THE ALIEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2833, 26 July 1916, Page 8

THE ALIEN

WHAT ATTITUDE TOWARD HIM?

The position of the enemy alien as to the ownership of New Zealand land was discussed by the Farmers' Union Conference yesterday. Mr. li. Dunn (Tarsjiaki) moved:' "That the land laws bo so amended that no enemy alien subject, or anyone of full enemy alien blood or birth, be eligible to acquire the freehold of land in rife Dominion." Mr. Dunn said that the motion was not quite in the form'which he wished to see it in, but the purpose was to obviate the chance of soldiers' returning to find'the land which should be theirs taken up by aliens. Another Tarauaki delegate, Mr. E. Maxwell, seconded the motion. Mr. Ewan Campbell (Wanganui) opposed the motion in the form in which it was presented. He assured the conference that there were people of Gorman birth who were loyal to us, and lie did not wish to see aii injustice done them. The German Jews, for instance, wore almost entirely with us, and would be :;lnd to fight for ns. Mr. ,T. Talbot (South Canterbury) advised the conference to leave the question to the Government. Mr. J. Bell (Westland) stated Hint lie knew of many Germans who were loyal to us, and lie did not like to see the conference asked to vote on such a pioposal. There were Germans who had been brought up in the Nelson district whom he knew were with us in sym-pathy,-and there was a German business man who had devoted large sinus of money to assist us 'to win the war. N6 Legislature would adopt the proposal, was the opinion of Mr. D. Janes (North Canterbury): but Mr. H. M. Campbell (Hawke's Hay) doubted (his, and said that iu Australia aliens had been debarred from any part in the government of the country. Mr. G. Sheat (Dunsandel) saw danger in the motion. He knew a loyal German, who had three sons in the trenches. Mr. A. A. Koss (Aiif v 'nnd) moved the following amendment:—"That the Government should be requested to see (hat men of alien blood or birth who are ineligible for enlistment in the Expeditionary Forces should 1 not obtain any advantage over our own men in the matter of the disposal and settlement of Crown lands." The discussion was still strongly in progress when the conference adjourned to see. the Fifteenth Reinforcements parade, but on resuming it was found that the discussion had eo'lapsed. However, Mr. Boss's a.mendmenf may be revived at a later stage of the conference.