TROUBLE IN NEW HEBRIDES
MARRIED WOMEN RECRUITED. AUCKLAND, March 29. The Bishop of Melanesia (Dr Steward), who arrived from Sydney by the Maheno’ stated that there had been trouble in the New Hebrides over the enforced recruiting by a half-caste Frenchman of the wife of cne of the native clergy. Though the British Resident had been able to secure a promise that the woman should be returned, the fact that she could be recruited in that fashion showed an unsatisfactory state of affairs. Under the condominium recruits were taken to the plantations and not returned. The worst feature was the recruiting of women, married and unmarried, the former without their men folk. If ’they were returned to their villages they were frequently in bad health. The islands in the group were being practically depopulated by French recruiters, who were irresponsible. The French officials seemed unable, or unwilling, to enforce any regulations in connection with recruiting or labour. The selling of alcohol to the natives was still carried on by the French. Apart from these matters one might say that the mission was still holding its own, advancing slowly, though handicapped by lack of a sufficient staff of white clergy.
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Otago Witness, Issue 3499, 5 April 1921, Page 47
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199TROUBLE IN NEW HEBRIDES Otago Witness, Issue 3499, 5 April 1921, Page 47
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