CHINESE AND INDIANS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1926, Page 4

CHINESE AND INDIANS

a difficult"problem. WELLINGTON, July 23. Replying to a deputation from the White New Zealand League, which waited on the Minister of Customs (tho H6n W. Downie Stewart) to urge that the Government should do something to regulate the conditions under which Asiatics work in tho Dominion, tho Minister said he was glad of the opportunity of replying to exaggerated statements which had been made in different parts of New Zealand in the last few months on the subject. The Asiatic population, he said, was less than one half per cent of the total pf/piflatlion ,?)f the Dominion. There was no other British Dominion which enjoyed such immunity frem the problem, no community which had such an effective check on. the influx of Asiatics, whether from India or from China. Ho realised tlie problem so far as shopkeepers'were concerned. He did not know whether the Minister of Labour could do anything under the Shops and Offices Act, but ho would confer with him on the matter and see if it was possible to do anything. Personally all ho was concerned about as Minister of Customs was to seo that an effective check was kept upon any undue increase in the Asiatic population. Tlie Minister said he had been, lontinually faced with the problem of admitting Asiatic women. If they were allowed to come in it was clear that colonies were liable to bo created immediately. That would mean an- increase in the population much more rapidly than by other means. On the other hand if women were not admitted immorality was likely to he encouraged. It was a matter of balancing two considerations. As far as Indians were concerned it was a fact that by friendly arrangement with India and arrhngcments at the Imperial Conference New Zealand had got control of that problem. India lin'd agreed that if she had the same right- to exclude out citizens she would not raise any objection to our having the right to exclude her citizens, and the Indian authorities had ac-tod in a most friendly way in seeking to meet New Zealand wishes. I Mr .Stewart said he realised the dif- ! ficuUy in regard to Indians acquiring 1 land. If a law was passed preventing them from buying or leasing land. ' however, it would ho h grave offence ' to -India and a very new departure jin international friendship. It would ! greatly increase tho difficulties of the i Imperial Conference in dealing with j its problems. It was more than doubt- ' ful whether the British Government j would recognise the Act and grant ! the Royal consent to it. All other peo- | pie were allowed to acquire land and | always had been so allowed. Tf such legislation was required the Govern- ! ment would have to confer with the : Imperial Government before it could | venture on it. I The Minister said he recognised the ! difficulty about tho value of land adjoining that of an Indian being depre- | eiated, but any differentiation would !ho strongly resented by the Indian authorities. ) A member of the, deputation suggest'd! the distribution of Indians throughI out the country, so that they would | not congregate in one particular area. The Minister said that woud be very i difficult to do. "I think other parts of I Now Zealand would object,” he remarked amidst laughter. There was noI thing to prevent them from coming to it ho cities if they chose to do so, and their movement in that respect could j not he regulated. However, he would j he glad to confer with the Minister \ of Labour in regard to the shops quesI tion. Alluding again to Chinese Air Slewart pointed out that China bordered on the pacilic and New Zealand had to keep in touch with the British Government to see how r far she could close her shores to Chinese.