The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1919. ANOTHER MINISTERIAL DEPARTMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3315, 20 October 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1919. ANOTHER MINISTERIAL DEPARTMENT.

With which ixs incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.”

In the passing of the “External; Affairs Bill” in ].)3.l'lißJDll€Dl?, on Friday, there came into being a new Ministerial Department, which will have control of Samoa, under -the Mandate, and‘ of all other external territory ‘in which New Zealand is interested. The, action taken by Mr Massey in connection with the whole Samoan question, by which it virtually becomes a. part of this Dominion, cannot "(Te found fault with. It should prove an exceedingly valuable asset as, though _'it. is far from being fully developed, it now exports more than it imports; in other words, it does not expend nearly as much money as it earns. The past history of native Samoans, and of ‘indentured Indian, Chinese, and other foreign labour, has been ‘indeed sad; but with the island bec.oming a .part of the‘ British Empire it seems that _ind_é_nt_ured members of thelEmpire"mu'st'be given the opportunity of”fr’é‘c“ disposition of their services. 'Currcnt'history has made ‘it very apparent that there is litt.le diiference between real slavery and indentured labour; in both the worker, male and female, appear to become, body and soul, the property of the person .to whom they are indentured. New Zealand will accept the mandate, and it is unthinkable that indentured labour will be permitted a day longer than is necessary. If all labour was at once set free by the cancellation of indenture labour, chaos could only result, and labour itself would, in all probability, be the greatest sufierer. To cast‘ a thousand or two "of the lowest class Chinese coolies upon the white residents of Samoa would, it seems, he most ‘inadvisable, if only fr-om a crime point of view, for if those coolics did not live by labour they could only live by crime. For the preservation of order, and to prevent -Samoa from being a curse instead of a blessing, it is safest to let the change from indentured labour to free laboiif-’lse gradual, 'l‘he-..ve.ry nature of the labourcrs’"constitutes sufficient reason for not precipitately turning ‘them loose upon the limited Illllll'lb€l’ «of residents on that small island, so far removed from where help, in case of trouble, is obtainable. Anything savouring of slavery is repugnant to most British people, but greater evils are rendered possible and probable by suspension of discretion, experience, and knowledge of the facts in such a case as that New Zelaand has come in contact with in Samoa. A year’s notice to indentured l.abour that a free labour policy is likely ‘to be adopted by the Gwovernment will fill the labourers with hope, and allow of a period of preparation for the"bette.r exercise of their improved contltion. It sometimes happens that ‘to precipi.tately end one evil sets up a much’ worse condition, and as We believe the immediate freeing of indentured labour in Samoa would h.ave‘pl‘o’Vo<l I 0 be 3 case of that kind, Government has followed the safest and sanest course by adopting measures that permit the gradual gliding of Samoan labour from the indentured system to full freedom, It goes without saying that the treatment of indentured labour has already improved, and that it will continue to improve as this Dominion can perfect its system of govcrnmentin accordance with what is in the best interests -of every individual resident, indentured and otherwise. When the Mandate is granted whatever government may be in power will doubtless formulate a constitution for Samoa that is in ac.- , cordance, with the peculiar needs of the lwhole Samoan population, and it is ’ quite safe to suggest that no vcstige of I Slavery will be permitted to stain the 173.993 0f such a constitution.