"STAIN ON FLAG."

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1920, Page 5

"STAIN ON FLAG."

| LABOR M.P. AND SAMOA. CHINESE LABOR OPPOSED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The House of Representatives this evening sat in committee on the Treaties of Peace Bill. Mr. J, McCombs (Lyttelton) raised objection to 480 Chinese being taken to Samoa recently, and only live wives allowed with them. The Minister explained that about 500 Chinese recently! came to the Islands, and there were few women with them. The Chjnese Government was not agreeable to women going oversea. The men left China of their own free will. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) said the Minister's statement was startling and important, and amounted to this: That Chinese were not indentured in China because the Chinesa Government would not permit indenturing in China; they could not bo indentured iu Hong Kong because the British Government would not permit it, and they could not come in ships under the British flag, so they had to come under the New Zealand flag before they could be indentured. Was the New Zealand flag to be a symbol of slavery? Mr. McCombs said Britain refused to allow indentured labor under the British flag, and would not permit indentured men to be carried in British ships: but indentured labor, which was a species of slavery, was to be allowed under the New Zealand flag—a fact which should arouse the people of the Dominion to repudiate the actions of the Government that made such a disgrace to the flag possible. He appealed to members to see that the stain placed on the New Zealand flag by the Government was wiped out. Mr. Massey denied that there was anything in the shape of slavery in Samoa, and he objected to the suggestion about a stain on the flag. If any man in this country had besmirched the flag it was jtho honorable member who had just spoken. liad he ever, during the recent war, said or done anything to help his country? The member for Lyttelton had declared that the Government was using indentured labor for profit; that was not true. Owing to delays in connection with the mandate, it was necessary to have file term of the present Act's operation extended, so that the Government could take steps to do something to save valuable plantations from complete ruin. It was for this purpose that Chinese labor was needed. As soon as fie ujanfete was complete and the plantations rehabilitated, the Chinese would be repatriated, and he hoped there would be none of these after that.

Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) objected to any Chinese being in the Islands. He would vote against indentured" labor in any form.

Dr. Pomare said the speeches that evening had revealed to him a great deal of hypocrisy. There was much solicitude expressed by the so-called Labor members for the welfare of Samoans, yet only a few weeks ago some members of that Samoan race were kicked out of a New Zealand union. The discussion on clauses 1 and 2 was continued till 11.30 p.m.. when Mr. Holland moved, as a new clause, an amendment limiting the operation ofithe Act to one year and nine months instead of two years, so as to give an opportunity of reviewing the position of indentured labor early in the session of 19<?2. This was lost bv 44 votes to 10, Mr. It. McCallum (Wairau) moved a new clause as follows: "From and after the passing of this Act np person of any nationality shall be employed on terms otherwise than in accordance with the laws of New Zealand at the time of the taking over of the mandate, and all contracts of service now current shall be modified,'varied, and construed so as to conform to such laws at the date aforesaid," This also was rejected, by 36 vptes to 16.

The Bill was then reported to the House without amendment, read a third time, and passed, after further protest l>v the Labor Party against indentured labor.