THE KANAKA LABOR QUESTION,

Temuka Leader, Issue 2368, 11 June 1892, Page 1

THE KANAKA LABOR QUESTION,

Brisbane, June 8. Sir Samuel Griffith has telegraphed to Mr Playford declining the proposal to hold a conference on the colored labor question, and declaring that if such a conference was held the criticisms of an Act of Parliament ii: any any one colony would imperil the cause of federation. London, June 7.

Sir Arthur Gordon in a letter to the Times, insists that disaster will result from the draining of the Pacific islands of the adult male population. It will be a reproach to England if she permits a policy that will sweep out the population from the whole islands of the Pacific. If New Guinea is opened to the labor traffic it will be necessary to constitute a Government there independent of Queensland. It is impossible to disassociate the labor traffic in the past from certain abuses ; ■ n the other hand Sir Arthur considers it a gross exaggeration to term the system slavery, yet the danger find probability of abuses arising again are enormous, for despite every effort illegal things will be done in recruiting labor for Fiji. He doubts if public opinion in Queensland will sanction such stringent enforcement of the regulations, and advises the importation of Indian coolies. June 8.

At a meeting of the Anti-Slavery Society a memorial was prepared to present to the Marquis of Salisbury, expressing dismay at Sir Samuel Griffith’s reversal of his former humane decision against the Kanaka traffic. The society considered that every effort to regulate the trade had failed, and resolved to urge the Marquis of Salisbury to withhold his sanction to any continuance of Kanaka labor in Queensland, which would meet a similar fate. Melbourne, June 9. The Government have intimated to Mr Playford that they would not object to take part in a pvrely consultative conference to discuss the introduction of coolies provided the two resolutions were favourably submitted, Wellington, June 8.

Mr Playford, the South Australian Premier, is not content with the refusal of the Government to attend the Colored Labor Conference, and presses them to send a representative giving fpll reasons on the subject. The Premier, in the course of a conversation on the question of coolie labor for Australia, expressed an opinion adverse to the employment of any colored labor in that country at all, even in South Australia. He was convinced that the way to develope that colony was to pass a railway through to Port Darwin by slow degrees, establishing settlements at every point where water could be found. The work should be done by the unemployed, and these were the people who should be settled {dung- the line, where they would gradually become acclimatised. This was the principle which his Government had laid down for the development of the New Zealand railways by the surplus labor of the country, and to settle districts aa they wore opened up. They were not particular as to speed, as long as the people were settled on the land. As to New Zealand being represented at the Conference, they had not yet made up their minds. He did not agree with Hip Qqorge Grey on the question of coloured labour. He believed that Bir George Grey was in favour of using coolie labour to develope the Northern Territory of South Australia.