EXILED NEW ZEALANDERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 257, 25 July 1919, Page 8

EXILED NEW ZEALANDERS

Sir,—As I have, during the past three months, brought this mutter before the Government and the people of New Zealand, 1 do not desire to continue the controversy, feeling quite'sure that those affected will, at the right time and place make themselves heard. Tour correspondent "Thespian," however, compels me to correct a number of inaccurate statements used iu a personal attack on me, published in to-day's Dominion. I am referred to as the "aelf-ttyled chairman of the stranded New Zealanders." To this 1 refer "Thespian" to Mr. A. G. Ballinger, of Victoria Street, (who acted as honorary secretary of our move-' ment in Sydney. His minutes of the first meeting (not convened by me), held in April, will show tint I re unanimously elected chairman by about 130 people who attended. "Thespian's" next charge is that ae chairman I "went for my life" to join the first ship sailing, to the exclusion of women and children still in Australia. As ft matter of fact, I was one ot the last to purchase my ticket, and. that after having offered to remain behind, provided a woman could take my place. To this. I was informed that, according to New Zealand Government instructions, the full complement of 50 women were booked and no more would be taken. •Vs ""Thespian" appears to have little or no knowledge of the whole matter, it may enlighten liiiu to know that the New Zealand Government instructed their Sydney agent (Mr. Blow) to divide into ten classifications the whole ot those people registered for transport to isew Zealand, and, considering all the circumstances and difficulties of the task, I consider Mr. Blow carried it out remarkably well, be alone being made responsible tor tlie undertaking. However, after this lons and tedious work was completed and 'within a week of the'sailing ot the I Manuka, the New Zealand Government cancelled the whole thing, and authorised the U.S.S. Co. to carry whom they thought fit. This upset everyone s calculations about getting home, and opened the way for many people originally dassified as tenth and last, to leave at once on the Manuka. Hence my crihcism of the Government's action m allowin" non-residents of Is ew Zealand who, ltt manv cases, luvd not suffered detention, to proceed by the first eh lp . Evidenty ,-he same thing lias occurred by the Prinzessin, for there are still many i\ew iealander,s left in Australia.. ■ This brings .me to the mam point of "Thespian's'' attack, wherejie states I ''conXn'' vaudeville artiste for_ daring Svdnev' ind at a full meeting of passenIkndal^edmine^r^^'J*.