THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1916 THE AUSTRIAN.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 30 March 1916, Page 2

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1916 THE AUSTRIAN.

GUMDIGGING AND THE

WAE.

CONFLICTING STATEMENTS

THE ECHO has been informed on the reliable authority of a wellknown settler away in the Far North, that there are at least 2000 Austrian gumdiggers in his surroundings in the Mangonui County proper, who are living in clover and piling up the dollars, and say, when asked as to why they don't go to the battle's front, " Oh, all you English and Maori fellows go ; we will look after the people left and the land, and the cows." Some of these Austrians hold choice sections of land, and are dairy farming as well as gumdigging, while others are on a " soft thing " in other respects. And grinning too at the idea of being able to acquire land at 20s an acre and make 'a splendid haul off the gumfields to the detriment of our own people and gumdigger soldiers in hundreds, who threw up the spade and spear for the rifle and bayonet in order to fight in Britain's cause against " The Beast."

Is this the correct way of adjudicating how affairs should be run by aliens in this Dominion? Far from it, and the wonder is, outside of the columns of newspaper correspondence, the Britisher has allowed such a state of affairs to exist. We let these people into the colony, and it is natural enough they should be allowed to live ; but while "The Beast" would fetch them up with a round turn, we pet them up. They should be fighting for their adopted -country—New Zealand —if they are genuine.

; Sir Robert Stout, who has but recently returned from a visit to Marigonui, vouches for most of the statements made by our informant as to the position of the Austrian up that way. Now Judge Wilson, of the Native Land Court, adds his quota on his visit to Hokianga. He says—" It was noticeable that all the young men had gone to the war. On the Hokianga side southwards some of the natives were not enlisting freely, but they did not realise the position. If a man who understood native character and had the European situation at his finger ends went through the district it would make all the difference. So marked was the contribution of young life from the district that the settlers were beginning to complain that Europeans were left practically at the mercy of the Austrian gumdiggers. ;A great many of these Austrians were not naturalised, at least so he was informed, and bitter complaint was made by the settlers that these men were getting all the gum out of the fields, and exhausting them, so that when the New Zealanders returned and asked for a chance on their own land their birthright would be gone, These men were getting gum, and in some cases burying it, awaiting opportunity of marketing at a good price. At one' centre a German carted cream to the factory, and was not at pains to conceal his attitude as a German,." On the other hand again, we have a " horse of another colour," in the shape of a telegram from Dargaville, if it is to believed, but we have our own opinion on the report, and must wait to see if any results accrue—" There is much dissatisfaction inDalmatian circles throughout the Northern Wairga district owing to the decision of the Government not to include their units in the reinforcements now being formed. Hitherto members of the .London Slavonic Society have been accepted for service, and some 20 men from Dargaville have already proceeded to camp and to the front, On his recent visit, Sir Francis Dillon Bell received a deputation of Dalmations on the subject, and informed his interviewers that under instructions from the Imperial authorities the

Government was powerless to accept further alien recruits. Fully 50 men in this district are now anxious to enlist. They are willing to serve in any capacity, and offer that if their services are accepted they will form a company and proceed to Corfu or elsewhere, as the British authorities may direct." Another correspondent, writing to a contemporary, says —"In the near future the brave ones will be getting scarce, and undoubtedly compulsion will follow. Might I ask, what of the hundreds of Slavs, Croations andAustrians who swarm our land? Strong, able-bodied men, well able to serve the Empire- I take it that practically all are naturalised British subjects, and hail from countries that have suffered more or less during the war. Why should they not go and help fight for the Empire of their adoption, and also help to free Servia from her enemies ? Some may think it unwise to send these men to fight, but I think it very unwise to send our own away to the last man, while hundreds, probably thousands, of these people are prospering and reaping a golden harvest from public works as well as private labour employers."