THE FIJI TROUBLE
MR MASSEY REI'LIES TO MS. HOLLAND. A reply to tho letter from Mr. H. Holland, Labour member jf Parliament loi Duller, regarding the action of the New Zealand (ioveriimcnt in sending Ihe Tu-li-nekai and a force of armed men lioin New Zealand to Fiji, was made i.y Mr. Masscy yesterday. Mr. Holland ] rotesled in effect that New Zealand ought no, to interfere in the industrial uoiihk and generally suggested that there might bij good gruumlb fur unrest uniting Hie fndians at Fiji. Mr, Masscy icpl.ed ns follows-.— "I received Mr. Holland's letter today after 1 had read it in the morning papers; that, however, is by the way. 1 do not know a great deal rcg-irdiug the conditions under which indentured labour Is employed in the I'ijian Group, but I shall not bo surprised to learn that the statenieUs made by Sir. Holland have been grossly e.va.rg'j-ated. It is my business, howovcr, to deal with the position as it exists. There were, According to official figures, in 1910 45111) Europeans, 57,000 Indians, and i'o,ooo Fij.ans in the vJroup. Ihe number of indentured Indians in 1913 v.aa 10,000, and in 191(i W, and it iias deurejised sincu then, thougli I am nut sble to give the actual number at present. A lew days ago we were informed that n strike had taken place among the Indiana, and that a rising was feared. It is worth remembering that there has been similar trouble in India itself just recently, only on a very much larger scale. It seems to me that there was only one thin»'to do -.mOer the (ircumstriices, and that was to send the I elp usked for, and that has been done. . am only sorry that a more suitable ship was not available, but if they are called upon the New Zenlanders aboard can be relied upon to do their duty. It is not the Briton's way to tnrn Lis when his neighbonr requires i.ssistanco, and I don't think Mr Holland .villtina many to agreo with him in the position hi' has taken njT."
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 112, 5 February 1920, Page 4
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347THE FIJI TROUBLE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 112, 5 February 1920, Page 4
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