SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO STAY

Chronicle (Levin), 27 July 1946, Page 7

SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO STAY

WELLINGTON, July 26. j "Today we have witnesscd a: tragedy," said Mr. A. Leigh Hunt,i well kuowu for his advocacy of closeri settlemeut of the Dominion, when coinmenting ou tlie departure of the Dutch refugees iu the Tasman. "The fragic part is the attitude of the authorities who have failed to extend to these honieless people a liearty iuvitatiou to joiu us in sharing our plentv in a land discovored by their great ancestor, " he said. New Zealand was trying to curry through the impossible tusk of runuing the country elliciently 011 a totally inadequate population, he said. What better settlers could it be hoped to obtain than those who wero now sailing away with sad hearts. The majority of them were young people of the type New Zealand noeded so badly- — cultured people with the same outlook 011 life as its own. They were going back to a land one-eightli the size of New Zealand but overcrowded with nino millions of people. "There is still a large number of these people in cauip at Miramar and! elsewlicro in the couutrv," said ^Mr. j Iluiit, who is president oi' the Dominion •Set Llenieut aiul Population Association but he made it clear he was expressing only his personal view on the prescnt occasioii. "It is not too late for action to boitaken to remedy, at least m part, the sad situatiou. We can yet make an open oll'er to them to become citizens of this land of plenty. " When the above statement was referred to the Vice-Consul for the Nether- ■ lands, Dr. Arriens, he said all those ! among the evacuees who had applied for permission to stav iu the country ! had been allowed to reinain. Among 1; them were some elderly people and ' sonie with special reasons for wishing ! to stay. The New Zealand authorities and Customs ohicials had been most cooporative. conference and avoid disfranchising the sub-branches they represented.