15
the labourer enters Western Samoa under an
obligation to work, although not for any
particular employer.
Very wide discre-
tionary powers are given to the Commissioner
to see that the labourers carry out their
obligations and in the allotment of them
alwart to employers. The system might ales, be
represented as indenture to the Government
which then divides the labourers up among
employers, but a great deal rests on the
Commissioner. In fact, the absence of
In
complaints suggests that he has used his
powers well, and the system seems to work
satisfactorily.
In 1924, the Chinese authorities in
Canton attempted to maintain that the
recruitment of Chinese labour for Western
Samoa in or via Hong Kong, was illegal.
The suggestion was resisted and appears to
have been aropped by the Chinese. (See
56803/24 and connected papers up to 37882/25)
It may be observed, however, that the
Governor of Hong Kong said that the system
of recruitment might possibly be illegal as
recoverable advances might be a form of
camouflaged indentured labour. It is
not clear that such advances were actually
made to labourers for Western Samoa. This
particular point was discussed in corres-
ponuence with Hong Kong about labour for
Sarawak