THE ALIEN QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 7

THE ALIEN QUESTION

PROBLEM IN THE NORTH

DISCUSSED.BY SECOND

DIVISION

At the Dominion .Conference *>f the Second Division League's Federation yesterday morning, it was decided to reaffirm the decision of the Jul}* Conference with regard 'to the treatment of aliens resident in New .Zealand. Mr. W. Uieson (Dargaville) stated that the problem was a big. one in the north. He held/that it was not right that Britishers should be sent away-to < tight whilst aliens were left, to erijoy all the privileges of citizenship of tip Dominion. Some of the so-called Dalmatians in the north were in a most invidious position. Some of them'were willing to go to the front, but there was no doubt that a good many of them wero disloyal, lhe root of the evil lay at the door of Parliament, which should have made it Us business to discriminate between tlie naturalised and unnaturalised alien. The Government had said that it was not willing to accept these lhen, but had offered them the right to go at the foerbian* rate of pay. If these men were | asked-to leave the shores of isew Zealand, ' was it reasonable to ask them to go at a. : less rate of pay than their own men i were getting ? Ho held no brief ioi them', but wished to he fair. There were hundreds of jobs' to which these men I could be put if-international law prevented them being-sent away with the forces. The men were willing to do it, but the Government would not take them. Five of them were in Trentham Uamp to-day, and it was up to the Government, if it decided as a general policy not to accept the services of these men,, not to take them (the five in camp): It behoved the conference to bring pressure to bear on the Government to see that something was done out of fairness to the boys who were away fighting, anu to'those whose wives and children were soon to be left behind. - Aliens Reaping a Harvest. Mr. A. C.'Holms (JFeatherston) said that even in his district there were men of doubtful naturalisation who were takiiic\advantage of the opportunities that were offering through the boys going away to the-front and were reaping a harvest. ' The least the .conference-. could do was to ask the Government to employ such men at military .rates of pay. > German-Swiss. 1 My. T. C. List (New Plymouth) roundly condemned the manner in whicli the aliens up north had, on account of tne shortage of labour, exacted exorbitant rates* of pay from the settlers. In referring to the German-Swiss settlers in Taranaki, he said he was sure that they tvero active in the community, and were coming in and mopping up tlie farm lands. Ho wished to except the bwiss people who had come to Taranaki 20 years ago or more, and who he believed to be perfectly loyal. But there were others who spoko German and thought German, and it was no credit to the country that they should be allowed to secure laud or exact big wages from settlers at such a time. "Good Luck to the 'Kaiser!" The Rev. C. Blair (Kltham) - said that tlie-time was ripe for the Government to take definite steps on the alien question. Tlie German-bwiss settlers in l'aranaki had no sympathy with the British. Whenever the ICaiser's birthday came round they celebrated .it in a joyous fashion and wished him good luck, /lhey irero getting hold of uome of the rich land, and were making heaps of money, and, ho believed, were making use of that money to help the cause of the enemy. Mr. W. 11. Brugh (Otago) spoke of the loyalty of the. Syrians, in the 6onth. Any resolution must be worded in a manner to obviuie any :-ijusti';e being deno to anybody. Internment or Parole? The committee, set Tip to consider, the alien question reported as follows"That this conference' of tha Second Division, men urge upon the Government that all enemy aliens be subject to internment, and that under proper safeguards they be released on parole, providiug «\ey immediately offer for enlistment lor State service such'as road-making, etc., at soldier rates of pay." Mr. A. Stewart moved a minority report as an amendment: —"That this conference strongly impresses upon the Government the urgency of the alien question." • * ... " On tho amendment being put, it. was carried. . - f ~ , , ~ , It was further unanimously decided: "That this- conference .urges that the principle of equality of sacrifice be legislatively applied to _ all neutral, friendly, and naturalised aliens."