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the help received from missionaries and benevolent Colonists, mentioning the Hon. Marshall Campbell and the late Mr. George Payne and Mr. Arthur A. Smith, who left donations to native education in their wills.

His Excellency, in his short address, said he was glad to have such evidence of what the natives could do for themselves as they had before them in this institution carried on by Mr. Dube and his assistants. If there were any to-day who were opposed to the view that the education of the natives was desirable, both in their own interests and in that of the State, he himself was not one of them. As Governor-General he had the highest interests of the native subjects of the King at heart, and he would try to do all he could for their advancement. The testimonies of loyalty which he had heard he would be glad to convey to His Majesty the King, whose representative in South Africa he was.

The Choir then struck up a song in praise of Mashu (the Hon. Marshall Campbell), the composition of a native poet, which was unique.

The new school building is of sandstone quarried on the school property, and hewn by students, and will compare well with any building for native education in South Africa.

bousing of Matives in Jobannesburg.

THE following paragraphs from the South African native paper Imvo will be read with interest, not only because of the importance of the question for native welfare, but because the movement referred to was set on foot by some of those with whom our Organizing Secretaries conferred last year in Johannesburg.

On the return of Mr. and Mrs. Harris from South Africa in the early spring we referred in these pages to the solid growth in Johannesburg of a public opinion in favour of reforming the condition of native labourers on the Rand, and stated that Mr. Harris' visit was utilized to assist in drawing these elements together into a definite organization, which, during the war, would work privately.

The article in Imvo quotes, from a Native contemporary in Johannesburg, the following account of a meeting which was held in that city in July:-

"Among the active agitators for the amelioration of the conditions of life among Natives on the Rand we may mention the Rev. F. B. Bridgman of the American Zulu Mission, . . . Mr. Howard Pim and Dr. Orenstein, who have taken Natives into confidence and approached them to ascertain their views on the matter; Mr. H. M. Taberer, the "father" of Native labour who had spared no pains in working to some satisfaction the whole question of the employment of Natives and their domiciles in this industrial centre; and a few others who are equally interested in the improvement of Native life on the Rand.

"On Wednesday night, last week, what may be styled a novel feature in the history of Europeans and Natives of this town occurred. It was

a result of this very movement. Mr. Taberer invited the two gentlemen
named above, His Worship the Mayor and Mr. Boustred (ex-Mayor) to
meet some leading Natives at the Offices at the Native Recruiting Corpora-
tion. The gathering was as important as it was unique. To see the Mayor
of Johannesburg addressing Natives on a matter that concerns their welfare
was little short of a miracle. Mr. Pim, having been introduced by Mr.
Taberer, spoke to those present. He based his remarks on the need of the
Native people having proper housing in the urban area.
For this purpose

it is thought good locations should be established in close proximity to
places of employment. He desired to know their views-whether these
should be Compounds, with married and unmarried quarters; or Locations
with stand allotted to each Native; or Township; and the different
localities where these should be established. Some few questions were
asked by Natives and answered. It was eventually decided to call meetings
of Natives by themselves, report what had taken place that night and then
meet Mr. Pim and Dr. Orenstein again to submit to them Native views.
The Mayor, Mr. Norman Anstey, said a few words sympathetic to the whole
question of properly housing the Natives in their midst. His remarks were
keenly listened to and highly appreciated.

Review.

THE GOSPEL IN FUTUNA.

BY DR. WM. GUNN.1

FUTUNA is the most easterly island of the New Hebrides Group, and was the first to be visited by missionaries, in 1839. Dr. Gunn is a medical missionary of the United Free Church of Scotland, who has worked on the island for thirty years and gives in this book a straightforward and convincing record of his labours and experiences, his disappointments and encouragements. Of the New Hebrides islands, of which about fifty are inhabited, over twenty have already been Christianized. The struggle with heathenism in Futuna has been one of the longest and most trying in the South Seas, for its people were dull, indolent and unimpressible, possessing little backbone, yet among them the Christian gospel has won its way, and Dr. Gunn has seen great changes; they have become more diligent and alert, less suspicious of one another and more trustworthy; in short, the weak-kneed Futunese have become consistent Christians.

The second part of the book contains a useful account of the physical characteristics of the islands, the origin, customs and characters of the races inhabiting them, while the last chapter deals with what Dr. Gunn calls "the scandal of the Condominium."

The labour question has always been a difficulty, for in old days the "blackbirding" traffic carried off the natives and led to quarrels, murders

1 Hodder & Stoughton.

COLLES

and the introduction of disease. Under the Condominium Dr. Gunn points out that the unfortunate French method of recruiting and of treating labourers makes the question more difficult every year:

"French settlers," he says, " generally regard their labourers not as human beings, but as beasts of burden."

Much was hoped from the Convention of 1906, which was expected to remove the abuses connected with land and labour and introduce order into the previous state of chaos; but-as our Society well knows- the Convention has proved a failure. Its provisions for the better treatment of native labour have been disregarded by the French, who treat the natives with trickery and cruelty. Dr. Gunn mentions some of the notorious cases which are familiar to our Society, and assures us they are not exceptional. The missionaries, he says, report abuses without number by the French to the British Commissioner, but with little or no result. He also refers to the demoralization of the natives by the illegal trade in liquor.

The decrease in the population in the New Hebrides, which seems to be undoubted and is common to most of the Pacific Islands, is assigned by Dr. Gunn to heathen customs before the advent of the white man, such as cannibalism, infanticide, etc., and to war, but since that time the introduction of epidemic diseases, formerly unknown, the labour traffic and the introduction of firearms and liquor have accelerated the process. So far from Christianity being a cause of decrease it has been the chief means of preserving the natives, and the decrease has undoubtedly been less in Christianized islands than in the others.

Dr. Gunn does well to point out the mistake made by the Commonwealth Government in placing a prohibitive tariff on the settlers' produce. French produce, which was formerly sent to Australia, has in consequence of this tariff been sent to Noumea, where it is admitted duty free.

"If the Commonwealth," he writes, "desired to acquire the group, it should have treated it as a prospective colony and admitted its produce to Australia free of duty."

Dr. Gunn dwells on the complicated and cumbersome nature of the machinery by which the present system is worked. Grievances which prevailed before the Convention have, he says, owing to the laxity of the French, been practically legalized, instead of being redressed, and Great Britain has been an unwilling partner in their continuance. Dr. Gunn is stating an unquestioned fact when he writes that the system was an attempts to please both parties, British and French, but it has pleased neither, and he does not hesitate to declare :

"Never since Britain abolished slavery in the West Indies has her reputation been so lowered as under the Condominium.”

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Published under the sanction and at the Offices of

The Anti-Slavery & Aborigines Protection Society 51, Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road

London, S. W.

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