Planters Los[?]

Tails or Heads Planters Los[?]

A SURPRISE dawn raid to rouu up New Britain native desert© was carried out in Rabaul had an unexpectJ result.

A PIM correspondent reports the District Officer Max Orken, who w; in charge of the raid, said that ; some of the charges which the ch serters had made against employe were found to be true, the employe would be charged.

For years, planters in New Britas have complained that hundreds natives recruited from the mainlau and flown to Rabaul at consideraU expense, deserted before the expii of their contracts and that they, tf planters, had no redress. A test cas brought before the court a few yes ago was defeated through the ii tervention of the then Departure of District Services.

There is nothing in recent even to change employers’ opinion thl regulations covering native labor contracts are administered so thl the obligations are all on one sin the employers and that ti natives, for their part, may bree them with impunity.

As a result of the raid (an area i Rabaul was cordoned off and natives entering it were questionee about 10 natives have been returns to plantations. Apparently no Go eminent action is to be taken again: them. To please UN Trustees!* Council, penal clauses were remow from the contracts some years ai* Most of the complaints made other natives concerned what thl claimed to be unsuitable accomrrr dation provided by employers. t A son was born to Mr. and ML Warren of Vila, NH, on January y