Who Is Being Exploited?

Native or European

FREE casual labour is one of the trials of the householder in Rabaul, New Guinea. It appears that there are a considerable number of natives in Ra baul who are not subject to the inden ture system, and who hire themselves out as they please to householders on a weekly basis. Frequently, after they have been employed for a few weeks, and have received the usual rations in advance, they suddenly disappear, and the house holder is left with his domestic arrange ments in confusion, in a country where house-servants are a necessity.

Critics in the “Rabaul Times” insist that this is the outcome of the official system of molly-coddling natives. They say that the latter have no proper com prehension of the nature of a contract; and, when they walk out and leave the master, the latter has no legal remedy.

Officials say hopefully that as the na tive becomes more accustomed to Euro pean ways, and acquires a little educa tion, he will behave in a more satisfac tory fashion, but the critics, who have to put up with all the inconvenience, simply jeer. There is much evidence that the officials in New Guinea, in their sincere attempt to properlv protect the primitive natives against European ex ploitation, have gone to the other ex treme and are permitting the more or less sophisticated native to exploit the European.

Mr. G. G. Manning has taken up duties as senior teller of the Bank of N.S.W. at Suva, Fiji, relieving Mr, H. A.

Major, who returned to Sydney by the “Mariposa” at the end of February.