SAMOAN PROBLEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 3448, 13 April 1920, Page 9

SAMOAN PROBLEMS

LABOUR DIFFICULTIES. INDENTURE SYSTEM OOND'EMNED. BAD MORAL CONDITIONS. WELLINGTON, .April 5. Mr 11. E. Holland, M.P., in the course of an address on Samoan problems, said that tlie Labour members had seon nothing during then; visit that would lead them to modity their condemnation of indentured labour. The planters objected to paying £2 10s a month, demanded Chinese at 50s, or Javanese at 10s, and insisted that they must have at least 50G0 coolies. They claimed that tho natives would not work, \vherea3 tho bulk of the copra exported was put out by the natives. The Government had gone behind the backs of the people by sending Captain Carter to China to look for more coolies, and it had also asked for Solomon Islanders and Javanese. Members were led to infer that the Samoan mandate would be imperilled it New Zealand refused to countenance indentured labour, and the suggestion conveyed was that the League of Nations wanted tho system continued. Mr Holland complained that no opportunity was given for official inquiries from natives through the chiefs. The Labour members had to make their own inquiries, and they were led to believe that some influence had operated to prevent the chiefs from making protest against indentured labour. Tho natives whom he saw were practically united in opposition to the system. Samoans' had stated that they were prepared to work, but not for coolie wages or under coolie conditions. They wanted 8s to 10s a day, and tho Labour members considered they were quite justified in that demand. On moral grounds, also, the indenture system was unjustifiable. Mr Holland condemned militaristic tendencies and censorship. The presence of the constabulary, he said, was resented by whites and natives alike. It was true that only acclimatised white men could work in Samoa, but the real problem was how to get for the natives democratic control of their own islands, and how to train them in industrial administration for their own benefit. It would be better to let all the plantations go back to nature than to save them at the price of slavery, combined with an immorality which would mean, ultimately, the destruction of the Samoan race. Financially, the present arrangement was -going to be a huge burden on New Zealand, for the benefit of some wealthy planters. Both whites and natives were against New Zealand control, and the best thing to do was to hand the mandate ba"k With regard to Fiji, Mr Holland said he had been assured by Sir James Allen that no restrictions would be placed on investigation by members, but before going ashore lie had asked them not to put questions to the. Indians, as they were the guests of the Fijian Government. Mr Holland refused tho Minister's request, and got into touch with, the .Indian leaders. He had had a long interview with them and as later a report was published of his movements, he was convinced he had been watched by spies The trouble m Fiji was economic. The coolies wanted La day, owing to the high cost of hymo- Tilings had been done that probably should "not "have been done, but he was tod there was no need to employ force. Mr Holland condemned the housing arand moral conditions. He had S£S"B£t Indians were J^ S their work, and that many of them „ anted to get away, but could not. SIR JAMES ALLEN IN REPLY. WELLINGTON, April 7. Sir James Allen offered a few comments to a Dominion reporter on a. statement made on behalf of the Labour Party by Mr Holland regarding the Government policy in Samoa: "Mr Hollands statement amounts to this," said the Minister, that he would prefer to see the Islands revert to a state of Nature rather tnan that indentured labour should be brought into the Islands. He is face to face, then with the fact that the lessening of cultivation in these Islands will shorten the supplies ot food and other necessaries for very many people, who now draw their supplies from these Islands, and for very many more who will do so if the land is more intensely cultivated. If the Islands are allowed to revert to a state of Nature, it must affect the cost of living. Mr Holland wants the cost of living increased, as it must inevitably be increased if we are going to cut down the world's supplies of such commodities as margerine, oilcake, rubber, cocoa, kapok, sugar, tea, coffee, cotton, and soap. If we allow these and other tropical lands to relapse into Nature and go out of cultivation this will be the inevitable result. Is the world to stand still or go book? That is my answer to Mr Holland's points.