White Australia.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1922, Page 4

White Australia.

THE PEOPLE’S AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, August 3 Possibly to counteract the influence of the advocacy by the South Australian Premier (Sir Henry Harwell) and •Mr Tom Walsh (secretary of the Seamen’s Union) of coloured labour for Australia, to Prime -Minister (.Mr Hughes) has just male at Bendigo a stirring defence of the policy. Air Hughes declared that the White Australia policy was the rimer-stone of the temple in which they lived. Sir Henry Harwell was evidently labouring under a very great delusion. The committee of medical experts, which had specially studied settlement in the tropical parts, had reported that the indigenous while race could settle in any part. He never saw children ol greater vitality than in Cairns, and people who spoke about the unsuitability of the tropical parts for tlie white races had never been there. Mr Walsh, secretary of tlie Seamen’s Union, had lately been saying there were Kanaka boys who were good rebels. and might he admitted to his organization.

White Australia, said Mr Hughes, was a gospel. No man or woman who had had experience of countries where coloured labour had been admitted could doubt that Australia bad chosen the better way. The introduction of coloured labour meant the breeding of a mongrel race, the pollution of blood, and the watering down of qualities. They could' pay too great a price* for getting rich quickly. Housing, dietary, and clothing would have to he modified to suit tropical conditions. Sir Henry Barwcll, since his return, had stated that Maltese could live in the tropical parts. The Maltese were a white race, and if they could live there, so could Australians. A coloured population could not he segregated.