CO129-522-9 Chinese labour in Western Samoa 22-10-1929 - 19-1-1931 — Page 36

2.

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longer period has been agreed to in such cases.

Assisted

emigrants are recruited in Hong Kong for Nauru, Ocean Island

and Mlakatea as well as Western Samoa on this condition.

3.

In no instance, however, has the period of

engagement exceeded three years, although in Samoa and

elsewhere the labourer may be permitted to re-engage himself

for a further period of three years.

4.

There is no reason to suppose that emigrants

could not be secured who would be perfectly willing to

engage themselves for a period of four years, as the pay and

conditions offered by the Samoa administration compare very favourably with those in many other places. It is realised also that, making allowance for time spent on the voyage and for a period of acclimatization, the cost of this labour to employers is apt to be unduly high. At the same time the extension of the term of his agreement will prejudice the labourer in so far as he will be debarred for a period of one year from the opportunity of making a better bargain with his employer as a condition of the renewal of his

agreement.

5.

Labourers recruited for Samoa are attracted

by the conditions, and it would appear that the wages paid enable them to mainta in a standard at least as high as they could have expected to maintain in China; and no complaints have been received from Samoa or from repatriated emigrants. Four years does not in all the circumstances seem excessive, an important point being that the labourers in Samoa remain under British control; and I recommend that the concession

of sought should be granted. Any such concession will, course, be quoted as a precedent for an extension of the period of engagement to work in other Pacific islands: and

it