The New Hebrides.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8740, 14 February 1907, Page 2

The New Hebrides.

London, February 13. Mr Churchill gave a sketch of the New Hebrides negotiations, and declared that the best possible bargain had been made. Ho was quite certain that colonial interests had not suffered. When the Convention was sent to the colonies no ultimatum was presented, Government only wished them to know the result after wrestling for months with the French delegates in a vain attempt to obtain further concessions. Ho defended the regulations for indentured labour as excellent and defencible from every point of view, and as constituting a great and undeniable advance towards a humane system of labour in contrast to the state of anarchy they replaced. The Convention did not prevent a Kanaka working in any island after the termination of his contract. He twitted Mr Balfour with rambling off to antipodean archipelagoes only to discover a homely mares’ nest. ' The Hon. Alfred Lyttelton said Government, in sanctioning the labour conditions in the New Hebrides, had done what they denounced the late Government for doing in the Transvaal. The debate was adjourned. ' 1 ‘ -1