53

A.—s

left very largely in the hands of the planters. Ido not think, therefore, you have any reasonable ground for complaint, though there may have been some little additional expense— 1 do not know how much. As far as lam concerned, 1 endorse the action that was taken in the interests of the labourer himself. In the next paragraph you refer to the expense you were put to with regard to labour barracks. What was done there was to endeavour to improve the barracks in which these labourers have to live. Your complaint is that you were asked to do this at a time when labour was being repatriated, and that you therefore had to bear additional taxation when your labour was going away from you. I admit that that may be so. At the same time, it was the duty of the Administration —and I endorse what the Administration did—to secure that the accommodation for the labourer was what it ought to be. I do not think, therefore, that your complaint with regard to the alteration of the barracks is one that we can endorse. Then you refer to the forced repatriation. It is quite true that during the war-time a great number of your Chinese and black labourers were repatriated. We were under a bond to repatriate these men when their time came unless they reindentured. Whatever action was taken by the New Zealand Government, 1 want to make it perfectly plain to you that it was action regarding which we were under directions from the Imperial Government. The Imperial Government sent us absolutely definite instructions that we were not to indenture any more Chinese labour during the war-time —nor Solomon Island labour either. We asked the Imperial Government if we might reindenture the labour already here, and their first reply was "No." We realized that that meant the destruction of the Samoan plantations, and we communicated over and over again with the Imperial Government and begged them to permit us to reindenture the labour which was here. Filially they gave a partial consent. They consented to our reindenturing for three mouths only during the war-time. If, therefore, you were asked to reindenture your labour for only three months during the war-time, it was not the action of the New Zealand Government, except as acting under direct instructions from the Imperial Government. As soon as the Armistice was signed we again approached the Imperial Government. We had been telegraphing constantly about this labour question to the Imperial Government, and to the Prime Minister when he was in England. 1 realized the situation and how you would suffer unless we could keep the plantations cultivated as far as possible. When the Armistice was signed we communicated again with the Imperial Government,, and begged them to allow us to reindenture for a longer period or to get labour from outside. After considerable correspondence they consented to a reindenture period of two years, and that is the position to-day. We did our best to induce the Imperial Government to allow us to indenture further Chinese. We communicated with them, and asked whether it was possible to indenture Solomon Island labour. The reply was, " You must communicate with Australia," because it was known that Australia would receive a. mandate over certain of the Solomon Islands which had been German possessions. We communicated with Australia, and we got a direct " No." We then communicated with the Imperial Government and said, " You have some of the Solomon Islands under your control : can you let us have some labour from there?" The answer was "No." My memory is not quite clear with regard to the Javanese, but if it is correct we also communicated with them about Javanese labour, and we were told we could not get Javanese labour. So you will see that as far as New Zealand is concerned every "effort was made to get you the labour which, we realize just as much as you do, was necessary for your plantations. I ask you. therefore, in all common fairness, as between this country and New Zealand, to do justice to New Zealand. We are not going to rest under the accusation that we have neglected you during the war-time, because it is not so. We were just as anxious to serve you during the war as we are anxious to serve you now. We were restricted, not because of any wish of ours. You ask on page i) for a return of at least a part of the repatriation fees. Who is to pay it? Would it be fair to call upon New Zealand to return to you part of your repatriation fees? Gentlemen, 1 must call your attention to the fact that we have all suffered during the war-time. There are people who may have acquired wealth during the war, but there are many who suffered through the war; and if you suffered because of the increased cost of repatriation it is no fault of the New Zealand Government. It is owing to the circumstances of the war. lam sorry that you have to suffer, as others have to suffer. I can hold out no hope to you that New Zealand will return to you any portion of the repatriation money. I am sorry that I cannot give you a more favourable answer. I hope to get a more definite reply with regard to the Javanese before I leave. Then, on page 22 you ask that Niue-Islanders may be brought her.c for public works. We should be only too anxious to supply you with Niue-Islanders if it were a fair thing to do so. We have been to Niue Island. I was there seventeen years ago, and exactly the same problem was in existence then as to-day. Deputations met us in Niue seventeen yearns ago, and prayed that we would not take all their best labourers away. We had to tell them_that we had to consider them and their island before we considered the needs and necessities of other islands in the Pacific. To-day it is just the same. We approached the Besident Commissioner in Nine and asked him whether he could spare some labour. When Dr. Pomare came round here last year I asked him to inquire in each of the Cook Islands whether there was any labour available for Samoa. He returned the answer that there was practically no labour available in the Cook Islands for Samoa. When we were at Niue recently we had an interview with the Commissioner. We told him of your necessities, and told him how great they were, and asked him, if he could, to spare some Niue-Islanders, if only a few, to come and help you in your dire necessity. He finally consented to permit a few to come. He could only spare a few, because there is their own island to keep going and their food-supply to maintain. He consented to allow a few to come here to work for the Administration. They will come here on the condition that, they are to be returned at the end of twelve months, and then they will be replaced by an equal number at the end of twelve months. A further condition is that if there are any Niue-Islanders here they shall be returned. That is the best we could do for you, and we have tried our best to help you. These