TRAFFIC IN NATIVES.

Shannon News, 29 July 1927, Page 3

TRAFFIC IN NATIVES.

"OLD,- SLAVERY BACK AGAIN." METHODS IN NEW HEBRIDES. Illegal recruiting of black labour, recalling the "black birding" expeditions in the South Seas, is the greatest problem facing the New Hebrides, according .to the Rev. G. Leggatt, who arrived in" Auckland from the New Hebrides by the Melanesian Mission steamer Southern Cross on Sunday. Mr. Leggatt has been stationed* as a missionary on. the island of Mota, in the Banks group, New Hebrides; and frequent cases of illegal recruiting have come under his notice.

"This illegal recruiting is carried on mostly by the French, although the British are not altogether blameless/' said Mr. Leggatt. "I have- had occasion to report half a dozen cases where women have been illegally recruited. If recruiting is carried on under the regulations it is legal, for the mission stations recruit labour. The regulations provide, however, that married women shall not be taken .-tway without their husbands, and single girls must not be removed unless with the consent of -the island chiefs.

"The fact that these regulations are in many cases not heeded is creating a very grave problem. The recruiters gather the natives ostensibly to work on the plantations, but many of the women are taken away to _ provide wives for men on the plantations and in some cases to provide mistresses for French people.'' UNSCRUPULOUS RECRUITERS. The recruiters had their ships, and received -a fee for every native they secured. They visited the various islands, and were unscrupulous in their methods. Generally they called at an island, went ashore, mixed with ; the natives, and were very plausible. Sometimes they provided liquor, the sale of which was illegal, both under British and French law,,or any other improper means to get the natives on board ship. The natives were forced to sign a two years' contract, which, in-many 'cases, they did not understand.

"Many of the natives ore not permitted to return to their islands at the termination of the. contract," said Mr. Leggatt. "They are induced'by their employers to gamble, and sometimes employers win back all they have paid the "natives. In some cases the natives are encouraged to run up bills iit stores. Consequsntly, when the two years are up they are confronted with a bill of £3O or £40,. and are obliged tc remain on the plantations until they work the dabt off. This is the old time slaveiy system back again, except that it goes under a more polit'j name. '' EFFECT OF DIVIDED CONTROL.

While there were many honest dealers, Mr Leggatt said he was afraid the greater number was unscrupulous. The condominium of the French and the British in the New Hebrides was most unsatisfactory, and the authorities seemed either ignorant of what went on, or were not inclined to assist in checking it. The missionaries seemed the only ones combating the illegal traffic, and when cases were reported to the Government, it generally pursued a policy of inaction. There was no doubt that dual control was a failure.

"The only way to check the illegal practice is to keep on pegging away at the administration and to let the outside world know of the true state of affairs," said Mr Leggatt. "There has been no trouble about recruiting at Mota for a year now, although before that several girls and young women were forcibly removed by the French. One of the reason for this is that when a recruiter calls" all women are kept indoors. A pleasing feature about the whole position is that there is no illegal recruiting in the Solomon Islands, where there is only British control. "