TRADERS AND MISSIONARIES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 934, 29 September 1910, Page 9

TRADERS AND MISSIONARIES.

ACTION BY THE PRESBYTERY. : (Sharges that have. ¥een.levolled against . missionaries in the New Hebrides were briefly, touched upon . at the meeting of , the Wellington Presbytery on Tuesday by the Rev. J. M'Caw, who stated that he had received an important communication on the sxibject : from Professor Hewitson, of Dunedin. Statements by the missionaries: themselves, and from various, other sources* went 'to show that there was no truth in the vague . charges advanced against them;' On the other hand, whilo the, missionaries endeavoured, against difficulties! to loyally carry: out the •terms ■ of the Convention, representatives of other Powers , were less scrupulous! . Abuses existed in'>_ the shape of illegal trading in alcohol and fire-arms and in connection with recruiting, There wero tales of married'women being separated from .their husbands, and .girls being recruited without the consent of their chiefs or guardians.' The Eev. 'Jas. Paterson said there was an ' old'.standing grievance.-between the French and their missionaries. The latter : endeavoured to protect the. natives ! from wrbng-doing and from .harm. The British Resident at :the Hebrides,. 110 be-: lieved, had. honestly endeavoured to cany, out -iho .terms. of the Convention in re- . .gard to: importations of drink and firearms. These things, however, were winked at by the other side. : They should do all' they'could .rto';,strengthen; the hands- of/ the British Resident and also invoke the aid of . the. Home -Government with a viewto having the terms ' of the: Convention eliforcSd. in. th%ir - entirety., '' :7 s ■' The Rev. Comrie, said tho situation, in 1 the-Now Hebrides iyas grave, grayer, per-' haps thaji .members' of the Presbytery realised.: Among, .other things the'.Convention'"had been occupied with, the determination of land titles. Titles had been given to the, natives which in some'cases more than covered the whole of an island.':, Probably, in some instances at least, whole islands would lie claimed by the Trench.' ; As to the little quarrel just nota between the traders and missionaries it was. just one of the troubles that arose wherever missionaries had taken up- their: work and tried to protect, natives against : those who looked only , to commercial gain. ,-": 1 :': '- . . ■ -. r .-.-The.views of-the Presbytery.are summarised.: iiu the following resolution, proposed by tho . Rev. J. . M'Caw, which passed without dissent:— ' , - -''This . Presbytery having heard that the '-. of the Presbyterian Church "in the Now .Hebrides have been charged by the Deputy Trench Resident Commissioner , and the Mayor of Vila with being: the enemies: of colonisation and the. opponents of civilisation, and that under the guise of preaching they are pursuing the natives to their ruin, and having before it:.'evidence that such charges are groundless' and that the' missionaries ' are carrying on their work under conditions extremely difficult and irritating, desires to. express " its sympathy: with them and its confidence : that • their work is being done in tho most unselfish manner ana in the'very best interests 0f.,a1l on the. New Hebrides Group. The' Presbytery re-: ■gards .the situation as grave and; deemu it, necessary to ask the New Zealand Government: to do' what it, can in connec-. tiori with the British and Commonwealth. Governments to strengthen the hands of the Resident British Commissioner in tho New Hebrides. in ■ his efforts. to : maintain law and order and specially.:to put down illicit trading, in strong :(lrink and the ill-treatment of. natives,' not at tho: hands of missionaries, but of : t'he law-breakers who hate, the and their work. "To carry the resolution ; into effect-the Presbytery appoints tho following to wait upon the -Prime Minister:—Revs., Dr. Gibb, J.>K. Elliott, W., J. Comrie, and Mr. J. G. W.'Aitlcen. Further, that the following M.P.'s be, asked-to co-operate :— The Hon. T. Mackenzie, and Messrs. Jas. Allen, T. IC. Sidey, A. S. Malcolm, Lauren'son, and Herdman." . It was agreed that the Rev'. J; M'Caw' be added' to tho committee' and act as convener. ' ,