A Native Labour Problem

THERE is a native labour problem in the Western Pacific Territories—but it has two dimensions. The attitude of indentured native labourers towards Europeans has received, and is receiving, much attention; but it is almost as important that consideration be given to the relationship between European employers and their native labourers.

The situation is seen clearly on the New Guinea goldfields. The standard of treatment of the several thousand natives employed there is set by the big companies (Bulolo, N.G. Goldfields, Guinea Airways, Day Dawn, etc.) and the standard is good. There is quite definite human kindliness, as well as formal sympathy and justice, in the way in which the natives are controlled, fed, housed and medically treated in the big labour camps; and the natives seem well and contented. With exceptions, the smaller employers generally follow suit — but the exceptions ought to have official attention.

There are two classes of Europeans who never should be allowed to engage native labour. One is the man who seems to have an anti-native complex, and who permits his hatred of the black skin to show out constantly. His standard of intelligence is so low that he judges these stone-age aborigines according to Euro pean standards, and usually describes them as “fools” and “swine.” There is no hope for this class of white—he should be forbidden any business re lationship with natives. The other type of white man is he who has never before found himself in command of labour, and who has no idea of how to treat servants.

He is harsh, heckling, domineering and brutal. Generally speaking, the types of New Guinea natives who are recruited as labourers are tractable and trusting and easily controlled by understanding and experienced men. At first, they regard all white men as demi-gods; but they are by no means unintelligent, and they soon develop a remarkably sound discrimina tion between the European who is a good

boss, and the snarling, belligerent, low class white who imagines that the only way to maintain an efficient labour line is to treat the natives as if they were dangerous animals, and give them blows, limited food and poor shelter. In every labour line there is a proportion of “flash bucks” and cunning rascals who require special attention; but the wise employer can deal with these cases, while main taining contentment and discipline among his men.

In the beginning of the Australian administration, there were difficulties in maintaining good order and discipline in the labour lines. Employers were not allowed to administer chastisement; and when “Guv’ment” assumed that responsi bility, and put offenders in gaol, the thing was regarded as a joke. The native naturally sees no punishment in a month’s “calaboose,” where he is well fed and sheltered. Thus, there arose a sharp agitation in favour of whipping, and a demand that District Officers be given authority to order corporal punish ment. When General Griffiths took

charge, he inaugurated “sand and rock drill” in the prisons; and that seems to have ended all argument and agitation.

This writer recently watched a squad of very weary prisoners doing interminable “sand-drill” (lifting and lowering heavy bags of sand), under the direction of sharp-voiced, snappy native police; and he is satisfied that “calaboose” now really means something to native labourers, and is definitely a deterrent to malingering, insolence and crime. He could not help contrasting this with a picture in his memory of three years ago, when he saw two fat, cheeky-looking natives leisurely cutting grass outside an official’s house in one New Guinea centre and was as sured that these were “native criminals undergoing punishment.” Furthermore, there now is a fine class of D.O. and A.D.O. throughout New Guinea, and these officials seem to have been given wider powers in dealing with native labour affairs. Whatever the reasons, there is now a much better understanding between the employers and the Adminis tration.

So far, so good. The employers are quiet; but the obligation is upon the Administration, in an even greater de gree, to guard the native labourers against abuse and cruelty. The contented, healthy appearance of the great majority of native labourers speaks for itself; but there are certain individual employers— few in numbers, fortunately—who should be constantly watched and, when found guilty of bad treatment of natives, they should be severely punished; and, where considered necessary, their right to em ploy natives should be withdrawn.

There is one aspect of indentured native labour in the islands of Melanesia which most urgently demands attention.

It is a fault of the system, and not of individuals. Large numbers of recruited natives are brought from their villages to their places of employment and kept for long periods, running into years, in native labour barracks. They are not permitted to bring their womenfolk with them — these little communities are wholly male.

As a result of such living conditions, cer tain grave evils develop —inevitably. It is a well-known fact that these evils appear wherever the native labourers are herded together in barracks.

The position is particularly bad on the N.G. goldfields, where thousands of native labourers have been brought to gether; and, perhaps, the authorities will try, on the goldfield, to find a solution of the difficulty—possibly in co-operation

with the big employers, the solution, probably, will be found in the establish ment of villages for the native labourers, where they may live under more natural conditions —villages to which they may bring their womenfolk and where they may grow some portion of their own food.

The Bulolo Valley, being a pleasant,

healthy, fertile place, seems eminently

suitable for such an experiment. The life of this goldfield is at least 25 years, and it is most undesirable that the labour forces there should be kept there in definitely under such conditions, Australia and New Guinea are ex tremely lucky in being able to draw upon such an unlimited supply of local labour for the development of the mining in dustry. Only a little way off, in New Caledonia and New Hebrides, the French have had to undertake the costly business of bringing labour from Java and Cochin China, in order to carry on their main industries. Australia, already, has a good record as a protector of native in terests in Papua and New Guinea; but

that is no reason why there should be any slackening of effort. The continu ance of the native labour barracks system is not desirable, if it can be avoided.