NEW HEBRIDES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 19 August 1907, Page 2

NEW HEBRIDES.

A GRIEVOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS. Melbourne, August 17. Mr Lucas, manager for Bums, Philp, interviewed the Department of External Affairs with legard to the sale and distribution under French connivance of spirits and firearms and ammunition in the New Hebrides. The difficulty hitherto has been to induce the French Goyomiuent to use its influence to put a stop to the practice. The prohibition of liquor and firearms traffic is contained in the New Anglo-French Convention, but nothing is done to enforce it. Though the agreement is loyally observed by British steamers, France not only has not done its share but advantage is taken of the British refusal to participate in the traffic by vessels flying the French (lag to ship to the islands rifles, gunpowder, cartridges and dynamite, besides large quantities of inferior mostly gin. Meanwhile the trade is rapidly passing into French hands. Although the volume of trade in the New Hebrdies had in the last 12 months increased by 20 per cent, in exports and imports, since the Convention was adopted British trade had fallen off by about 40 per cent. The natives have special fondness for gin and -firearms, and while French vessels could supply their exports would be obtainod and convened away by French vessels. Frenchmen were boasting of the "pull" they had over Australians, and were extending their operations to all parts of the islands. Mr Lucas described the liqnor traffic as a disgrace, to humanity. Rev. Lcggntt, n , lcw Hebrides missionary, has received a letter from Mr. Roxburgh, one of the oldest settlors of the group, giving details of outrages upon natives for which the French, Norwegian. German and English residents appear to be equally responsible. Tu one instance a native boy was flogged to death for desertion, and another boy is alleged to have been brutally murdered.

Steps are being taken to bring the [cases under the notice of tho Federal Government foi> representation to tt» Secretory for the Colonies.

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