MORALS OF NATIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1922, Page 5

MORALS OF NATIVES.

THE CHURCH ALARMED, NEW HEBRIDES PROBLEM. JOINT CONTROL DANGERS, ■- r/ ** By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received May 18, 7.25 p.m. Sydney, May 18. Mr. Justice Devers, a recently-appointed British judge of the New Hebrides condominium, was welcomed by the Presbyterian Assembly. He said he recognised the difficulties of' the position under the condominium Government. It rested with him and the French officials to make things work smoothly and satisfactorily, and he trusted he would be able to do so.

The Assembly, dealing with foreign missions report, discussed the New Hebrides posiuon. The report stated that the outlook politically was gloomy, while the condominium continued, with its grave injustices and irregularities. Cases of illegal recruiting occurred, drink was freely supplied to the natives, and gambling was becoming more prevalent. There was little or no cause for complaint against the British settlers, and the cases against them were dealt with, but similar cases against French citizens, or those under French rule, were condoned and even shielded. The report approved the efforts of the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand to secure complete British control of the group, and urged them, while paying due regard to the French claims and susceptibilities, to continue their efforts to that end.

The Rev. McGowan said that one missionary reported that at a heathen dance fifty bottles of grog were consumed. The mission schools were being wrecked by the sale of grog. 'He warmly denied statements made by a French paper, that the Presbyterians had instituted veritable serfdom to cultivate its own estates and that three southern islands had become a dependency of the British clergy. He regretted having to make these statements, but the French themselves had said that if thy got the group the Protestant missionaries would be expelled. He also drevz attention to the growth of the Japanese in the islands. They now outnumbered all Europeans in New Caledonia and the New Hebrides, and more were coming. The French at first welcomed them, but now they would be glad ot get rid of them. Would Australia, he asked, wake up too late?—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.