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 discases, 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."

The Anti-Slavery Reporter

AND

Aborigines' Friend.

UNDER THE SANCTION OF THE ANTI-SLAVERY

AND ABORIGINES PROTECTION SOCIETY.

VOLUME VI. FIFTH SERIES. APRIL, 1916-JAN., 1917.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED AT 51, DENISON HOUSE, VAUXHALL BRIDge road,

S.W. I.

INDEX.

1916-1917.