THE NEW HEBRIDES

Southland Times, Issue 17627, 16 April 1914, Page 2

THE NEW HEBRIDES

['AIL.UK E or CONDOMINIUM RULE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, March f>. Tlie Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society has issued this week a pamphlet embodying: a memorandum addressed to Sir Edward Grey. Secretary for Foreign Affairs, relating to the deplorable conditions existing in the Xew Hebrides. The signatories admit that the British responsibility in the Adm.nistration is fairly discharged, but they Haim that tlie complicated machinery of Government is responsible for He gravest abuses, which include the recmitnienl of girls for immoral purposes, 'ho sale of men and hoys as labourers, the employment of young children on platforms, the forcible retention of labourers., a practical denial of justice to natives, and the illicit sale of alcojol. The memorial draws attention to the conclusion arrived at by a conference of the Protestant Churchis in the islands held in Juno last namely that “ the Condominium as an nstrument of Government has utterly failed to express the sense of our refponsibility as a British people to nati’e races," and the Committee of the Soiiety hold that all toe evidence which has been brought before it confirms the riew expressed by the conference as to the failure of the Condominium. Tie Committee therefore urge tlie appointment of a Commission of Kmiuiry "the composition of which, and its terms of reference, should be such a ; will command public confidence,” to investigate fully and to report upon the onditions in the New Hebrides group! Failing this, they suggest the possibility of an arrangement being made; with France according to which islands of the Xew Hebrides group (Would be brought under the British fjtg, while others, within the Archipelago, should be handed to France in exchsige. RECRUITIX'C ABUSKS. Healing seriatim vith the abuses alleged the memorial tv Sir Edward Grey declares that regula’ions in regard to labour recruiting liae been constantly violated, especially iy French recruiters. ' Since 1900 Bntish subjects have not been permitted io recruit women, whilst no such probation has been imposed on French streets. This, the memorial urges, computes a violation of the Convention, ’yhich provides that women, if married, can. be recruited only with the consort of their husbands, and, if unmarried, .'oily with that of their chiefs. The fomen and girls so procured, it is allejed. arc frequently used for immoral purposes. As an instance of the itlegsl recruiting of women the Society rfninds Sir Edward Grey of the case a Tarjna woman which was brought b the notice of the Colonial Office in HE'. and, as a result. Mis Majesty's Ambassador at Paris was instructed to make{ urgent representa- , lions to tlie French jiovei nment to urge the speedy return of the woman. After persistent protests appeals tlie woman was repatriate, hut it was only after two years d illegal detention that she was returf-d to her husband, and then suffering fom a foul disease contracted at Xounja. As regards kidnaping and illegal recruiting the Sociel| declares that records of the Joint jburt show that the practice is shamelejfly common In spite of the regulations. / Concerning the illegal sale of natives the Society state that tils has been a constant source of corplaints and charges, adding “ Whilst tal British Administration puts downlhis traffic with a strong hand and pamptly executes all judgments of the joint Court against British subjects, tffc law is persistently neglected by Freiwt traders ; the records of the Jolif Court are full of convictions resisted against French subjects, but light penalties arc inflicted that evep on tlie rare cases where the fines arlcollected the French subjects can afforjto defy ihe Convention and engage ffely in the traffic.” Another point t which the Society refers is that offic improper engagement of children! By the Convention It is provided t.h| children shall only be engaged if abas a certain minimum height, to be fixetfcy the Resident Com-

mi.ssloners jointly. That standard of height has never yet been fixed. The. British . regulations forbid the recruitment of a hoy apparently under sixteen, but t/ie Society alleges that the French employment of child labour o« the plantations lias become a scandal. THE SOURCES OF ABUSES. The memorial declares 'that the main! •source of the abuses which have occurred undoubtedly lies in the .complicated machinery of Government and in the inevitable confusion which results front the number of tribunals and the absence of a definite sphere for eacu. This involves the delay, and often denial, of justice, as there are some matters which escape the jurisdiction of every Court. The Joint Court was set up to deaf with suits between natives and white men. and lias jurisdiction over branches of the Convention. From its decisions there is no appeal, but it has no power to enforce its own judgments, which must he executed by the High Commissioners or by the Resident Commissioner of the country to which the. defendant belongs. The Court is unable to inflict penalties beyond a fine of £2O or one month’s imprisonment, and tlie authority charged with the execution of the penalty lias the power to reduce or remit such penalty 1 Front this permission much evil has resulted, the ends of justice having at times been entirely defeated. A difficulty attendant upon the procedure of the Joint Court is that British subjects are judged by English law. and French subjects by French law ; but the majority of the bench, have only a limited acquaintance with English legal procedure : two out of three Judges and the Public Prosecutor know little or no English, and the native only speaks pidgin-Engiish ; consequently. there has to he a double or even treble process of interpretation in Court, whicli naturally results in misunderstanding and injustice.- " JUSTICE " AND INJUSTICE. Besides the Joint Court, NationaY Courts are established to try criminal cases between non-natives. The trial of such cases in the French Court lias often resulted in travesties of justice of a flagrant kind. The memorial cites the ease of one Le Clere. tried before the French Court in July, 1912. for the murder of a native. The accused was only found guilty of common assault, and was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment. with the benefit of the First Offenders’ Act. He left the Court a free man ! Another Court, established for cases arising between natives, is the Joint Naval Commission, which has practically invented a jurisdiction of its own. This Commission only sits between November and May if and when the warships of both Powers happen to lie present in file islands. The haphazard, meetings of this tribunal, the memorial, points out. inflicts grievous injustice upon natives arrested, who are often kept in prison without, trial for months. Some natives have. Indeed, died before they could be brought to trial. According to recent information the French warship Kersaint arrested in July last a large number of natives on. minor and doubtful charges who have been kept in prison as convicted prisoners, In some instances in chains, and frequent applications to release the prisoners on bail have received no attention. Three prisoners so arrested died, and the rest were at the end of October still awaiting trial. REPATRIATION SCANDALS. According to the Society’s memorial the failure to repatriate labourers at the end of their term has given rise to great injustice. The French Resident Commissioner maintains that he alone lias jurisdiction in the matter, and that the Public Prosecutor has no right to act in tiie case of labourers who have been forced to work after tne expiration of their terms. A flagrant case of this is cited. Last year a case came before the Joint Court, where Messrs Smart and "Wright, owners of a .plantation which in July, 3 912, was sold to a. British Company, sued Mr Jacomb, a. lawyer, for Illegally detaining their labourers. The defendant who lias taken tin’s action in the interests of tlienatives maintained that,,-Jfie terms of the labourers in question had , long expired. and that they had. not been reengaged in accordance with the tion whicli requires compliance with certain formalities, and especially the consent of the natives before re-engage-ment can he carried out. These natives had been taken to the British Acting-Resident, who had given his official opinion that they were free. Mr Jacomb. however, was convicted on the. ground that the labourers had been reengaged by the French Resident Commissioner. When the sale of this plantation was contemplated tlie valuation which was made, of the property included thirtythree labourers valued at £1630 (£3O each.) This transaction, tlie Society avers, was in direct violation of Article 43 of tlie Convention, which prohibits tne transfer of contracts unless freely accepted by the labourer" and authorised by the Resident Commissioner. QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT. The subject of the New Hebrides wan raised in tlie House of Commons last Monday, when Dr "W. A. Chappie, erstwhile of New Zealand, asked ilie Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether lie would submit to the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for their consideration any tentative arrangements arrived at with France regarding the New Hebrides before they were finally ratified. On behalf of Sir Edward Grey. Mr Acland replied that tlie Governments of tlie Commonwealth and Now Zealand had been informed that (hey would he consulted before any new arrangement was entered into. In reply to a question by Sir Clement Kinioeh Cooke. Mr Acland said t here were a large number of questions respecting which tlie Government carried on discussions and correspondence with tlie French, as with other Governments as. for instance, fishery regulations, boundary questions, and arms traffic hut it was not the intention to embody details in regard to these in a new treaty with France nor would any of mem Justify, in the ordinary sense of the word, a statement that e new. Treaty with l-’rajire was under negotiation. In course of another reply on the same matter. Mr Acland said ; "I am. not aware that the Commonwealth of Australia is prepared to entertain a suggestion for the acquisition of French rights in the New Hebrides by purchase or exchange of territory, and His Majesty’s Government have no present in-, tention of asking Parliament to vote money for tlie purchase of French rights in tne New Hebrides or io agree to the surrender of British territory elsewhere in exchange."