French Recruiter Tied Up

Incidents in New Hebrides

AN incident which occurred recently in the New Hebrides throws some light upon the conditions of administration which exist in the Condominium.

A recruiter from a well-known French firm visited the island of Aoba, and for some days was the guest of a well known planter there. When the re cruiter took his departure he took with him the domestic native servant of his host —he apparently had enticed him away as a labour recruit. This form of returning hospitality was bad enough— but it was made worse because this native was the planter’s only trained house servant.

The planter was in a difficulty. He knew that it was useless to appeal to the Administration —there would be months of circumlocution and delay, while officials chattered and argued.

Meanwhile he was without a servant.

A section of the planter’s loyal native staff recognised his difficulty, and the native crew of his boat, without receiv ing any instructions, took action on their own account. They put to sea, overtook the recruiting vessel in the night, many miles away, along the coast of Aoba, crept up beside it and got aboard while the Frenchman was asleep in his cabin.

The planter’s natives, apparently, were well led. They procured some light rope, and tied up the angry and protesting Frenchman, and shut him up in his cabin. Then they aroused the crew of the recruiting vessel and compelled the latter to uncover the hold, and produce the planter’s missing house-boy. The crew of the recruiting vessel apparently were thoroughly cowed, because the miss ing house servant was produced promptly.

With the released native, the planter’s crew triumphantly returned to the plan tation and handed the house-boy over to their master.

The planter recognises that —although he is not personally responsible—the law has been broken in two or three places, and at latest advices he was sitting un comfortably, awaiting developments. But, up to the end of December, nothing had happened. * * * We have received from a correspondent in the New Hebrides a complaint about the recruiting activities of a company which has its headquarters on Santo.

This company has three vessels out, and its methods are stated to be bad. One way in which recruits are obtained is to bribe the chiefs; another is to make available large supplies of trade gin and similar commodities. It is said that the recruiting activities of this organisation in the Banks Islands are actually bring ing about a serious condition of depopu lation.

Our correspondent, in making these statements, gives names and addresses; but it is not desirable that such details be published at this stage. It does ap pear, however, that the whole subject of labour recruiting in the New Hebrides demands some official attention.

Mr. G. K. Shand, who sold out his in terests in Vavau, Tonga, last year, and returned to Australia, is living in Armi dale, N.S.W., at present, but is contem plating an early return to the South Seas.