INDENTURED LABOUR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15978, 21 November 1919, Page 3

INDENTURED LABOUR.

STATEMENT BY SIR JAS. ALLEN. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, November 20. Sir Mas. Allen, who passed through Christchurch to-day, told a reporter that active steps were being taken to substitute civil for military administration in Samoa. They were anticipating the mandate by removing the garrison and replacing them -with police. “We are issuing a circular to all newspapers about indentured labour,” said Sir James. “There is great misunderstanding about the position. When we took over there were 3000 Chinese and Solomon Islanders, and we introduced none at all during our administration. They have gone down now by repatriation to 1000, and we have been hoping against hope that we might induce the Samoans to keep the plantations going, but it is impossible for them to do so. The result is that there are 1000 indentured labourers there. We did not bring them in, but it is impossible to keep the plantations up, and they will go to ruin, some of them, unless something is done. White men cannot work there on the fields, nor can the Samoans themselves undertake sustained labour. The only people that seem to undertake it arc Chinese and Solomon Islanders. I am very anxious that members of Parliament should go down and see for themselves. Colonel Logan went down with the idea that he might be able to dispense with indentured labour, and he found from practical experience that it could not be, done.” Sir James Allen added that he hoped the Parliamentary party would go as soon as possible after the New Year to learn the condition of things before next session.