LANDING PROHIBITED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 130, 26 February 1919, Page 6

LANDING PROHIBITED

THE CASE OF TWO MEN

STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY-

GENERAL

Recently ;,the- 'Attorney-General (Sir Francis Bell) issued an order prohibiting ..the.landingin N.ew , -Zealand of two men J who had reached a Dominion port aboard •,a steamer: from ''Australia/ .Subsequently Messrs. Glover and Roberts, representing thftjTvnterside workers, waited upon the Attorney-General and asked for an explanation of ithe Jiliriister'e action. Sir Francis Bell has replied as follows:— "In .the first'place I want to'thank y.6ii both.for tha very reasonable way in which you-have put the iuatter be■fore,me,,. In the.,second place ,1 assure .■! you "that the fact that a man is_ a ''I trades, unionist is in 110 sense against ■ him. It is in his favour as far as I /and the Government are concerned. Be--irg>a working-man'is hot against him r'in-the least; it is in his favour. As for your contention that we ehould havo reciprocity between New Zealand and ■Australia, I entirely agree with you. •""The power to act in the matter is ■unfortunately conferred ■upon the. At- .. torney-General under regulations established 'in 1916,- as .follow: 'Where the Attorney-General is satisfied that any person is disaffected or disloyal or of euch character that his presence in New ■Zealand wouldibe injurious to the public safety;; and that such-person is about . to arrive or" land in New -Zealand from ports.beyond.the seas, the Attorney-Gen-eral may; by order signed by him, prohibit that person from landing in New Zealand.'

"That is' the power. The. matter is left to Jhe Attorney-General, to he jsat- : isfied one way' or the other. No warrant is issued until he is satisfied. Now you", ask what is 'the reason and what information wo have. You both of you recognise that there may be difficulties. . I-answer that in the first place it is ' obvious that no person—the Home Secretary in England, the Attorney-General " here, or an officer of police in ordinary ..' matters—can ever disclose the information upon whicluhe acted. The oolice are absolutely prohibited from disclosing the sources of their information, for the simple reason that.no information would • be. given to them if, such sources;were ,'disclosed.- If they are asked why they did a certain thing, the reply ii 'On information received.' And I give the same-answer, and I givo it because it is one,.of the most important elements 'of public policy and security that the eouroes.of information, whether of the Government or the police, are absolutely sacred. ->■-■• . i '■• "Then you ask me what the reason' is without asking-me the source, of information.. Equally, I .am unable to give the reason beyond that I am satisfied. < lido net. say by whnt means, but l-.'mu satisfied' that these persons are of .such character that their presence in New Zealand would be injurious' to publio safety, Upon information which fe satisfactory to me I have arrived at that conclusion. ■'..,-■ "Let me add" this: Nobody hates more than I. do the exercise of power of t<is kind, but as all 6ee, in certain instances 'the power should.exist. You admit th>t. The .limit of the power is left-h thn 'Attorney-General. That is all I can say, but I must add.that the communications I have received, have been most courteous throughout. I have replied to the same effect to the telegrams that have been nent to mo on'the subject. You have a perfect right to ask me for a. statement of-the position, and I have i given it, and .thore is no reason why it ehould not'lie published. I endeavour n»t to misuse my power, and I am sure .-Wμ.will give me.credit for that."