.

30,000 MURDERS.: MAN-HUNTS AND BURNING OF WOMEN. Mr J. IJ. Gnbbins. chairman- of the Peruvian Amazon Company, was subjected to u, long and keen examination before the -Select Committee of a lie House of Coiiunou.3 appointed to inquire into the responsibility of the British directors of the company for the atrocities perpetrated on. the natives in connection with rubber-collecting in the Piituinavo region of Peru. Mr Gnbbins said tliat 30,000 Indians had been murdered in 12 years, which was at the rate- of 2500 a. year.- The atrocities had consistently diminished: since th? end of 1909. He joined itlie company at the invitation of Mr Iteid. an old and esteemed friend. What was good enough for Mr Reid was good enough for him. lie had resided in Peru for 38 years. The chairman (Mr Charlts Roberts, M.P.), referring to a- book which was published giving details of the atrocities, asked the witness if he had seen it. Mr Gnhbins replied' that he had hurriedly looked through it, but he liad not a fiipy of his own. There is a description of an Indian feast, at which the natives recalled their lost liberty and formulated against the whites terrible vows of vengeance. —It is possible i read that. Did you sec the expression, "the Indians must be watch;d day and niglit with anus in hand:-"" —I do not remember that. Did you know that in 1908 the bro-ther-in-law of Senor Arana. the liquidator of the company) had been shot by an Indian? —1 knew that, in July or August. 1909. Did that look as if everything war, in order? —No. Why did you trust Arana ? —Very strange to say" he makes a very favorable impression upon, all who come into contact with. him. "Even though he hides material facte from them." commented the chairman. —lll-treatment and Torture. — Do yon know that between September 22. 1909. and the time your commission got, into operation, at least 25 murders occurred—men, women-, young girls, and children? There were cases of illtrwitment —torture of Indians by holding them under water and flogging to death? Was not that a most astonishing proceeding from a company during those montlis when yon were fighting with the Foreign Office? —I do not call it fighting. Well, fencing. Are you not at least responsible for tlnse outrages which took place from the time yon had warning of tliese disclosures? —The witness replied that it was the duty of the Peruvian Government to punish the criminal.

Supposing you had knowledge of what was being done during these'montlis, what would your position be in English law? —That is a legal point! am notcompetent, to decide. Voit might, in that case, if you had known, have been guilty of being accessory to murder. —\Ye were under thfc impression that things were steadily improving. Tho'Chairman: Anyhow, I cannot see the faintest- sign of improvement, in these months. Mr Gubbius said he did not see how local accounts could give any evidence of atrocities. Ho had gone through the local accounts received bv the company in 1912. Did yon find a list of armaments, stating that there was a rifle in the hands oT each one of your employees?— I cannot be sinv of any .particular item.

But. after all, hero is an inventory—pages of it. Tt is not an item. You must have seen it. There are 20 pages of i-t. —The largrr the inventory the iess likely would I be to examine it. Here you have under October 30, 1909. the payment of £lO for four days spent in hunting fugitive Indians. The witness said he might have overlooked it. very easily. Th-e Chairman: There are. some very grave specific instances, such as the burning of women with kerosene oil. Mr Giibhins said Indians who were hunted were in debt to the company for goods received. What- right have you to hunt for Indians who owe you money? British'ls.\v would not sanction your hunting for Indians in that seiise?—We were under Peruvian, law. You would also bo liable to British /aw, so I am advised, and the penalty j would he 14 years' penal s.-rvitutle. It amounts to slavery.