THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13368, 19 August 1907, Page 6

THE NEW HEBRIDES.

LIQUOR AND FIREARMS. "A DISGRACE TO HUMANITY." Press Association-Bv Telegraph-Copyright MELBOURNE, August 17. Mr Lucas, manager for Burns, Philp and Co., liteainship owners, has interviewed the departmental head of External Affairs in regard to the sale and distribution, und.r French connivance, of spirits, firearms and ammunition in the New Hebrides. The difficulty hitherto has b.en to induce the French Government to use its influence to put a -top to the practice. The prohibition of the traffic in. liquor and firearms is contained in the new Anglo-French Convention, but nothing has b.en done to enforce it. The agreement had been loyally observed by British steamers, but France not only had not done her shaiv. but advantage was taken of British lefiifal to participate in il'.e traffic by vessels flying the French Hag to ship to the Islands lities. gunpowder, cartridges, and dynamite, beside'; large quantities of inferior spirits, mostly gin. Meanwhile, said Mr Lucas, ihe trade- was rapidly passing into French hands. Although the volume of trade i:i the Nsv,-Hebrid-.i; in the last 12 months had illcreased by 20 per cent, in exports and imports, since- the Convention was adopted British trade had fallen off about 10 per cent. Th.- natives have special fondners for gin and firearms, and while Flench vessels could supp'v these the exports would be ob;aiu--:I and conveyed away by Fr. rich vessels. Frenchmen were boast - ing of th_- pull tlu'y had over Australians, and were extending their operations in all parts of the Islands. Mr Lucas described t'n- liquor traffic as a disgrace to hunt a nit v.

Th - Rev. Mr I egatf. a New Hebtide" missionary. has r ceived a letter from Mr Roxburgh, one of the old settlers of the group, giving detail::, of th* number of out rag. s upon natives for whhh French. Norwegian. Ge; man and Engli-'i r. sidene; appear equal'}- responsible. In or.e instance a native boy was flogged to death for d -ertion. Another boy is alleged to have been brutally murderel. Steps a:e b.jng taken to bring tin- ca: e-: under the notice of th • Federal Government for representation to the h-'cer.tarv of State for the Colonies.