INDIAN COOLIES IN FIJI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2666, 19 April 1905, Page 85

INDIAN COOLIES IN FIJI.

A CHAT WITH A MISSIONARY.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE FIJIAN.

MISSIONARY WORK AMONG THE

COOLIES.

The Rev. J. W. Button is the superintendent of the Methodist Hindustani Mission in Fiji. Being at present on a visit to Dunedin, he kindly granted an interview to a Daily Times representative, in which £c spoke of the future of Fiji and of the ■work which he is carrying on for the Methodist Church in that colony among the Indian coolies engaged at work on £he plantations. The Rev. Mr Burton is a New Zealander, and the first missionary to the Indian coolies. He has spent three years in Fiji and has been nine years in the ministry. Mr Burton is a young man of whom the Church that sent him out is proud ; and to-day, when he comes on deputation work, the Church is prouder still. They delight to do him honour, as they know by his appointment to visit New Zealand his work has merited distinction. Mr Burton is a missionary through heredity, coming fi-om a strong missionary family. !Five of his near relatives preceded him on the foreign field. " One of the things which surprise me," said Mr Burton, is the fact that Fiji is so little known by the average New Zealand&r. Even its geographical position is but vaguely realised. Fiji usually stands associated with bananas and pineapples, and little -else. Of course it does not occupy a very large space on the map, but from an Imperial point of view it is of some importance. Its geographical position natuTally suggests it as a centre of Pacific influence. Industrially and commercially there can be no doubt that Fiji has a future. Australasian firms regularly send representatives to Fiji, but New Zealand seems to leave it severely alone. Yet Fiji is nearer to New Zealand by four days than it is to Sydney or Melbourne. There seems no reason why New Zealand should not have a. greater share of Fijian trade." What are the industrial prospects of the country. Mr Burton? " Well, this is a question somewhat out of my line, but it seems to me that Fiji is capable of great development in this direction. At present the eountrv has all its eggs in one basket — sugar. The sugar industry is an exceedingly flourishing one. but unfortunately it is in the Hands of a monopoly — the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, — which Has obtained great concessions from the Government. Representatives of other large firms have visited Fiji with a view to establishing independent - sugar mills. If this be brought about, probably better -orices would be realised for sugar-cane. Representatives of cotton firms have also visited FiTi lately and there is some chance that this inctustrv will be revived. Lever Bms., it is said, contemplate erecting in Fiji central oil mills and soapworks, which will mean great industrial advance."

Can a -white man work successfully in Fiji with a climate so trying? " No ; that is one of the problems in Fiji ; but we have no craze analogous to the White Australia, and are quite willing bo import the best labour irrespective of colour. The white man is an overseer only. So far- the Hindustani coolie has proved himself the most efficient worker, and at the low wage of Is per day does Fiji's heavy work."

Why are not the native Fijians employed as labourers?

" The Fijian has no n&ed to work. He is the landowner, and his soil is fertile. •When a few hours' labour a week will euffice all his simple needs, why should he ■work from daylight to dark? Moreover. Jhj is hampered by an Archaio Communal System which, by the way, most residents in Fiji look unon as the greatest enemy to his progress. By this system the fruits of his labour are not ensured to him, hence the incentive to struggle is taken away."

Does the. Fijian Government safeguard the interests of the Fij'an? " Well, opinions differ. Some charge the Government with exploiting the Fijian for its own purpose. Others declare that the Government befriends the Fijian to the detriment of the white man. Probably the truth is that the constant change of governors has allowed things to drift into the hands of a few officials. However, things are improving. New blood is being introduced, and the strain seems more energetic. The Governor, Mr nn Thuru, strikes one as an exceedingly capable and just man. He has made some striking changes, all in the direction of progress. The thin end of the wedge has been inserted to make cleavage in Fijian affairs by the election of some representatives by popular \ote. This makes possible full and free discussion of Governmental policy. Only a few years ago the deportage of the Rev. Mr Kade was actually demanded by a Governor because, forsooth, he criticised in the press the Government policy." Coming back to the coolie, under what conditions does he come to Fiji? Is there anything similar to the much-discussed Chinese slavery in South Africa? "The coolie comes to Fiji under vory strict Government supervision. From the time he leaves Calcutta until his return the Fiji Government is in loco parentis. The Government imoorts him and charges the cost— about £20— to the planter. The planter has then the coolie under iudeuture for a period of five years, during which time he receives the stipulated wage of Is per day or per task. At the end of five, years tho coolie is fre& to engage himself in whatsoever way h© choose. When the five years of this free life are ended he may return, passage paid, to his own country, or else settle- in Fiji permanently. The latter alternative the great majority chooses, less than 25 per cent, returning. Of course, there are sometimes abuses in connection with this coolie labour, and many English people would shudder at the condition under which these people live and work. The department responsible for the coolie — the Immigration Department — does its best, I believe, to eliminate these abuses, but a coolie inspector cannot b© everywhere, and the coolie is such a, notorious liar that his complaints cannot' be much heeded by the average Englishman. One of the reforms which seems urgently needed is some law which would compel the overseer or planter who works coolie labour to pass an examination in' the Hindustani language. Some of thf overseers speak exceedingly good colloquial Hindustani, and such have little difficulty with their labour. Others make but little attempt to learn the language, and trust to the 'sirdar, who speaks mgeon English. The result is misunderstanding, and sometimes bloodshed. Such men bring vicarious suffering upon overs-cers that are honestly trying to do the right thine:. The position of overseer is a most unenviable one. There is on the onp. hand the coolie difficult to manage, sometimes lazy, often obstreperous, and on the other there is the Fijian Company striving to reduce the cost of cane production to a minimum. The compulsory working of the women hi the canefields is another abuse- that a few years' advance in public opinion will make impossible." The coolie has a reputation for great immorality, and is declared to be very vindictive and dangerous. Is that true? " Yes ; I think so, on the whole. Of his lack of morals .there can*be no doubt. Murders and assaults amongst themselves are rife. The quarellin? is mostly over the women, who are scarce in the country, and therefore at a premium. Our largest congregation is usually in the gaol. Assaults upon overseers and murders have been frequent of late. Many remedies are suggested. One is the flogging of the offenders, and more strict gaol discipline. My own opinion is that the causes are more deeply seated than usually imagined, and the remedy is not in such directions. The Hindustani man cares little for suffering. He has been vised through long heredity to the most; fearful penances, and fear of punishment is not nearly so strong as his love of revenge. Once the spirit of ' badli — i.e.. revenge — takes possession of him he wil: philosophically endure all that the law can do to him so long as his satisfaction .'s gained. I believe that the ciire must be wroug.ii) by ethical and spiritual forces — these appeal to and can subdue even a coolie. It is hei'e that our mission steps in. We have gone to Fiji — to many the hope seems forlori: — ho try and make the coolie a better man.''

Is there any opposition to your mission on the part of the coolie? "Yes. there is some, of course, though not so much as one might expect ; but our principal opposition as a rule comes from the white man. Sometimes the opposition is puerile and unreasoning ; sometimes founded in honest belief. Some think that the plough mules would yield better results, and think we are wasting energy. ' The Light of Asia ' has not a large sale nor do the 'beautiful beliefs of the East' find ready acceptance amongst the white people there. Others resent ' interference,' as they term it, with their labour. I think, however, that the overseer and planter are realising that we came not to destroy but to fulfil. One planter just before I left gave me a piece of land for a church right in the heart of where his coolies live. That man has insight. On a pure ' pounds, shillings, and pence ' basis he will gain : a man with an ethical ideal before him will, other tLings being equal, be a better and more faithful workman."

What are the prospects of your success amongst these people? " Well, the progress we are making is slow. Still, it is progress. We are having an influence wider, perhaps, than we imagine. The reflex action is a striking feature. Sometimes during a religious discussion a Hindoo or Mussulman will say : ' Bui. sahib, this is wri+t&n also in our holy books — do not steal, do not lie, do not commit adultery.' ' Well, we care not where it is written — live up to it.' Thus we lead tliem to place emphasis upon the ethical portion of their own religion, which uf-ually occupies a most subordinate place. We believe that in some respects Christian enterprise has more chances of success among: these Hindustani people isolated in Fiji than in their own land. They have bioken caste — one of the greatest difficulties met with by the missionary in India. They are away from their ' idols ' and superstitious places of ' pui.' They are under new conditions of life, and offer a splendid field for Christian experiment. At present our staff is -very limited, and progress is thus restricted ; but we have formed the nucleus of a church, which is growing larger month by month. We are- in no haste simply to make Christians. We deru'and an evident change in character as

well as in belief before we admit them to nicmbership. "As a Methodist Church we naturally fee) a responsibility regarding Fiji. Of the 98,000 Fijians, 92,000 are Methodists ; the balance Roman Catholics. The Fijian population is decreasing rapidly — through the operation of many and mysterious causes, — while the Indian population is increasino- with a still greater rapidity. In a few decades Fiji will be practically nonChristan again ; hence our anxiety as a Churcn to push this battlp to the gate. The Sydney Board of Missions has done an unusual thing in taking away a man in full health to send him on deputation voik, which unusual course- has been necessitated by the growing peril in Fiji. This is my business in New Zealand, to try to arouse intelligent interest in this new problem which confronts us in Fiji. I shall have more to say on this at my meeting in Trinity to-morrow evening."