THE KANAKA IN QUEENSLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12419, 31 July 1902, Page 6

THE KANAKA IN QUEENSLAND.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Surely it is time the people of New Zealand and ~ Australia were better acquainted. Tho' abatements which from timo to time appear 111 tho Australian papers regarding New Zealand are only equalled by those appearing in New Zealand concerning Australia* ; •From references appearing here concerning the Australian drought it is clear that many view the continent from Darwin to the Lemvin and from Fremaritle tci Brisbane as a howling wilderness. l-low?ver, wo will let that pass. ■

Now, in your issue of the 26th inst. one writes you concerning the kanaka in Queens land, and we arc told that there tlio African slavery-is outdone: that kanakas are taken from their islands for eight, ten, and moro years, and so on! ' I have lived for 19 years in North and South Queensland, and may claim to know something about the kanaka. If your correspondent will kindly write tlm Queensland authoritic? concerning any evil existing on any plantation or vessel 110 will quickly hear of a full inquiry being made. '*j As a matter of fact, your correspondent is writing of a state of tilings which existed 30 years ago, whon sugar growing was an experiment up north, and when the arm of the law scarcely reached up into the tropics. You might as well charge tho shippers of our Now Zealand ports with wrongs done in tho past by whalers. Stringent laws wpre passed, however, in 1882, and have bein becoming increasingly' stringent year by 'year, and I need hardly; say if abueos now existed they would have been proclaimed in the Fedoral Parliament .recently. But the objection to the kanaka in Queensland is based on other- grounds, into which I will not now enter.

As to the New Hebrides, why, no kanakas, have been taken from there for many years; they have been coming from tho Solomon-' groui) chiefly. Permit a few statements up to date. Sugar is grown 50 miles couth of Brisbane,' and is' also grown from tlionce up;northward for 1200 miles. Tho white, man can do all needed down south, while up north, whero the heat is great and the plantation has no ocean breeze, as on the islands,' but winds from south and west cotno over several thousand miles of heated earth, tho whits . mail has not succeeded in doing it. (It lias, beep tried by co-operation, etc.) Let it bo remembered the kanaka may only work in the plantation; and must liot do any of the carting to or crushing in the milk With every vessel going to the islands for labour' thero is a Queensland official, whose duty it is to see that the kanaka joins of his own free will; that he understands that lie is to go for three year?, and will at tho end of that time be landed again at tho place <jn the island where he joined the vessel; and that- lie understands what his wage will beusually about £36 per year and all fpund., When the kanaka- reaches the'plantation the official must- be satisfied that food and accommodation are to the fixed standard, anH if he fall ill that jnedjeal attendance is-pro-vided, and that at the-end of three years lie is—must be—taken ; back home, though he may, of course, there re engage, .but he niust :t>e back at his homo before lie is allowed to' do so. • « ' ' ■ ■ *

Now, what about the kanaka while in Queensland? .Unfortunately, I cannot give you a complete statement jiere, as many; churches do not give in returnß. and of those ' that do I have none to hand from north of Maokay; but, though" incomplete, judge by the following:—ln 1900 there were 9324 kanaka? in Queensland. Of these 3371 was the average attendance at evening classes— not counting those attending the private classes held by the owners of plantations, and there are many of these. , . Then no less than 2775 were. baptised (aiiultf) by the Church of England land j Presbyterians alone. I think, Sir, admitting the good work done on the islands by..the missionaries, it must be acknowledged Queensland's efforts can quite equal theirs. And, remember, this is all of their -own will: there are'no chiefs to compel their tribe to join a church. ' Take one other matter: These kanakas in 1900 had £2 ( ?,588 9s Ud at deposit in. Queensland Government Savings Bank; and, remember, only a portion had been there ovor two years, ;>o the amount' speaks' well. I could give more evidence; but really' one is inclined to leave such wild statements alone: they have been contradicted so often., I only say again, let the writer give one , abuse fixing plantation, or vessel; arid iii

—I am, etc. uore, ouij- il>. UEO. HbRVEY.

qtiiry would speedily take place.

— Fishermen are very free from consump- ; tion, Among 1000 deaths of fishermen only ' 108 are from this disease, wheroaß tie rate among drapers is 301 per 1000, and among printers 461 per 1000. '/ : ' — There is a curious legacy in. connection with Woodchurch Parish, in Wirral. It seems that a certain fund was loft to the parish to . provide the loan of ,a cow to aiiy parishioner who might care for, it, at tho nominal interest of 2s fid per annum. The cow was to ho branded with tho parish brand, and at the end of the year tho borrower was to return it. The charity ttius provides a means of industry without actual pauperisation, and the parish cow bfcomes absolutely tho property of tho borrower for the year, only the feeding,being necessary in addition to the nominal rent..,