MAJOR SEELY (Isle of Wight)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that in some districts in China the proclamations inviting the enlistment of labourers for the South African mines contained no reference to some terms of the contract restricting the liberty of the labourers; and whether, seeing that the distance of the port of embarkation from the place of enlistment would render it difficult for the labourers to refuse to embark when the real terms of the contract were explained, he will take steps to ensure that all labourers enlisted by these methods shall be given the option of returning to China forthwith at the expense of the importer.
§ MR. LYTTELTONMy attention has been called to advertisements which were issued by the importers before the convention with China was finally settled, and I presume that it is to these that the hon. and gallant Member refers. He will perceive, however, on reference to Sections 2 and 3 and Sub-section 5 of Section 15 of the Regulations published in Cd. 2026 that effective safeguards have been provided to prevent any such hardship as is contemplated in the second part of his Question.
MAJOR SEELYsaid he referred to the statements made by Mr. Arnold-Forster that these labourers were recruited without knowing the conditions. That had not been contradicted.
§ MR. LYTTELTONreplied that he was afraid he would require more verification of the statements than a typewritten letter purporting to come from Mr. Arnold-Forster, which the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Wolverhampton did not think fit to read.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTON (Tower Hamlets, Poplar)observed that he had given the right hon. Gentleman the dates of the 1463 newspapers in which the advertisements appeared, and had received a promise that inquiry would be made. Was not the result of the inquiry yet known?
§ MR. LYTTELTONI have not yet received the information.