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Now Ready. "NATIVE RACES AND PEACE TERMS." BY JOHN H. HARRIS.

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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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COMMITTEES IN SCOTLAND PORTRAIT OF SIR CHAS. BRUCE, G.C.M.G.

NATIVE RACES AND PEACE TERMS

NYASALAND NATIVE RISING REPORT OF THE COMMISSION.

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PARLIAMENTARY: MR. P. COKER; INDIAN INDENTURED Labour, etc.

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THE MEMORIAL TO THE LATE SIR T. F. BUXTON .

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INTERNATIONAL BUREAU

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NEW MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE: REV. H. HAIGH, D.D.

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HON. J. J. THOMAS, C.M.G.

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REVIEW: Black and White in the Southern States

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MOOVER
COLLECTION

Anti-Slavery Reporter and Aborigines' Friend.

JULY, 1916.

[The Editor, whilst grateful to all correspondents who may be kind enough to furnish him with information, desires to state that he is not responsible for the views stated by them, nor for questions which may be inserted from other journals, The object of the journal is to spread information, and articles are necessarily quoted which may contain views or statements for which their authors can alone be held responsible.]

Abolition
of Indian
Indentured
Labour.

Quarterly Motes.

THE announcement that the Government has agreed to the abolition of the system of indentured labour from India to the Colonies is a momentous one, and our Committee has passed a resolution expressing its heartfelt thanks to Lord Hardinge, the ex-Viceroy, and its deep appreciation of his resolute action on this question, which has for so long exercised the Society. Lord Hardinge has replied, acknowledging the resolution in cordial terms, and regretting that his time is too fully occupied to permit of his receiving a deputation from the Society, as had been proposed. The abolition cannot take effect at once, and the question of Indians in the Colonies will still need careful attention from the Society, for, as Lord Hardinge has pointed out, mere abolition of the indenture system is far from settling all the difficulties of coolie labour emigration.

Native

College.

IN February last, General Botha opened the new Native South African College in Cape Colony, adjoining the Lovedale Institute, whose founder and late Principal, Dr. Stewart, originated the idea of the College. The Native Affairs Commission of 1905 reported in its favour, but there was in many quarters a strong prejudice against educating natives, and the scheme has had to face opposition and many difficulties before it was realized. The natives have largely contributed to the necessary funds, the Transkeian General Council having guaranteed no less a sum than £10,000, while the Basutoland National Council also makes a liberal annual contribution. The College is founded on Christian and interdenominational lines, and is designed to provide higher education and training in Arts, Science, Agriculture and Commerce; one of its chief objects will be to supply competent and qualified teachers for the native schools all over the country.

Investigation
Fund.

It will be remembered that nearly three years ago the Society established a fund for the purpose of investigating the treatment of native races in different parts of the world, it being felt to be highly desirable to have in hand a fund available

for use at short notice. Gifts are sometimes received for this particular fund, and it has now been decided by a recent resolution of the Committee that a portion of this fund (Ico) should be earmarked for securing the liberation and relief of Africans held in bondage, and that a proportion of the surplus balance (if any) at the end of each financial year should be credited to this fund further, that gifts be invited for the fund. A grant of £50 has been gratefully received from the Trustees of the Rebecca Hussey Slave Charity for this special object.

The Annual Meeting.

THE room at the Westminster Palace Hotel in which the Society's annual meeting was held on April 11 v as crowded to hear the American Ambassador speak on the work of the late Booker Washington. Dr. Page had most readily consented to show his interest in the Society by attending the meeting and giving this address, which delighted all who heard it, and even apart from the address, his presence on the occasion will undoubtedly, as the Postmaster-General said in moving the vote of thanks to the Ambassador, give a strong fillip to the cause for which the Society stands.

The meeting was also notable as being the first public appearance of Sir Victor Buxton as our President, and his opening speech showed with what thoroughness he has taken up the duties of the post. The Chairman was supported by Mr. J. A. Pease, M.P., the Postmaster-General, and the Liberian Minister, and among those present were Lady Buxton, Mr. Aneurin Williams, M.P., Mr. J. Cathcart Wason, M.P., Sir Wm. Byles, M.P., and Lady Byles, Mr. A. F. Buxton (Chairman of the London County Council), Mr. Noel Buxton, Mr. E. R. P. Moon, Mr. David Williamson, Rev. Professor Caldecott, Mr. A. A. Head, Archdeacon Potter, Mr. C. R. Buxton, Mr. E. W. Brooks (Treasurer), Mr. G. P. Gooch, Sir Charles Tarring and other members of the Committee, and the Secretaries.

THE PRESIDENT, Sir T. F. V. Buxton, said that he felt it to be a great honour to occupy the presidency of the Society and was conscious of the great responsibility laid upon him by the call which had come to him to follow his father in that position. It was not for him to dwell upon the loss which the Society had sustained by the death of its late President, but he could assure them that his father's devotion to the cause was very deep. It was not mere hereditary interest, but he hated injustice and oppression of any kind, and the sympathies of his large heart went out with special warmth towards the weaker peoples of the world, so many of whom are committed to the care of this nation and Empire. Sir V. Buxton did not propose to review the work of the Society during the past year at length,

chiefly because it was well summarized in the printed annual report which was in all their hands and which he commended to their close study. He felt sure that they would feel satisfaction in what the Society had been able to do.

But there were one or two subjects to which he wanted to refer. One was, the question of natives in the medical service in West Africa. When he was in Sierra Leone three years ago he found there was a real sense of grievance among the natives that their sons who had been educated as doctors were not given an adequate opportunity in the Government medical service. Within the last two or three weeks the welcome announcement had been made that the Colonial Secretary had agreed to the creation of six posts in the medical service of the Gold Coast for qualified West African natives who were to have a course of instruction for two or three months at Government cost. They knew that the Governor, Sir Hugh Clifford, was keen in this matter, and they congratulated him on the concession. But much still remained to be done, for out of 250 public medical appointments on the West Coast less than twenty (including the six just granted) were held by natives. The Society would therefore continue its efforts, but naturally much would depend on the men themselves who now entered the service.

Another matter in which the Committee of the Society had long taken a peculiar interest was that of the condition of Indian coolies in the British Colonies. The system of indentured labour had for many years past been a subject of constant inquiry. Reforms had been tried with varying success, but the system had long been regarded in India with strong and increasing dislike, and they had had a very satisfactory piece of news within the last two or three weeks, that Lord Hardinge, that Viceroy who had so intimate. a knowledge of Indian sentiments, had with characteristic boldness carried. through the Indian Government a motion for the total abolition of the system of indentured labour which had been acceded to heartily and with sympathy by the Colonial and Indian Offices at home. They felt sure that the fact of Lord Hardinge's Viceroyalty closing with a measure of this kind would endear him more than ever to the peoples of India with whom he had been so closely associated. They recognized that though a change had now been decreed it must take some time to carry out, and all sorts of questions would arise as to the system of labour which was to take its place. The Society therefore would have plenty to do in the future in watching the carrying out of that measure and in seeing that the new system was freed from the abuses which had characterized it in the past. Their aim would be, in Lord Salisbury's words, "to see that the Indian labourers who go to our British Colonies are treated as no whit inferior to any other of His Majesty's subjects.'

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