Maurice Hume Black

“ The drafting of successive bands of natives to a civilized country for a term of years, and then shipping them back to their own islands—as the labour employer is bound to do—might become an important factor in the progress of these races. Everything would depend on the treatment they received and the moral atmosphere which surrounded them. The Queensland Government has certainly left no stone unturned to secure that, so far as legal enactments can protect an inferior race, the Kanakas are safe on Australian soil from any possible tyranny, violence, or even physical discomfort ... ”

“ The wild calumnies about slavery, cruel oppression and so on have been pretty effectually disposed of, Kanakas can now be engaged in their own island homes for a term of years' service in Queensland as much free from constraint and over-reaching as agricultural servants can be engaged at hiring fairs in Great Britain and Ireland, and separation from home ties and family associations is no more morally wrong in the one case than in the other. ”

“ It is hoped that the foregoing statement will conclusively prove to all unbiased persons that the honour of Queensland with regard to the employment of Polynesian labour on the plantations of the Colony, has been clearly vindicated, and that while the Colony, by means of this labour, has been enabled to maintain an important industry, the labourers themselves have been benefited by being brought under Christianising influences, and by being inculcated with habits of thrift and industry. ”

“ It is a simple fact that in several cases the Kanakas have been improved by their residence in Australia. When the relations between employer and employed at home are perfect, it will be time to use the moral arguments as final against the Kanaka exodus to Queensland ... At present the Kanakas are thoroughly well treated by their masters—on the mere ground of economy this is necessary, Kanaka labour being far too costly to be trifled with. ”

“ The sugar industry, with which of course the Kanakas are alone connected, may have been ruinous to the reckless speculator. But soberly stated, aided by the moderately rewarded and reliable labour of Kanakas, the sugar industry which in Queensland invited the investment of over six millions sterling, 40 per cent of which went in high wages and profits to British (chiefly Scotch) engineers for machinery, &c, has given employment to nearly 30,000 European managers, overseers, mill hands, ploughmen, artisans, &c. ”

“ The persistence in this course of deliberate accusation of the Colonial Government, of brother ministers, of Government officers and ship-masters of high character, and of honourable business men engaged in a valuable and important industry giving employment to many thousands of European artisans and farmers, is altogether incomprehensible. ”

“ Almost every evening a large house that has been given to them is filled by the boys who meet for a religious service—all professedly Christian boys, and ever showing themselves most eager and attentive. Besides this on two of the largest plantations, classes are conducted by ladies resident there. All the planters speak highly of the good that is being done and say that the boys who attend the classes do not fight, as they formerly did, do not drink, do their work better and are more easily managed. ”

“ Paton, that the Labour Traffic "is very far from slavery. The missionaries of the New Hebrides are agreed that the mode of the traffic on the part of the British is fairly clean. It is idle to talk of murder, outrage, and bloodshed; such statements are untrue to fact. It is universally acknowledged on the Islands that the 'boys' recruit willingly ... I could hear of no murders or outrages. The natives could tell of none. Instances of kidnapping I heard of, but not in connection with the Queensland traffic. ”

“ I have inquired most carefully into each ground of complaint, talking over the subject with ships' captains, Government agents, Polynesian inspectors, and Kanakas themselves, and I think I am thoroughly justified in the conclusion that there is absolutely no foundation for such reports in the existing system. There have been grave abuses in the past. Men are, I believe, still undergoing punishment for the part they took in them; but recruiting as it is now carried on, is above the shadow of reproach. ”

“ There is evil in the world, and in some form or another they will come in contact with it. Our duty is to try and strengthen them morally and physically, that they may be able to resist it. No one can say that, per se, it is a bad thing for a young fellow to leave his own narrow island home, learn to work steadily, and obtain what he wants by that work. ”

“ W. Morris, Rector of the English Church, Bundaberg, writes, "I read with much amazement Dr. Paton's protest. If one tenth of the charges brought against Queensland were true to-day in respect to Kanaka recruiting and treatment here every Christian man and woman in the Colony would cry out against it. We know how guarded is the recruiting now and we know how much better fed, clothed, and housed these men are now than they would be in their own islands. Numbers of them have from £5 to £100 in the bank. There are thousands in the mother-country not half so well off as these islanders. ”

“ They are a declining race. The Tasmanian is practically extinct. The Australian Aboriginal is rapidly becoming so. In the islands where the conditions are normal and favourable where they have missionaries, where they have no violent wars and no recruiting these people are declining."
That the Islanders are thrifty in their habits is evidenced by the fact that according to the Pacific Islanders Annual Report on January 1st, 1893, £18,641 19s. 5d. was deposited by them in the Government Savings Bank of Queensland; the number of Islanders then in the Colony being 7,979. ”

“ Notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence produced for some time past disproving his allegations the reverend gentleman in the protest before mentioned to the Colonial Office speaks of "the evils that are heaped upon the defenceless Islanders just as they are emerging from the long black midnight of heathenism and cannibalism and of a deadly system that must lead to abuse, bloodshed and God-dishonouring cruelty, little short of that accursed thing called slavery." ”

“ Paton's charges? They are that the Kanaka Labour business "has been demoralising and ruinous to all connected with it"; that' 'the atrocious crimes and murders connected with the traffic are a disgrace to humanity and to all Queensland"; that "their long hours of labour and hard work and changed circumstances of food, clothing and houses, have caused unexampled mortality amongst the Kanakas"; that when they died they were buried like dogs" ”

“ When they cannot, from distance or other causes attend, there is a morning service on each plantation, either conducted by a Missionary or held by the 'boys,' presided over by a native teacher, amongst themselves. There has been year by year an ever deepening seriousness amongst them. They prove themselves most susceptible to Christian influences, and are increasingly anxious to listen to the gospel. ”

“ As against the allegation that the Kanakas are "buried like dogs," the testimony of ministers of all denominations on the spot is that on all the sugar plantations the "boys" when they die receive Christian sepulture. The Statistics of the Registrar General show that the mortality amongst the islanders is far less than that alleged by Dr. Paton. ”

“ It has cleared the ground of jungle and brought under cultivation 50,000 acres of the Delta and coast lands of the colony; has given an impetus to maize growing, to horse-breeding, to cattle raising on the seaside of the coast range; has started foundries and engineering establishments in all sugar centres; has built up a fleet of coastal steamers second to none in speed and accommodation. This year it has produced 80,000 tons of manufactured sugar, valued, including bi-products, at nearly a million and a quarter. ”

“ J. Mc L. Mackintyre, Missionary in the Mackay district, after giving a general account of his labours, on fourteen plantations and recording 250 baptisms in four years adds "there has been a great and growing appearance for good amongst the boys morally and spiritually. They assemble of their own accord at various plantations on Sabbath mornings for prayer and to hear addresses by their own countrymen, one of whom travelled 40 miles for this purpose ... In nearly all the plantations there are native teachers who conduct services every Sabbath ... ”

“ Week day and Sunday they meet for instruction, singing, and prayer, and many return to their own islands Christian communicants, join the native churches and make themselves useful there. I have had classes of these men and women thirteen years and know the astonishing changes that have taken place in many of them. ”

“ There are some 1,400 under Christian instruction in this district, and very many of them are teetotallers. Many who return to their island again come to Queensland. They would hardly do this were they treated as Dr. Paton represents."
Final brief quotations will be made from communications written by missionaries at present labouring in the South Sea Islands. The Rev. A. A. Macdonald, missionary in the New Hebrides, the scene of Dr. Paton's past labours says, "there can be no complaint on the score of the manner in which the Kanakas are recruited." Rev. Mr. ”