THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO With which is incorporated "The Kaipara Advertiser & Waitemata Chronicle." Helensville. Thursday, June 29, 1916 ENEMY GUMDIGGERS. ALIENS IN THE FAR NORTH

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 29 June 1916, Page 2

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO With which is incorporated "The Kaipara Advertiser & Waitemata Chronicle." Helensville. Thursday, June 29, 1916 ENEMY GUMDIGGERS. ALIENS IN THE FAR NORTH

The above momentous question, which has been brought before the House by various Members of Parliament, and by a number of deputationists to the Premier, Hon. Mr Massey, upon various occasions, is likely to at last come to a head, though perhaps, not satisfactorily all round. A vital question affecting the wellbeing of the British gumdigger, which should have been settled, and could easily have been eighteen months ago, instead of letting it run on indefinitely all through, the war period. But like John Bull himself, the Premier and his followers are slow to move until forced by public opinion and agitation.

Our Member,^ Mr J. Gordon Coates, rather glossed over the Austrian question some months ago, when it was brought before the House, and many Dargaville people were up against him for his taking the part of the Austrian gumdigger; while the Member for the Bay of Islands, Mr Wm. Stewart, more recently brought the question forward in a more vigorous form, by asking the Government to inquire into the .question of aliens on the Northern gumfields, and give instructions that no more gumdigging licenses be issued to any alien subject, and Mr Massey replied that he had given such instructions accordingly, and said no more gum licenses would be issued to un-naturalised aliens. But that is not far-reaching enough, as a deputation from Auckland pointed out to the Premier.

The Austrian alien should be interned,, and at once, without any. more tomfoolery over the matter. 'As we have stated before, the presence of so many aliens up - North, mostly in Mangonui County, are a menace to the British settlers, and the kauri gum reserves should be set aside for many of our own people and the returned soldiers, whp will want something to do, and perhaps cannot do more than light work on the gumfields. Besides this, we know it is true th^t the Austrian has been laughing up his sleeve at being able to make a good living while so many'experienced gum-diggers have volunteered for the front, and besides many disloyal utterances having been made by these same aliens, they have even gone so far as to laugh at our men going away, and saying—"All right, sonny; we will take care Lof your land," etc.

The Auckland deputation to the Premier in Wellington, on Saturiay, was to enter a protest against the Government's proposal to segregate all single unnaturalised gumdiggers who are Austrian subjects. The deputation was entirely against interning men who professed loyalty to the Crown, because as gummerchants (and making a good living at the game), it would decrease the output of gum, and necessarily the profits of the said gum-buyer, so that on the whole the deputationists had but selfish motives in view, and strongly objected to the idea that interned I Austrians should be concentrated on the Parenga (North Cape) Company's estate. It would never do for a company to have the monopoly of supplying all the stores, etc.

The Premier in reply said he fully recognised the importance of the industry, seeing that the value of gum exported was about £500,000 annually. The Government did not wish to interfere with the industry any more than could be helped. For many months past, however, serious rumours had been current as to the attitude of so-called Austrians

in the North. These reports had created considerable unrest. Although not much had been said in Parliament on the matter, he had had many representations on the subject from members of Parliament and others. Some time ago he had asked the three North Auckland members to act as a committee of advice in the matter, and they had furnished him with.a great deal of valuable information and advice. The police had been instructed to take possession of all fire-arms owned by these people, but with the exception of a few shot-guns and revolvers nothing of any consequence had been found. For some time negotiations had been going on between the Government and Mr Alderton, representative of the Parenga Gum Company. As a result the Government had given all unnaturalised single alien gumdiggers to understand that they would have to move northward of a certain line where there was very little settlement; in other words, go to the Parenga district. Married and naturalised men would not be interfered with. The men would be allowed to dig gum on payment of the same royalty as that paid Iby diggers now at Parenga. This action, it was thought, would allay public anxiety. But we scarcely think this is the end of the subject.