BISHOP STRETCH AND THB KANAKAS. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2525, 6 August 1902, Page 13

BISHOP STRETCH AND THB KANAKAS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — We were favoured this morning witii a four-inch space of a cable message from Sydney giving the opinion of a bishop, who ought to have reserveel his judgment until he had obtained more available light. It is truly pitiable that the worthy Bishop ot Newcastle should lend the influence of his position to defend a cause which ie condemned by most philanthropic men out of the islands, and probably by all good men in the islands, without first having made careful inquiries into the other side of the matter.

There is no occasion for sneeiine; at tho Federal Government for having had the "courage" to go agakist moneyed interests in Australia. There is good reason for believing that the foromo=t idea in their nnncU was to wipe out one of the blackest stains that ever soiled Australia's fair name. Fortunately for the cause of humanity, the Labour party al-o happened to be again-t tho kanaka labour. Tho latter, of course, arc as much asjahist the Chinese and Japanese labour as they avra again- (. the kanaka ; but the philanthropic element doe* not come in there. Henoe the mystery to the Bishop's mind. I am afraid facts will not bear out the .inference that the kanakas! aro more law-abiding than the Chinese and Japanese. It is quite correct to say that "they work hard at work no white man should bo asked to undeitake."' But it \t also very likely that if white men were asked to undertake the same woik the mortality among them would be less than among kanakas. "They spend their money when they earn it."' 1 have no doubt the Bishop would feel little flattered if he were io see anayed before him the fiateinitv who would say amen to that Thr-y their money freely, but much of it is in drink, " and wor«p than drink The kanakas have \ery little need of .spending their money in Queensland (far lew than Chinese and Japanese), so that right-think-ing men .-hould rather lament their want ot frugality than commend them for it. "Many ('■) of whom have wives i':) and families" Theie are cenainly very fewkanaka womon going to Queen.-lancl, and (many of tlio-.o who are there certainly change hands pretty often. "It is cunoua th.it no phtn« for deporting the Clmiese and Japana«e aie put forward." Perhaps the BUhop has not hit upon the only reaton why tin- i^ not done. These are free men; the kanaka-." pontion partake^ more of ih<> i.aturo of a li<> is "not bought," of c«m=c. but. - mchow, some indniduai <"> i-l<i»d has Wn made richer with ln B gmug away, li^idt-. whatever way tho U»smr-> i- cUmo. and under whatever name, the uati\<v- legard it ab ■the man bemg raid for. Then, h" it> 'm, ported, and all who arc not ••luki-t men are more or k-.- in the hands of tho immigration authonties Tlm< t,.=p i» \ery different with the Chinese and Japanese, and even kanaka " tiokct men." who, armmg in the colony before a certain year, hold more or less the position of a citizen But there aro two MuVi, of the business. The Bishop has seen thf fair side. So ha\e 1- but more the other Ihe kana'.-a in Queensland is,, on the whole, well fed well housed, and well clothed, as well as well protected by tbo Government ; a-id too much praise cannot be gnei. to tbo earnest Christian workers among the kanaka-, for their efforts to :ul\nnce their moral and spiritual wellbeing There are even i.lanters (not all) who do therr utmost to help on such good work. Yet the fact remains that the kanaka is not strong enough for the work he »s a«ked to do in Queenland. Hence the great mortality there, as well as among many who return with biokcndown constitution- It should also bo remembered that it is no hardship to the kanakas to be sent o\u of Queensland; they are better off on their own island. It was really not about the utility of the kanaka in Queensland I meant to write. I rather wished to poiut out that there is another side to the whole business, and I sircerMy hope that the next time the Bishop of Newca=tle takes a holiday he will take v. trip with the Bishop of Melanesia, and a'so -wsit the Presbyter. an mission stations in thp New Hebrides. Ho would soon find out that tlie Commonwealth Government is more enlightened than lie think-. He would a l<. o pse that it is not a "(ow.-rdly proceeding," but a rightcou-i and Christian proceeding to endca\o - .ir to put an end to that horrid traffic. He would abo dißCoyfg fek&t

the Queensland labour traffic is the main factor in the almost inevitable annihilation of the kanaka race. Let him consider that a large proportion of the young, strong men that aT© in Queensland either have their wives left behind in the islands (often for eight or 10, .or more, years' 1 , of their } r oung women waiting for their return ; and often it actually happens they come home, get married, arid after a few months go back to Queensland. Of my district, 20 per cenj. of the male population are in Queensland, which means, perhaps, from. 50 to 75 per cent, of the men between the ages of 18 and 4-5 The inference is not far to fetch. Betides, not a few return physically ruined, and often introduce rum among islanders who have never been away. The baneful effect of the labour traffic is rao^t noticeable at the best anchorages and places most frequented by recruiting vessels, such as Port Resolution or Tanna. In the days of Captain Cook, and even when Dr Paton was there, it had a very large population. Now there are very few left. Four years ago I sailed with a native of that place, and in conversation with him in broken English I asked him if there were many h\ing at the port. His short reply was "pinis" (finished) No, it js too late in th» clay to revive sympathy with a traffic which is more ruinous to the people affected by it than was the African slave trade. — I am, etc.,

OSC\R MITCHFL&KV. For 24 years missionary in the New Hebncfe?. Kaikorai, July 25.