THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1877.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 5, 3 November 1877, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1877.

Some years ago, when the labour ' trade was in its infancy, a hue and try was raised in England and the Australian colonies against it as being a system of slavery as bad as that carried on between Africa and America before the civil war in the latter country, and the emancipation of the slaves which followed it. Every person engaged in the labour trade and every planter employing such labourers were branded as slave dealers of the very worst nature. No name was too black for them ; no language too harsh. England has ever been considered the champion of the slave, and we glory in her for it. These cries, both at meetings and through the public Press, worked upon her sensitive feelings, and resulted in her having cruisers built for the purpose of putting a stop to this so-called nefarious traffic. In due time six

schooners were built, fitted out, manned, and sent to cruise amongst the islands of the South Pacific, with most stringent orders to overhaul any vessel they- might come across engaged in the labour traffic, and seize them if anything at all doubtful was found about them. They have now been cruising about for the last five years, and still the labour traffic goes on as before. We do not know of a [single vessel they have seized, or brought slavery home to. Certainly they have not come across a sufficient number of even doubtful cases to justify the fuss that was made about it. We do not deny but that there have been some despe-

iiifn engaged in the recruiting ot Yabowrps injaynrst instance.\njt dies* wei» 'thStxcJMb— and a rare exception tocu 4,4£U>- Jfc first lot had served their mSfmarxne islands, and were sent home, they were so satisfied, and the explanation given to their friends was so satisfactory, that no difficulty was experienced in recruiting. This fact is borne out by Captain Peters, of the German barque Helene, who arrived in port a few weeks back, with some hundred and fifty emigrants, many of whom had served a term in Samoa previously, but had just gone home to see their friends. lie states, that in recruiting he had no need to use cither force or undue persuasion of anv kind, the difficulty being to keep them

from overloading his ship. This, in the face of the fact that Fijian labour vessels have of late found some trouble in tilling up, speaks well for the manner in which the labourers are treated in Samoa. The explanation, no doubt, of the reason why Fiji finds so much difficulty in getting a supply of plantation hands from this source, is that there has been considerable delay in getting them to their homes after their term of service had expired. .Many who have been returned lately from there have been as much as two and three years over their time, and they have got disgusted and do not care to return there, for fear of the same thing happening to them again. Here, however, a much better system appears to have been adopted, by which the natives feel greater confidence in the probability of being returned home when their term of service has expired. The principal portion of the labour coming

to Samoa is brought by German vessels, and consequently is passed at the German Consulate. The representative of Germany here appears to be quite as solicitous for the welfare of the natives brought into Samoa by this means, as could be desired. A register is kept of the name, sex, date of recruiting, and ; name of employer of each emigrant, together with the term of service and I amount to be paid per month to each, which is in some cases two dollars and in Others three. It is also so arranged tiiat ! families are never separated, but go all together to the one employer. The perSOU employing these people are held re- '

sponsible for them, and have to report deaths and otheT casualties to the Consulate, and be prepared to send them home at the end of their term. They are usually engaged for a term of four yean, at the end of which it is not at all unusual for the labourers to re-engage for an additional term of four yean. TheHelene, which conveys some thirty of these emi- I grants was to have taken a great many more, but the balance have, at their own request, re-engaged for four yean. The (rages paid to those who i«-engag(», as a rule, are Hve dollars per month, which is i consideration they are not slow to see. In recruiting or returning these people, Me masU-r of the vessel has to allow at east forty cubic feet to each. Taking ! mi thing with another vrt are inclined '

t<> think that these South Sea immigrants an-, comparatively -peaking much better treat, id, and not so much slaves, as are their white brethren front Europe to the Australiancolonies. They have no fallacious stories spun to them to indues them to leave their homes, ami then when they arrive at their destination, they are not thrown upon the generosity of the public for their living, but at once enter into the service ami receive the pay for which they engaged, In conclusion, we consider that at present the British cruisers are a useless expense to their Government, ami thut the work could be hotter carried out if they had an officer situated in each country wire these natives are employed, whose duty it would be to see that they are treated properly and paid fully for their services. If this were done and the natives returned home to time, we venture to affirm that it will not be at all necessary to resort to kidnapping to keep up the supply, for they will be only too glad to leave their own country, where, in many instances, starvation stares them in the face. In fact, during the past six months Upwards of two hundred deaths have occurred, on the northern islands of the Gilbert group, from want of food. We •feel sure that the planters will do their <luty towards their labourers, for they are well aware that by ill-using them they gain nothing, whilst good usage pays for itself in the fact that the men have a good heart for their work, and consequently go at it with a will.