SAMOAN AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 6, 2 October 1920, Page 8

SAMOAN AFFAIRS

VIEWS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS

INDENTURED LABOUR QUESTION

The second reading debate on the Treaties of Peace Amendment Bill, which extends for another twelve months the power of tho Government to make regulations for the administration of Samoa, wai resumed in the Hj>per House yestcrday.

The Hon. G. M. Thomson; said that while most members of tlio Parliamentary .party that visited Samoa went to the islands-with open minds, certain people seemed to have gone merely to oollect evidence in. support of their preconceived' ideas. He himßelf had gone with a certain prejudice against indentured labour, but after what he had seen of the conditions he was convinced that such labour was the right thing for the islands. He xegarded the moral standard of tho Samoans as very high indeed, and he believed i that the creation of the standard was due very largely to the labours of the missionaries. It would be wrong, he thought, to impose upon the Samoans any system of cduoation that ignored the religious, side of life. A protest against the system of indentured labour was made by the Hon. W. J, Geddis, who, while admitting that the Chinese labourers appeared 1 to have plenty of money, and to be a3 hapnv' and contented as any other people in islands, argued that their introduction was harmful to the Samoan race. 'The yo'utig Samoan men objected to the association of Samoan women with the Chinese. A half-caste population was beine established in Samoa, and it might prove a menace to, this country in the event of trouble with Japan. To individualise tho titles to land would, i'n his opinion, encourage 1 the Sampans to, increase:, the productiveness of their holdings. - The Hon. W. Earnshaw ,considered that the obviops desire of, some Labour lead-ers-to obtain material • for.-aa attaok upon the Government put out of court every statement -they could make-with regard to their' so-oalled investigations in Samoa. • One or two other members 6poke and as it was evident, about 1.15 jp.m., that several more proposed to discuss Samoan affairs, the Hon. H. L. Uichael i)iove4 tho farther adjournment of tlie debate.