Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-21

s1ann1yznM their Fields Win LABOR than
Coaee them Nothing.
The white sugar planters OF Queens.
land. Fiji, and other parts Of the Pacific
require . larger supply Of native labor
than the home market Affords Labor.
ers ere therefore recruited IN Other
islands BY ships. which engage wholly
Ia AAis traffic. Both the English and
1ea man Governments have recently
been informed by their agents that the
labor traffic has degenerated into slave
stealing, and that al the horrors which
formerly disgTaced the business have
been revived.
Commissioners Romilly writes to his
Government that along the coast Of
New Britain and New Ireland natives
who 20 ON board labor ships TO trade
are placed il confinement If they
manage to jump overheard they are
fred at IN the water. Native fishermen
are kidnapped in their boats, which are
not unfrequently met by vessels drifting
about with their part load Of fish and
fishing tackle. Mr. Lawes, q missionary
ON the Southern coast Of New Guinea.
writes that natives are enticed on board
ship and forcibly taken away, and
that they are compelled by threats Of
death TO tell the Inspectors IN Queens
land that they have voluntarily left
home to labor. Capt. Kardier, OF the
German navy, reports 10 his Govern
ment that the captains of vessels not
only buy prisoners Of the chiefs for fire.
arms, but entice persons on board Who
come alongside in their canoes to trade
and then detain them. The German
Consul at the Marshall Islands writes
that the labor traffic IN New Britain and
New Ireland is, with few exceptions,
slave trading as deplorable as any that
was ever carried on In Africa.
Last summer the vessel Hopeful left
Queensland TO pick up load OF laborers.
Its crew were armed with Winchester
rifles. It cruised among the islands in
Torres Strait, south of New Guinea,
making no pretence Of hiring natives,
but kidnapping them in the most bare
faced manner. Two boats would be
sent ashore to recruit. The crews would
hustle . number Of natives into the
boats and then pull for the vessel. II
the poor creatures refused to be en-
trapped from their homes q fight would
follow, and several natives were thus
AMH61t4CAG0a
suspecting natives came off from the
shore to trade with the Hopeful. Some
Of them were lured on board and sent
down below. Recruiting Agent Mac
Neil. with an armed boat, then tried to
seize those who remained In their
canoes. The boat overlook one OF the
fleeing canoes, and a sailor laid hold OF
its gunwale. He was struck by one OF
the natives. MacNeil raised his rife,
and the native fell, pierced with shot
In the left breast. The other men ia
the canoe leaped into the sea, and
several we're drowned. Those who we're
picked up we're enHlaved
For this act of murder MaeNeil was
tried In Queensland in December last.
An act was rushed through the Colonial
Parliament enabling the court to receive
the testimony of the sufferers il the pre-
siding Judge was satisfied that the wit
nesses realized they would be sent to
prison II they did not tell the truth. On
the evidence which they and the ship
carpenter gave, MacNeil was convicted
and sentenced to be hanged. His sem
tence was afterward committed TO i'm
prisonment for life, because it was not
clearly shown that bis shot was followed
by the victims death.
Three weeks ago the labor traffic out
RACES in the Pacific were brought up in
the British Parliament. Lord Fitz-
maurice said the Government had been
fully appraised of them, and that COM
consisting OF the German Con-
suls- General ia Sydney and the English
Colonial Secretary in Fiji, had been APP
pointed to make recommendations for
joint action by Great Britain and Ger
many to suppress the outrages. These
gentlemen are now in London, and are
their report.
Punishment in Cores.