INDIAN COOLIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 21 August 1913, Page 5

INDIAN COOLIES.

THEIR EXCLUSION URGED. Some discussion took pla.C9 in the House of Representatives yesterday regarding the admission of Indian coolies to the Dominion. .The question was raised by Sir Walter Buchanan, who asked the Government whether they ' would moiV efficiently guard against the admission of coolies. Tho official Teply was that .the matter was now being dealt with. A more explicit reply was pressed for by several members. Mr. Wilkinson said that the question should be dealt with as one of urgency, and Mr. Campbell supported the contention.

The Hon. Mr. .Fisher said that he was quite satisfied that legislation would have to be passed this session if thoy were going to effectually deal with tile question of Asiatic immigration. The present restrictions were not drastic enough. Sir Walter Buchanan: Has not the Public Works Department employed some of the coolies'/ Mr. Fisher: Not to my knowledge. Sir Walter-Buchanan: I have seen it stated in print. / Mr. I'isher said that if an Indian coolie or any other Asiatic became naturalised after complying with the conditions of entry into the country* they could not be refused the right to work and to live. Mr. M'Callum (Wairau): On public contracts? Mr. Fisher: You cannot take a .filOU poll tax from a man and then refuse him the right to live. The point is thai «e want to stop them coming here. He hoped that Parliament would ajrree to / the alteration of the law in this direction. Mr. Massey said it had been stated that some.of the coolies were employed on public works. He had reason to l>elieve that tho statement was not correct. Honourable members would realise that thero were some serious difficulties m the wav of clealiug with these men; not the least difficulty arising from tho fact that they were British subjects. Legislation would be required to exclude them, and when that legislation had passed through the Parliament of New Zealand he believed that it would be necessary to send it Home to obtain -the Imperial assent. His attention had been called, a fortnight or three weeks previously, to the fact that six coolies had been employed by the State Forestry Department at Rotorua. On making inquiries he f° un s that the statement was correct. Tho head of the State Forestry Department informed him that, being unable to obtain European labour, ho had employed the coolies. He (tho Prime Minister) gave instructions that the services of tho coolies should be dispensed with as soon as possible, and thev had since been dismissed. He was of opinion that tho Indian coolie was not the class of person who ought to be allowed to como into this country. Mr W D. S. Mac Donald (Bay of Plenty) said the ■ Prime Minister had stated in the course of the debate that several Indian coolie labourers had been employed on the Forestry reserve at Whakarcwarewa. Was the thit thev were now employed on road works near Tauranga, and, if so, was it tho-intention to employ these men in preference to other men? , Tlio Hon. W. F. Massey said that no could not speak for the Public Works Lepartment, but speaking generally lie could only sav that the Government had no intention of employing Indian L {° ohes - { would bring the matter• imdei the nouce of the Minister for Public Woiks wlo was out of the Chamber) and aA linn to take action at once.