INDENTURED LABOUR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3434, 13 March 1920, Page 3

INDENTURED LABOUR.

’J‘HE PROBLEM OF sA;\l(),\,_ .\J'i«2\V 7.IC.\I..AND‘S POSI"1‘~'(_)N, -\Pl.\, ;".E:lr<:.‘n H. Sir JEHll<‘:‘- .-‘-.llol‘. and tho :11-31;:bm'5 of the .\.'e\\‘ /:<»>zll:uld ‘P2I.-“~:iz1n1-,-n1my xmrty met 1116:‘ I‘lllro]-eauss 1191-e on \Ve(lnesda_\' morning, whun fun .;pm--tunity of discussion was I»;',i\'Ofl. The L-:.‘Hd¢lll .\iiS;~ii<)n:l:‘.Y Society repl'(esml- - (li;<as;-:(>ciul’(=<l himself from the report ro liquor [.)l.o}libil.'i(Jl)l Ho said ihe l‘{liSF,iC‘l) fa\'our(—ul pl‘oilib';;‘iu;l_ but mentioned that pE1'so11:111_V he did not I'a\'ollr ‘rhe principal of prohibition,

’ l)ea.iiug with labour and :lgl'l1_"-,1'.’fl_ll'€, usir .1-dines Allen elllpll:isised that the [New Zealand Govei~nlnent r«>.eo_:;nised nlini I’lnou_2jliout, the OCCll9£L";ig’;l (,1 getliiina labour would be essential to the ;[mzlintenance of plantzitions. He delluiled efforts made to secure illda3n-mi-e<fl labour, but pointed out, I_h;lt the (‘.o\'el-nlnent were under a bond to xepatriate. Also, he had definite instructions from the Ilnperial (iovein. ment on no account to indetnnre mme labour. The New Zealand Government. were so impressed by the Ul-. gency of {he case tlia/r. they again conmlunicated with the Imperial Govel'nmenl._. asking permission 1:; re. indenlure. Exfentually they were 1.91-. mi‘rl’«.-wl to re-ilnlell‘rllre for iwo I)r.,ic;(ls of .~‘.i.\' xnonths following‘ ltlie 'l:mi:.Hr_'e. The Go\'ernm<+nt begged for :1 ‘Lon:-.01-‘ ill(len’rln'+3 to secure two _voru;e ;.ptinl~.-l :~l re-imlentllr«..\ for Chinese, mu; fl-el _\ust;-alizm Government «leclinefl fur—fisher indenltlre or the 1-e-indemu;-e of! Solomon Islanders. Inquiries were‘ made about Javanese. but no definite‘ information was available. Sir James[ announced that a limited number of! Niuemis were coming to Samoa toi (;::i.l*i-3" out public works, but Niue was! mom anxiollg, to avoid fm-flier <'l(‘-.plc'*~; tion of its nian-power. 5

Sir James Allen explained that an unde;-fnkin_a' was given last session. after a debate in the New Zealand Parll'a.lnellt, not to increase ~2n«lentnred labourers he'ynnd the existing number. He said the Whole subject would be discussed next !session Personally he believed it was necessary to provide labour for the present plantations, and perhaps to provide for the development of other lands.