HC Deb 28 June 1898 vol 60 cc370-1
MR. HOGAN

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that Sir William McGregor, Lieutenant Governor of British New Guinea, declared, in April, 1895, that the policy of the Colony was to sell land to bonâ-fide cultivators, but not to encourage speculation by selling large areas to exploiting syndicates, or to grant concessions that would be immediately sold for what they might bring; whether there is in the Colonial Office any record of the reasons that have induced the Lieutenant Governor to completely reverse the policy thus enunciated; and whether it would be possible to so amend the agreement with the British New Guinea Syndicate, as to limit its operations to the development of a specified area or district, instead of allowing an option to purchase to the extent of 250,000 acres in the Colony at large?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

(1) I am aware that Sir W. McGregor did, in April, 1895, make to the Scottish Geographical Society the statement cited by the honourable Member with the important variation that, instead of the Colony, he said the Colonies, and that the statement was a general one, giving the speaker's view of general principles of colonial administration. (2) In a despatch reporting his negotiations with the British New Guinea Syndicate Sir W. McGregor says that— In spite of the efforts of the local Government to encourage the development of the country, the results as regards the utilisation of the soil have been disappointing, and that unless some encouragement was given to a company like the syndicate there was no apparent prospect of any great progress being made for some time in opening up and developing the agricultural resources of the country. (3) The course suggested by the honourable Member was, no doubt, fully considered by the Lieutenant Governor and the Government of Queensland, who are responsible for the Agreement concluded with the syndicate.

MR. DAVITT (Mayo, S.)

Is it contemplated by the syndicate to import Asiatic labour into the islands?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

I must ask for notice of that Question.