FREEING SLAVES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17099, 4 November 1929, Page 8

FREEING SLAVES

BBITAIF'S BENEFICENT WORK It seems somewhat of an anachronism tfiat' oii'e of the problems which the League of Nations should have had to consider during its Assembly in September was that of slavery, in the 'League Assembly adopted a Slavery Convention, and since then it lias been customary for countries which have signed the convention and: have taken ■ specific steps to put down slavery in • "'tbeir'territories to 1 report to the League during Hie Assembly. This year two interesting reports-were submitted, one from the Indian Govern- :- merit and the other from the British Government regarding some important ■£■■;', steps'taken during the past year against slavery in Burma, and Arabia. Last year's report from the Indian Government stated that 8352 slaves were released that year in the areas of Burma knowa as the Hukaway Valley and the Triangle.' This year's report stales that "That year saw the end of slavery m Burma-; but the, work still remained o| seeing that the released slaves were , pjoperly established, and placed in a way to enjoy the freedom conferred on them, that they were not molested by -f /,tbph*- lait* owners, and that economic oouditiona were disturbed as little as - possible in the areas covered by these h operations." With this end in view expeditions were dispatched into these reI- mote regions. Nearly 1100 mules were engaged for transport purposes for both the expeditions. In the Hukaway Valley itself no further slaves were found for release, but an officer touring to the west of it found 25 slaves in a few Kachih villages and released them. The report from the British Govern-

ment relates to the slave traffic in Arabia, and states that "the import of slaves into the Hejaz has diminished considerably during the last few years. Such traffic in slaves as continues to exist is confined chiefly to occasional instances of slaves and their children already domiciled in the Hejaz. Owing to the security now reigning there, there are no cases of pilgrim Caravans being set upon by Bedouins and the pilgrims being sold into slavery." The report goes on to say that "the power of manumission exercised by His Majesty's agent at Jeddab adds a considerable element of risk to the purchase of a slave, who, if dissatisfied with his master, can and does apply for and obtain his freedom. . . .' 'During 1927 and 1928 80 slaves were manumitted by His Majesty's agency." Not long ago many slaves were imported: into Arabia by dhow—a native boat—but, according to the report, there is to-day "very little if any wholesale sea-borne, truffio, though there are still a few dhow-owners who run slaves as a speculative adventure."