The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, NEVEMBER, 1st 1921 THE WIITE MAN’S BURDEN.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, NEVEMBER, Ist 1921 THE WIITE MAN’S BURDEN.

Xkw Zkai.and’s particular share of the ‘•While Stan’s Harden” just now is tin- government of Samoa, a task imposed upon it by the T.oaguo of Nations, and one fraught with many, difficulties and perils. Perhaps the chief of these was under discussion in the House of Representative <>n Thursday

I xv lull tin- ! i’.'tt . K. I\ I • Dm* * Minister ol Exl‘itSul AKan>. luovt «1 t<:,■ sivtihtl ventlin- ol Tumlm's of Pf'jn • K\l< nsitin Hill, a nx'a-'ii •• '! - .si'.MMlI to nia'llt.lill tii: 11.-ois o| 'or •N-----istinjr .‘lmini>t i:iti<»u mi *'a , oo:. -intil tli-* S.in-M i Hill, ;i » '»■ !• •’ SCUJIC. rol'lfs illtf. *ll >*'**; lit *l|. ■ . it 1 1:i< 1 t lu* \l ini -li t iv.siii.tu ! :it | tlniij Mi M. I'.. Ilulhiml Dm* iiMTuh«r tor Duller ros* tinni his «wnl i<p.fwccl lii’m strong protest np;:iinst tlu“ sv.stem of indent used ):d»onr, \vhi<*li. In* dcHnivd, wsis sin very in smellier jriiiso ,;ih! n cpiic‘l injustice to both Mu (*hiijivit* and tii*- S.initiims. A l’;ili’--r;isU* ( ) <>{*ul:ition wji.n beitijr created Hv tlu* ;illianc<‘ uf Chinese Irlhuiii:'*s and S;i:noiin women. Ik* said, and ;io\v tin' #nvornniotit wjis proposing to lake CliiI tieso wnnicii to Sa 1110:1. If tliat 'ven* dour. i\ Chiurse ]iopii|i'l!on would lie lmilt ii]» in the ishmd and would contain t In* <o*l ms of destruction of tin* whole Samoan nice. “We to have ended tin* system of (irrman made Chinese slavery in Samoa”, Mr Holland said in the course of a vehement ! domineniton of the existing state of | affairs. ‘‘Tin* Chinaman works there for .TO - a month and a handful of rice*. • White workers would not tolerate such [conditions and that is why you have j slavery to the discredit of this eouu- !! 1 y.*’ Mr I. M Inti, u |,„ fnl|..u.*d Mr llollaurl. ridiculed the im.se of the niriuher for Huller ;is tlx* only humanitarian me ml km* of the House and cave more point to his remarks Hv stating that when the gentleman was not talking ahhui tin* “Chinese slaves” lie was sorrowine over the hard lot of tin*

•'wiieo slaves" of New Zealand. Hut this retort did not dismay the other members of the Labour Daily, or, for the matter of that carry conviction to some of the doubting Liberal members. Mr McCombs rivalled that the HritisJi Colonial Office had repeatedly lifted New Zealand to ( >nd the indentured hiboiir system in Samoa, and insisted that the natives of the island were as much opposed to an influx of Chinese into their country as New Zen landers' would be to a similar influx of Chinese into the Dominion. Mr C. E. Slnthnm wanted to know f "the Parliament of this democratic country was eojnjr L> sa v deliberately for the whole world to hear, that it was more concerned for commercial gain than for the wolfare of the simple people committed to its care. The Minister of Education considered he had answered Mr statham’s question by saying that the business side of the question had to be considered at least incidentally, and the Minister of External Affairs, in replying to attacks upon his proposals, ijuve it as his opinion that- the introduction of Chinese under strict control did not constitute a moral menace to the iXamuanis. The 'prime Minster's coni 1 ibiiliou to the debate was a prom'p*e that “as soon as it was possible to ilo without Chinese iabour *ll Samoa, the system would Ho abolished," and that lu* would visit the island, during the recess and obtain lirsl hand information for himself. Mr Massey, it is only lair to stale, alwuys has looked with some misgivings upon the system of indentured labour, and it is to be hoped that his promised visit will result in the discovery of some means of escape from (he present extremely unsatisfactory position. Meanwhile, we must confess, we have a good deal of sympathy with the protests ol the Labour members. The plea that New Zealand has a.-million pounds worth of property at stake in the island does riot satisfy us that the Dominion | is justified in making such a deplorable departure from the traditions and

practices of the British race, as was depicted in the House last week. We make allowance for Air Holland’s extravagnee of spoeeh. hot we attach very great importance to the word of a sane praetieal man like Air George Witty. 11 ho says that identured labour is neither necessary nor desirable in Samoa. We doubt if Air Massey himself is satisfied with the judgment of his colleagues. Unsoiiml ox|H’dicnts have a disagreeable habit of becoming unsound policies. Sir Joseph Ward, seeing further ahead than most of us did nt the time, predicted till that is happening now in connection with tho Samoa mandate, and it will be interesting to hear what he has to stty on tDo subject when he is among us again next month.