CO129-522-9 Chinese labour in Western Samoa 22-10-1929 - 19-1-1931 — Page 15

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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