ABORIGINES SEEK MORE FREEDOM FOR RHODESIAN CHILD

Shannon News, 12 October 1928, Page 4

ABORIGINES SEEK MORE FREEDOM FOR RHODESIAN CHILD

LONDON.

A charter of freedom for native children under 10 years of age in Southern Khodesia, promises to emerge from efforts made by the Anti-Slavery an"d Aborigines Protection Society in London and the Southern Rhodesia Missionary Conference upon the spot, to obtain amendment of two measures passed by the local Legislature in that British Colony. The two measures arc the Southern Rhodesia Native Juvenile Employment Act, 1926, and the Southern Rhodesia Native Affairs Act, 1927, and a report now presented to the British Parliament shows that objection was taken to them on several grounds. To Remedy a Grievance.

The view of the officials, as given by the Chief Native Commissioner, was that the act was to remedy an existing evil; that a large number of native youths too young to be 'registered sought work in towns and other industrial centres with unfortunate results. The unregulated employment of juveniles tended to the formation of criminal habits, and the design was that native commissioners should be in loco parentis in cases where is was deemed desirable.

Ultimately a compromise was 'reached. The act was not disallowed, but instructions were issued by the Southern Rhodesia Government to all Native Commissioners that the Government docs not approve of children under 1Q years of age entering into contracts of service; and the Secretary of State has been informed that the question of amending the act in order to provide that native juveniles under this age shall not be permitted to enter into contracts of service is being examined by the, Southern 'Rhodesia Governin cut.

Less success has attended endeavours made to change the Native Affairs Act, but here also, explanation has been' given which may go some way toward preventing the abuses under it The Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society's criticism of this measure was because it was held to, contain provisions of too drastic a character for the control of natives. Protests Against Act.

"The native commissioner," said the Protection Society, "appears to occupy the position at once of prosecutor, judge, and jury." The Southern Rhodesia Missionary Conference of 1927 also protested against the act The British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, however, has decided not to interfere. In the course of a dispatch, he says: "Section 17 of the a«t reverses the provision in the High Commissioner's Proclamation of 1910 which provided that a native commissioner should not have jurisdiction .to try any cases in which the offence charged is disobedience to his own orders, or in which he himself is' the official toward whom a chief or other native has been guilty of insolent or contemptuous behaviour .... I. cannot think that here is any ground for uneasiness as to the effect of this change in the law from the point of view of the-natives, who, I am confident, will, as in the past, receive fair and just treatment from the native commissioners. A similar provision has long been in force in Natal.',*

With regard to the third point, as to what constitutes a "lawful or reasonable order," the Secretary of State expresses himself satisfied with the provisions in the act giving a general guide as to what constitutes such an order.