In Defence Of New Hebrides

Labour System

(A Letter to tbe Editor) IN your July issue a Mr. C. Jackson claiming to live, or have been, on Aoba Island, New Hebrides, makes certain charges against the so-called indentured system of labour employed in the New Hebrides.

I have lived here in the Hebrides for 48 years and recruited native labour over that period for my plantation, but Mr.

Jackson is unknown to me and, on inquir ing from the District Agents in charge, he is unknown also to tnem.

My experiences have taught me that if he did the things that Mr. Jackson complained about, the employer of native labour would certainly go out of business quickly—the wily natives of to-day can look after themselves if they wish to.

Natives can and do exaggerate incidents, and when they have an axe to grind, they do not hesitate to do so, as many new chums to the Islands find out to their cost. As for the “Ned Kelly” method allegedly employed in trade stores, it may be possible to overcharge if the planter is living in a remote part, but there are hundreds of stores (white and native) operating throughout the Islands, and competition is so keen that the dishonest master exploiting his labour as Mr. Jack son implies, could not possibly stay in business for any length of time.

And as for brutally kicking natives around, as he says he has seen, Mr. Jack son has only to try that on a native, and he will soon see what happens.

If he is sure of his facts, why did he not report the matter to the local Government District Agent to be dealt with on the spot, instead of writing such a pitiful tale of woe.

I would like Mr. Jackson (if he really exists), to come out into the open and show himself.

No doubt we residents who have a real stake in the country and who have built up its commerce, incidentally giving em ployment and a living to many people, would then understand his motives.

I am etc.,

M. G. Wells

Malo, New Hebrides, Oct. 19, 1950.

EDITORIAL NOTE—The letter written by “Mr. Jackson” and received by us in July appeared to be genuine, and was published in good faith. We now admit however, that enquiries we have made have produced no Mr. Jackson of Aoba, and we now suspect that the letter was just another bit of subversive propaganda. It is part of the Reds’ world-wide campaign against the Western Powers to create the impression that, in our colonial territories, we are oppressing and exploiting the natives.

It has been part of our policy for over 20 years to open our columns to any man or woman who desired to express an opinion over a genuine signature. But, it now would appear, from this and other incidents, that the Red progagandists— whose main tools are deception and treachery—have no hesitation in making use of that system for propaganda pur poses, by means of a faked signature.

Mr. W. C. Gee has been appointed Divisional Engineer of the Posts and Telegraphs in Papua-New Guinea. He has recently been on the staff of GPO, Hobart but he was formerly a Colonial Service engineer in Hong Kong, West Africa and Malaya. He is described as the “most highly qualified radio engineer in Australia.”