American States.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 27, 28 October 1887, Page 31

American States.

TfflLqneation of convict labour has lately attracted a good deal of fttteVtton. The second yearly report of the National Commissioners of Lroour which has recently been published, shows that the competition of the prisoners exercises a very serious influence over the condition of trade. In Rhode Island, for example, considerably over one half of the shoemakers are prisoners, and as they supply goods at less than a third of the cost at which the free tradesman can do so, numbers of these are driven to look for other means of support, those who remain at the work for which they have been trained being obliged to content themselves with starvation wages. The supporters of protection point to this and other similar instances to be found all over the States, as an example of what must occur generally in even an intensified form, if freetraders should succeed in opening the Amtrican markets to the competition of the pauper labour of Europe.

The worst form that the convict labour system takes is most probably that of the mining industry. To carry on this the men are hired out in gangs for certain periods, their employers or owners for the time being the wealthy capitalists or corporations. But the result on the condition of the free miner is that, in innumerable instances, he is forced to make the hopeless attempt to support himself and his family on a pittance of 30 cents a day. The features presented by the mining camps recall the worst tales told of the back plantations In the days of slavery. The escape of the prisoners is provided against by the maintenance of packs of blood-hounds, each of which is confided to the care of a man called the " hunter " and whose business is to track the runaway. Escape from the hound is impossible, and unless refuge be taken in a tree the unfortunate human quarry is inevitably torn by his fangs ia a deplorable manner. Worse things than this, however, are told of the matter. A revelation has recently been made of a certain camp in Georgia, where a man who complained of being sick while hs was at work beside a fire was, nevertheless, kept going under the lash until he fell dead on the spot. A negro who attempted to eßcape front the same camp was also wantonly shot dead, although the fact of his being still chained might have answered for his easy capture. Stories of the gross immorality prevalent in the camp are also narrated. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the corporations and capitalists, as well as the system of prison labour, should be loudly complained of.

The misunderstandings arising from the action of the Canadian authorities with respect to the fisheries have become aggravated by the seizure in Bebring sea of four British schooners accused of poach* ins in the Alaskan Beal fisheries. When Alaska was ceded by Bussia to the United States in 1867, it is alleged by some that the division of Bebring sea also took place, a certain line passing westward from Behring Strait to the South of Attoo Island, dividing the Busaian waters from those that were American. The States would thus monopolise by far the greater portion of the sea— which also includea the islands of St. George and St Paul— where seals abound. The sole right of fishing in these islancs has been conceded by the Government of the States to the Alaskan Commercial Company, and it is not deoied that the Government in doing this acted within their rigots. What may possibly be disputed is the point as to whether Behriag sea is to be looked upon as a closed sea. It was so claimed by Bussia when ■he owned the territory on either shore — but it is alleged that the American Goveroment did not then acknowledge the claim. In any case a large number of settlers in British Columbia derive their living from the seal fisheries, and claim the right to exercise their calling io any part of Behring sea situated at a distance of three miles from the American shore. The four vessels which have now been captured and taken to Sitka, the Alaskan capital, where the seal skins have been removed from them, are alleged by their owners not to have transgressed the three mile limit — but to have purchased the skins from Indiani, who have a right to capture a certain number of Beals. But an American skipper also arrested on charge of poaching, says he took his seals far out at sea — where, nevertheless, it is denied that they are to be found. The question, then, may prove a more difficult one than if a mere matter of poaching were involved, and may lead to some complications. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Chamberlain, who hat been appointed t« the Presidency of the Fishery Commißsion, will prove more enlightened or more successful with respect to it than in regard to Irish affairs. But as it is said be only accepts the appointment to avoid the necessity of either going openly over to the Tories, or breaking with them altogether and rejoining the Liberal party— the matter appears doubtf ul. What a man undertakes in a half-hearted way he can scarcely fully succeed with. That the question is grave, however, is additionally shown by the announcement that the English Government will immediately strengthen the defences cf Halifax and that the cruisers watching the intents of the Canadian fisheries will be reinforced by two men-of-war. A cruiser •r two despatched to Behring sea is all that seems wanting to make the situation indubitably threatening.

Alaska ia now exciting a consi Jerable degree of interest. The murder of Archbishop Seghers, who had so heroically devoted himself to the service of the Indians, and who was shot by his servant, cvi dently attacked by a sudden mania for he seema to hare had absolutely no motive for tbe^deed, appears to have brought the cou'litioD of the country prominently forward, not to speak of the troubles of the seal tsheries. Professor Thomas Meehan writes in the New York Independent recommending that Christian missions should be undertaken as a sure means of civiligiog the natives. The Indians, he says, are docile and reariy to accommodate themselves to the manners of the white men, if only they are placed in proper hands. He gives us reason to doubt, however, that this has aa yet been done to any important extent. He describes some of the missionaries now in toe country as follows :— •• One I mot who had a rare mineral that I

recognised. ' Yei,' he remarked, < I know. An Indian had it who did not know the value of it. I got him to let me have it for a lilver dollar. When I get to Portland I expect to get twenty dollars for it.' There was no harm in this, but somehow I could not help noting that the Indians in his charge were 'no good.' Another whom I met I had known of incidentally in former years as a mechanic at rather low wages, though we never met personally. Referring to thii he obterved : < I could hardly make out at my trade. Bat I joined church (I am using his exact language) and finally got here, where I have to stay for (I thin* three) years, and I get doable what I could hare made at my own trade.' I did not meet this gentleman at his mission. I cinnot speak of his success ia converting the Indians ."-Bat sach are hardly the Christian influences likely to prove successful.