Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMB. 29, 1919. SAMOA AND LNDENTURED LABOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2061, 29 November 1919, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMB. 29, 1919. SAMOA AND LNDENTURED LABOUR.

THE followin'.'; statement on I lie labour problem in Samoa from an exresideni of 1 he islands who has had special opporiunilies of studying’ I he question, is of particular interest at the present time:—“ln Ids manifesto Mr Massey has omitted one of the strongest reasons for the immediate iulroduelion of labour. The rhluneci'os-lKM.’tlo, when I lie occupying force took possession, was playing havin' with I lie coeoauutIrees, and it was only by strenuous labour for lour years lliai lids pest was got in hand and the palms recovered. Willi a shortage of la hour the beetle will again become danger■oils, and if lefl undisturbed will kill every palm tree in Samoa, with the result that (he Samoans will be without a means of livelihood —will, in fuel, become dependent on New Zealand for a means of existence, and the cost of feeding 30,000 destitute Samoans will fall on the people of New Zealand. On the other hand, if labour were available in sufficient quantity the Samoans would employ i| to market their eopra, much of which now goes to waste. Some thousands of tons of copra go to waste, each year in the native plantations, 'fids is due to the fact that planting palms by the Nalives has been encouraged for many years, and the ('run is now greater than can he handled by the Samoan owners, who only, labour to supply their immediate wants, and having made sufficient copra to do so, cease from work. The question, therefore, of training the Samoan to work is practically out of the question, as why should he work when lie has already all he requires at a cost of trilling exertion on Ids own family land'.' Importation of indentured labour will not only enable the foreigner to, work his eoeoanut, cacao, and rubber plantations profitably, but will also enable the Samoan to double his output of copra, and tints increase the production of the islands, and at the same time prevent .the devastation of the territory by the rhinoceros-beetle. The question to be considered is, Should labour Its imported to maintain Samoa as a self-supporting country and largely increase its production, or should it he debarred and the country allowed to be devastated and its inhabitants become a tax on the charity of New Zealand’? The original indentures of all Chinese coolies expired in 1910.

Since then rciudent tires have only been allowed -for periods of vix months until 1919, when two years’ indentures were sanctioned. Any coolie in Samoa has on four or live occasions in the last three years had the opportunity of being repatriated at his employers’ expense, if the coolie desired it. The fact that very few have done so, and that somewhere about a thousand have recently reindentured for a period of two years, proves conclusively that the conditions under which (hey work are satisfactory to them. The question should be settled without delay, and if; the decision be that no labour be imported, the islands should be banded over to some government which will take means to prevent the ruin of a splendid native race. The Samoan bales indecision in those in authority, and the present procrastination will alienate them.”