THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13543, 16 March 1906, Page 5

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

AN ANIMATED DISCUSSION. NO COMMISSION TO BE APPOINTED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, March 14. (Received March 15, at 8.22 a.m.) Lord Elgin, in reply to a question, said that the shares in the Transvaal mines were speculative, and subject to considerable fluctuation. Their depreciation was constant during the past two years, and had become pronounced since the importation of Chinese. Marcli 15. (Received March 15, at 9.41 p.m.) Mr Winston Churchill, in the House of Commons, said he intended to ask Lord Elgin to inquire into the extent to which coolies had been illegally flogged by an abuse of Lord Milner's oral permission to inflict slight corporal punishment as practised in the public schools of England. Lord Milner's sanction of punishment without seeing that his instructions were not exceeded constituted a grave dereliction of duly.

(Received March 15, at 10.14 p.m.) Mr Chamberlain, in the House' of Commons, asked whether the Premier would advise the King to appoint a Royal Commission of a judicial character to examine and report on the working of indentured labour on the Rand and the allegations of certain Ministers that a system of slavery or semi-slavery prevailed, and a'so inquire into the accusations of general cruelty and torture inflicted by Britishers on coolies, and. if proved, report the names of tho persons concerned, and advise measures to prevent the possibility of proechini's so injurious lo liritain's'honour.

Sir 11. Cainpbell-Bamierman replied "No, sir, we have no such intention."

Mr Seeley afterwards raised a debate on the question of coolie labour.

Mr Winston Churchill explained that it was intended, after the licenses of emigrants were worked out in June or July, to throw the recruitment out of gear. The Consuls, who were the lynch pin of the system, would lie ordered to resume (he functions heretofore delegated to the agents of the Transvaal Immigration Association and not participate in further recruitments until instructed from Home.

(Received March 15, at 10.20 p.m.) Mr Churchill eonii-.nied that once the Transvaal became self-governing the Motherland would fix n. d-ste to terminate the existing labour ordinance- and consider the Transvaal's fresh proposals, which would ho decided by veto if necessary, no matter how great llm majority supporting the proposals. He thought' the chance of (be Transvaal framing acceptable proposals were not at all good. He expressed the opinion that the gradual repatriation of coolies would not injure intrinsically the valuable mines. A rearrangement might nth-act native labour. He then compared the conditions at Ivsnlio?, West Australia, with the Rand, and hoped the latter would be more largely worked by whites.

Mr lialfour protested against a hybrid policy of cmiferrtni! on the Transvaal' selfgovernment and ilien telling the people as regards their greatest, industry that they were not masters of their own'house.

Mr ChamlK-rlain said there was a strong feeling in the colonics against cheap labour, but a stronger "feeling against outside, interference, which in this" case was unjustifiable.

Mr K. A. Eidsdalc warned the party that it was courting the greatest disaster. Mr A. Markham urged the Government to send a commission to decide whether whites were able to work the mines. (Received March 15, at 10.38 p.m.) Sir K. Grey, interposing, explained thatChina, would not permit recruiting without some guarantee that the conditions ivere properly observed. She would seek such guarantees from the Consuls. The latter after June would not be allowed to help the colony's policy, except under proper conditions. He 'did not believe when the Transval had responsible govcrn.ment there, would be any moral conflict between the self-governing colony and tho Motherland. Mr Seely expressed himself satisfied.