INDENTURED LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 52, 25 November 1919, Page 8

INDENTURED LABOUR

Sir,—Tho Primo Minister's comprehensive statement on this subject is timely, because there are many people outside the ranks of tho Labour unions who have been impressed, with the uninformed clamourings of 601110 of the Labour leaders. Under German rule in Samoa tho Chinese coolies on most of the plantations were indeed subject to restrictions that almost amounted to slavery, but the conditions in 'Fiji give tho lie to any suggestion even of hardship. The Indians enjbarlted at Indian ports under the supervision of officials of the Indian Government, and went to Fiji uuder tho aegis of the Government of Fiji. Planters were then invited to make application to the Government for the number of labour they required, and the shipment was apportioned pro rata, care being taken that families _ were not separated. Planters had to sign contracts with the Government properly to' pay, feed and clothe tho workers, and to provide tliem with quarters and medical attention and periodically to repoft to the Government regarding the workers' welfare. Prior to being dispatched to their spheres of labour the workers were assembled and the'conditions fully explained to them by interpreters employed for' that purpose. They wero advised to submit to their spokesmen any complaints, and -\yere assured of prompt inquiry by tho Government. Proof of tho very satisfactory nature of their working conditions and pay is found in the fact that at tho end of their period of indenture only about 15 per cent, of tho lrbourer? returned to India, and to-day "there nro over 40,000 Indians scattered over tho group, many of them owners of banana, coconut, or sugar cane plantations, whilst others are prosperous storekeepers or taxi-cab proprietors. . , „ Further, the extent of their slavery may be gathered from this fact: every Indian who paid a minimum of .£lO ft year in rent in the borough of Suva was entitled'to a vote in municipal elections, and on ono memorable occasion their votes placed a Chinese storekeeper very near the head of tlw poll; he was elected, though' he_ could speak only a few words of English. , , It will surprise the Labour leaders to learn that so great a quantity of gold and silver do tho homeward-bound coolies take from Fiii that the banks often have preat difficulty in meetinir tho situation. If that is a result of "slavery eruditions, then it aopeare to bo a very good thing for tho slaves. The reason the Indian Government prohibited further emigration to Fiji was purely political, and had nothing whatever to do with the conditions under which tho coolies worked—l am, ctc ; F. D. TAYLOR. Khandallah.