COOLIES FOR SAMOA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18075, 25 October 1920, Page 5

COOLIES FOR SAMOA

(Fhom Oob Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, OctoW 20. bom© months ago Captain Carter was sent toSefof / eCrU f 1 l s°°5°° la - bourers Samoa, copies of despatches presented to Parliament to-day make references to the sub- ; • j T -Lord Liverpool adP ed t) Milner that the recruiting agent crreatd iffUTu'" 1 -Administration anticipated great difficulty omnj; to the political unrest in China and the exorbitant demand and taxes imposed by the .Chinese authori;w I A, ?SCUni V? e necessar y labour-through the Chinese Government. Captain Carter advised that the matter would be simplified by alloying tlie labour, which would berecruited in Chinese territory,, to be drafted through Hongkong for Government supervision there. Captain Carter, it was stated also advised that the Chinese Government had agreed that the wives of coolies should accompany their husbands to Samoa. The' Now Zealand Government had referred to the urgent necessity of getting this labour to sa-\ e the plantations from serious injury The Home Government saw no objection to reindentuie for two years. Lord Milner on May 24, 1319, said the question of obthe la r b°ur was fraught with great difficulties. Hie New Zealand Government offered to do everything in its power to protoct the interests of the labourers and to see to their repatriation. It -was stated in Lord Milner's despatches that the , difficulties between North and csouth China at one time were standing in tho way of securing the necessary labour • also, that the coolies from North-east China were unsuitable for working in a country with the climate of Samoa.. Such labour must, be recruited from Southern China. As is now known the Chinese authorities eventually agreed that tho required number of coolies might be shipped.