ENEMY ALIENS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 56, 29 November 1917, Page 5

ENEMY ALIENS

GOVERNMENT ACTION AGAIN URGED. Mr. C. H. Hewlett, president of the Canterbury-Chamber ol Commerce, at the quarterly meeting of the chamber referred to a German-born student being allowed to attend classes at the Technical College. The council of the chamber, he said, took strong exception to the action of the Board of Governors of the college in' accepting a German as a pupil, it being pointed out that it was not contemplated that the contribution from the chamber would be used for that purpose, A reply was received that it was not dear that tho board had power under the regulations to exclude any naturalised German from the classes, but the opinion of the Education Department had been asked on the matter. The council, not being satisfied with this reply, again wrote, and in reply the board passed a resolution to the effect that it viewed with much abhorrence the inhuman deeds of tho German Government. In the meantime, the person in question had resigned. The chamber had for the past two years been pressing the Government repeatedly to deal with the enemy alien question, and had pointed out the danger of having enemy aliens at largo, giving specific instances, and it was satisfactory to note that the Government at last had decided to take stenß to deal with the matter.-. .

Mr. W. Bottrell said that in New Zealand there was a fair number of well-to-do Germans who wero capable 'of doing much mischief. The authorities, he thought, should bo more active than they had been in the past. Hβ knew half a dozen Germans who should not bo at large. It was an insult to Britishers to have to meet these men, or even to do business with them. The wives of men who would have to go into camp soon should not have to meet those Germans on the street, in shops and on tramcars. It would bo painful for wives to know that those men were living in security here, perhaps earning good salaries, when their husbands were fighting the enemy. His firm had refused to do business with a firm which employed an unnaturalised German who was in receipt of a good salary. That man could hardly walk without the "goose-step." Hβ was quite at large. He had tho freedom of tho whole country, and of the port of Lyttelton, and might do a great deal of harm. (Applause.) Mr. H. H. Smith said that the results of the chamber'b efforts had been very disheartening. Representations made by the chamber two years ago wero only being attended to now. Sir James Allen , was not sympathetic to a deputation from the chamber. The Tecent regulations dealing with aliens might not be quite what was wished, hut they wero of an oxcellent character. He moved that tho Prime Minister should bo thanked for putting the regulations into force. •

Mr. Bottrell soconded tho motion, which was carried unanimously. The president said that tho chambor had sent fivo or six resolutions to the Government, asking in each case that tho same men should be interned. In all enses direct refusals were received from tho Government. In one case it was stated that nothing could bo done until tho man referred to did something. Ho did not know if it was worth while to forward another resolution, but the subject would be dealt with by the executive of tho associated chambers in Wellington this week.