The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-02
EnglanC's Slave Trade in the Pacific.

Heretofore most persons have received
with incredulity the accounts of the atroci-
ties perpetrated In connection with the So
called free labor" trade which is counte-
nanccd by Great Britain in one Of the Austria
liam colonies. 1t was hard to believe that n
country which has figured before the world
as the intiexible opponent OF slavery, in all
it's forms, would tolerate Il traffic even more
merciless and inhuman than that which has
proved a curse to the blacks Of Africa. I'm
happily, 1t Is no longer possible to miscon-
ceive the true character Of the contracts by
which the natives Of certain islands in the
South Sea are doomed to the most grinding
labor and speedy death. The disgraceful
facts are attested by official Investigations,
whose results are now published in the Fort
nightly Rerie,c.
No more fragrant misnomer can be imaS-
ined than the term free labor" as applied
to the engagement by which the natives OF
the New Hebrides group are bound to work
on the sugar plantations in Queensland for a
term OF years. In almost every instance the
assent of the laborers is procured by force or
fraud. Sometimes q chief delivers q given
number Of his subjects at so much head,
and sometimes the arrangement Is made with
a European who has bought an island, the
power Of selling the inhabitants into slavery
being one of the recognized rights acquired
by the purchaser. The recent murder OF Mr.
KLINEsMITH In the neighborhood Of New
Britain was due TO an attempt to enforce the
right mentioned. Even where the contract
is originally made with the prospective work.
men. the latter are deceived by promises
which their employers have no intention OF
keeping, and which they invariably violate
The conditions OF these labor contracts are
regulated by law Of the Queensland Lcgis.
lature, a body made up OF the representa-
tives Of the traders and planters directly
Interested in the scandalous traffic. II
is provided that the islanders shall be ca
gagged for the term OF three years at the
rate OF $50 year, at the end of which
time the employer is bound to restore the
workman to his native land. Certain cond
tions as to food and clothing are nominally
imposed. This act appears to have satisfied
the British Government, although its work
ings are far more detrimental to the Kanakas
than was the English and American system
OF slavery to the blacks. During tn,
term for which he is engaged the nativ,
workman Is in the strictest sense n slave
for II he is idle or refractory he Is sharply
disciplined, and il he tries to escape he il
brought back by the police. But the wors
feature of the scheme is that it offers pre-
MUM for maltreatment, and makes thu
death OF a laborer source OF gain to hi
master. The wages fixed by law are no
paid till the termination OF the three years
and they arc pocketed by the employer il
case the workman should die in the interval
The frightful consequences of this arrange
mcnt were soon visible, and it was rcmarke,
in the colony that laborcrs We're very apt t.
die toward the end of the triennial tern
The fact was brought to the notice of tn
| Queensland Parliament by Government in
| spector, n Mr.. SHERIDAN, who was prompt
punished for his display of zeal, an
superseded by Mr.. HARRocKs, who in hi
turn expressed Indignation at the abuse
committed under the free labor" system
The planters and their friends then sclecte
for the post Of inspector police magistrat
who they supposed would be more tractablc
but he, too, was so reyolted by his discoverie
that he forwarded q report to the ColoniG
| Secretary which compelled that functionar
to order a rigorous inquiry. All the charge
OF cruelty which had been made against tn
Queensland employers were officially cor
frmed. 1t was shown that the islanders fo
the most part suffered from poor feeding
bad water, overwork, and the absence of car
in time of sickness. On one plantation, fC
instance, the Kanakas were required to wor
five hours on ration of bread and tci
The bread was pronounced uneatable by tn
Commission. and the so-called tea wa
an infusion of seven ounces of the lei
in fifteen gallons OF water. 1t wa
proved that the demands on the physici
strength of the blacks We're aggravated t.
ward the close of the three years term, Will
at the same time they were more grossl
neglected. The observations Of the Commi
sion bore out the assertion Of the polio
magistrate that If the Queensland employer
do not actively bring about the deaths of II
Polyncsians in order to save their wages, IL