CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 582

586

the policy of His Kajesty's Govern-

Sutertiin very shông weide when

ment with red to the question of

Chinese coolie labour in distant

countries. Even with the safeguards

imposed in a Tritish Colony, the

thing determined

Transvaal, His te jestite covern ent

oblized (ao-fr

decision

properly ley with them) to do all in

their power to bring the system to

en end with the least possible de-

lay, at much expense and inconvenience.

te that has So great are the objections to this

traffic, that, as the correspondence

terminating with my confidential

despatch of the 2nd of July, 1908,

will shew, British vessels are not

allowed to carry Chinese coolies

under indenture to foreign countries,

even though the prohibition may

involve the transference of the

traffic to rival shipping.

In the case of Samoa, 28-you

are aware, complaints of cont nu-

al ill-treatment have been made

by the Chinese coolies there, and

these complaints have been confirm-

ed by the Fritish Vice Consul,

who has stated that the coolies

require a Chinese Consul to pro-

tect ther a condition which it

appears from your despatch is

still contested by Dr Schultz.

It is char Iau ars-évere het,in consequence

of this ill treatment, the

Chinese authorities have refused

to allow the shipment of labour-

ers from China to Samoa., negotia-

L

tions to remove this difficulty -

(notwithstanding Fr Schultz's

inaccurate assurances

3/

were

obviously not proceeding satis-

factorily, or there would have

been no such anxiety to procure

labourers at Hong Kong.

You