SAMOA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3343, 22 November 1919, Page 6

SAMOA.

THE LABOUR PROBLEM. TO SAVE THE PLAN~TATIONS_ WHY_ WORKERS ARE NEEDED. Labour lieadervs and -Labour candidates are grossly misrepresenting the Government in ‘the election campaign with respect to the use of indentured labour in Samoa. The word “indem tured” has been flagrantly misused to insinuate that the Government of this country has countenanced a. form 'of “slavery.” It is very obvious that the word “indentured” is being 'used as an electioneering bogey. The plain facts of the case. show that this ruse of the’Labour Party is "utterly contrary to truth. After all, what in effect is indentured Labour as it applies to, Samoa ; It is merely a form of contract, the same, for‘instance~, as any apprentice en-ters_ into when learning la. trade. _ r '

‘lt is notorious that throughout the War period the uaetivities of the extreme Socialist Party which now'under the guise of the ‘New Zealand Labour Party, is out to capture political control of the Dominion,.were chiefly devoted to impeding and thwarting our war eiforts. It is but‘a. natural sequence to -this» policy that its members should ‘in our hour of victory endea_vour to prevent‘New Zealand from reaping any benefit from its étremendous war sacrifices. Apparently they regard. the bogey of “indentured labour” as the readiest means to -this end, for they -are now engaged on a campaign of misrepresentation and untruths with respect to it, in the hope, mo doubt, that public opinion will be so shocked and repelled by the lurid pictures they conjure up about the horrors of serfdom, slavery, etc., that the Samoan Administration will be de~ % nied the only means by which the‘? group can be made to develop and! prosper. ’ ' V

The most frequent form of this misrepresentation is the suggestion that the New Zealand Government introduced indentured labour into Samoa after the group’ had been cagtured by the New Zealand Expediti6nary‘Force, and that its introducti~on in Samoa is

merely to pave the way for flooding the industrial life of this Dominion with cheap Asiatic labour.

The Labour leaders who make this statement do not need to be enlight-h eneclas to its ‘falsity, but there is a real need that the general body of electors should be aware of the actual position, so that they may not be misled by the gross misrepresentation of Ithose disloyalists.

There are two principal points which the Government desires to emph'.-Isisez ' (a) That when the occupying force took Samoa there were about 3000 Chinese and Kanaka indentured labourers at work on the plantaV tio'ns there, and :‘ch.a,t at the present | time there are less than 1000 0!" these labourers_: and -

(b) ‘That the electors of New Zealand must clearly understand that, for at leasfa generation ‘to come, and until’ the Samoans can themselves be educated up to the necessity to Work, a reasonable supply of imported labour is an absolute essential for the maintenance and proper development of the plantations.

As to (a), a significant fact to be noted is that pr2.c7r.ically the whole of *the .in»denxtur-.ed labourers ‘now at Samoa, are time-expired coolies who have voluntarily agreed to reindenturc themselves for a further period of two years. The original indenturcs ran out during the last year of war, when it was very diificult to secure transport for the repatriation of the éoolies, and With. the consent of the Eritish ana Chinese Imperial authorities they were given the option of reindenturing for a period sufficient to ensure a return to normal times, The fact thatthe vast majority of the labourers A‘rea’dily 'a.vaifl‘ed themselves of the opportunity to re-indenture at once ‘disposes of the fairy tales about “slave tlraffic,” atrocities,” “inhumanities,” and.so on at nauseum.

As a matter of fact the”m'ost complete precautions are taken to promote the Well-being and to protect the inter. ests of the indentured labourers. Very; stringent regulations are in force providing‘ for efficient sanitation, proper accommodation with sufficient air‘ space, ample food", which must be up to a stipulated standard, medical attention and repatriation at the end of three years. In addition when the men were first obtained it was stipulated by the Chinese Government, and it was agreed to by the German Government, and has since been faithfully observed by the British authorities, that the Chinese indentured labourer should stand‘, for -the purposes of all criminal and other-matters that might be brought against him, on exactly the same footing was a European. d It has to ‘be remembered, rtoo-, that ‘these ‘labourers havefull access ‘to their-own Consul, who has been specyially stationed at Apia by the Chinese jGovel'n‘ment tolook after their welfaiie ;--mid «that~the Samoan A‘dm‘inistl-ation ‘jlias; an .oliieer, known as the Chinese ‘rec:--~:. +4" » -.r'..:‘ 7' '_ 1 . :'. 1‘;-‘.::"’ ';€-me

tion it is to stand between the planters and the inacntured labourers in-the same €vay as an inspector of fia.ctorie"s does in New Zcal(and.' between ‘employer and worker.

’ Now, as to (b), the Government can ‘ assure the public of New Zealand that it is just :as sincere in its desire -to develop Samoa without the aid of any imported labourer as are these labour leaders; but it knows, as these leaders. and as‘ all who have studied the problem know, that under present conditions this is quite impossible. The Government knows ‘this because the military administration, after taking control of the group, was quite averse to the continuance of imported labour at Samoa, and made .a' genuine attempt ‘ -to induce the Samoan natives to do; all the Work themselves. The Adminis- 1 tration has had to admit, after an experience of over four years, that their‘ endeavour has been a failure. The! Government will discontinue the Sys-I tem just as soon as the Samoan natives can, by educative methods, be brought to understand that it is to his OWn interests -to themselves provide this . labour. ‘

The Government desires to impress on every elector the fact that German Samoa represents New Zealand’s share of the fruits of victory. The Dominion under the‘ Mandate will -take ever enemy property’ worth at the present time at least £1,000,000, rand this sum will, in due course, be credited to New Zealand as part of its share of the repatliiation money payable by Germanny. '

I But these properties «at -Samoa only ! possess this present and any increased iprcspective value if a reasonable sup- ] ply of ‘imported labour is available for I their maintenance -and proper development. That fact is beyond dispute, no matter what "these Labour extremists and disloyalists may allege to the con->tl-ary. Even‘as recently as July last, Ia high authority, after a personal inspection of the cocoa and rubber plantatégans stated: “If labour is at once procurable, the damage cannot well be be repaired for five years. If it is not procurable the cocoa plantations will be permanently ruined.” Unfortunately thegeneral public of the Dominion does not appreciate the «onerous present and potential resources of those most fertile islands, and does not realise the great opportunities they will afford for New Zealand settlers, Copra, rubber, cocoa, coffee, kapok, in fact all -tropical products can be grown to perfection. But all development is contingent absolutely and \\'itl'mllt question on an adequate supply of labour. ‘At the moment and for some time to come, this labour will not be awailable from the native Samoans. The_v-will have to be educated up to the necessity’ to work. That education will be undertaken. but in the meantime necessary workers must be imported. White men can direct, control, and supervise, but they cannot do agricultural work in the fields as this brings their bodies into direct contact withtthe soil and leads in evitably to ‘tropical ailments. Any of the 2,000 New Zealand soldiers who have ‘served in Samoa ‘will Sétisfy any

'elcctor on this point. VVOr1~: in the fields must be done by coloured lab»our and the Chinese are in every Way the most suitable for the purpose, Assuming that the coo-lies are agreeable what possible objection can there be to contract. workers being intro[duced so long as the interests and well-being of all concerned are pr-op; erly protected. I However, the issue before the electors with respect to Samoa is .a. simple one. Is the Dominion to retain control of these Islands which are so vitally important to us both from an economic and a strategic point of view?t ‘lf it is, a reasonable supply of in-It Identured imported labour must for‘ lthc present be permitted into Salnoa.l !It is not a question of permitting the lgroup and its people to revert -to a ‘state of nature. The need for raw products’ is now so gre'a.t and insistent that the civilised nations of the world cannot permit an intensely fert.ile_ country to remain in its natural un-T developed state. much less to .1-evm-t’ from a. highly productive stage to nature agtain. ‘ It is beyond dispute that if the Dominion of New Zealand. is not willing to maintain and fully -develop the plantations and resources of Samoa, which can only be done meantime by ajreasona'ble supply of imported contract: labour, it must be prepared to return- the mandate fo the League ofl Nations in order that some other State may undert.a.kc the duty. E This may not distress tlle so-called leaders andvmay ‘indeed be Welcome to them, but is it an alternative which the loyal men and women of New Zealand to whom the war. sacrifices have been very real are willing to lightly’ accept. I