THE JOOSTEN CASE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 4, 30 September 1920, Page 6

THE JOOSTEN CASE

PETITION FAVOURABLY CONSIDERED TALK ABOUT GERMANS IN THE HOUSE The petition of Hugh Td'Kenzie, of 'Wellington, and 1128 others, 'praying that tho de-naturalisation of Henry N. C. Joosten should be investigated either by a Parliamentary committee or by a commission headed by a Judge of the Supreme Court was mentioned in tho House of Representatives yesterday. The M' to Z Petitions Committee recommended that the petition should be referred lo the, Government for favourable consideration, with a view to the restoration of the petitioner's rights of citizenship at the earliest possible moment. Mr. It. M'Callum (Wairau) and Mr. C. E. Stathain (Dunedin Central) spoko ■ in support of the recommendation. They stated that Joosten was a reputable citizen, against .whom no charge had been made. The Prime' Minister said that he had received reports from various sources indicating that what members had said was correct. Ho was desirous of doing the right thing in such, cases, Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East) objected to the prayer of the petition being granted. He thought that the petition ought to be regarded as tho thin edge of the wedge that was to 'permit the "Huns" to get back into the Dominion. He thought- there was something behind it. Mr Massey: You aro very suspicious,. Dr. Thacker: "I am (suspicious. The next thing will be a petition asking that von Zedlitz shall go back as a professor to Victoria College." He added that he-knew the petitioner's brother, Karl Joosten, who had been German Consul in Christchurch. That man was proud of being a German. The petitioner had complained that he had been put in a cell. How', asked Dr. Thacker, did the Germans treat _ New Zealanders when they were put ill the barbed-wiro entanglements? An lion, member: That has got nothing to do with it, Dr. Thnoker: 'It has something to do with it. Not only did they do that, but they taunted them and brought dogs along to bite them." There was no comparison botwebn the treatment bv the two nations. Dr. Thacker thought the Germans would be a danger in the future if they were allowed to come back. Mr. Rhodes (Thames) -repudiated the statements mado by Dr. Thacker. Every member of the committee had been convinced that a wrong had been done. Joosten was of Dutch, not of German parentage. It had been his misfortune to have been under German mle, but he ; got so sick of' Germany that he rei nounced luis allegiance and became a ■ British subject. Mr. J. M. Dickson, the chairman of ■ tho committee, said tho speech delivered by Dr. Thacker savoured of hysteria. There was no crimo .find no allegation . against this man. A Departmental offii cer had told the committee there was no suspicion against him more than that his brother had bren <?uspecte<l of German sympathies. The petition had been signed by all classes of the community from one ond of New Zealand to the other, and even by some reputable citizens that he knew in Dunedin. It had even been signed by men who had lost 60hh in tho war. The Hon. CT J. Anderson, Minister of Internal Affairs, said lie had 1 assured •Toosten th;it his caw would be carefully considered. There would be no differential treatment in regard to such i cases. POST AND TELEGRAPH AMENDMENT BILL NEW CLAUSE RELATING TO CARRIAGE OF LETTERS FOR HIRE. During tho passage through the Lower Ilouse of the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill, a good deal of criticism was, directed against clause 4, which was designed to strengthen the provisions of the principal Act in so far they related to the exclusive authority of the Post Office to carry letters for hire. Further objections to the wording of the clause wore raised when the measure reached the Upper House, and the Attorney-Gen-eral (Sir Francis Bell) promised to lcok into the matter. Yesterday, upon the committal of the Bill in tho Council, Sir Francis Bell proposed that tho clause to which oxception had been taken should be replaced by one couched in the following terms:— "Section 20 of tho principal Act is hereby amended by adding the following subsections:—(4) Nothing in this section shall bo so construed as to render unlawful—(a) The sending or delivery, otherwise than by post, of any trade announcements, circulars, printed extracts Irom newspapers or advertisements that lire not addressed to any person, (b) The dolivery of any letter by the servant of the sender or 'by a messenger specially employed by the sendor for the purpose, and not being a person employed generally to deliver letters. (5) For the purposes of this section the term 'letter' includes any lotter, postcard, commercial paper, pattern or sample packet, and any other postal paoket of ft class declared by tho Governor-General-in-Council to bo letters for the purposes of this section. The Bill was reported with this amendment, and was read a third time and The Lower House later in the aftornoon agreed to tho amendment. The Legislative Council yesterday agreed to amendments introduced by Governor-General's Messagu into the Arms Bill in tho Lower House.