NO SAVEE!

NZ Truth, Issue 1146, 17 November 1927, Page 6

NO SAVEE!

Chinese and Their

Time Limit

New Zealanders have become so accustomed to Government ineptitude when there is a serious problem to tackle that there is a very real dpnger of legislative apathy finding similar expression m the people. THE instances are innumerable where, after an exhibition of prolonged inactivity, a half-hearted attempt is made to oope with some specific evil and the remedy proves abortive' or the trouble is exaggerated by reason of the futile measures adopted. Such an instance is illustrated m the kid glove methods that have been employed for the past six months m rounding up Chinese who have overstayed ■ their time limit m the Dominion. The attitude of magistrates, customs officials and police is without doubt one which might reasonably give the publio the Impression that the Government would, if it oould, wipe out the existing wholly inadequate restrictions on the entry of Chinese and substitute "Welcome!" on the door-mat of New Zealand. These officials don't literally say after the police have gone forth and extracted the unwilling Celestial from the middle of a cabbage-patoh, and placed him before the oourt — "Sorry, old man, and all that sort of thing, but it really is not my fault. Please don't blame me!" On the other hand when, some cix months ago, an official m the Customs Department was aroused to aotion and the discovery was made that quite a number of Chinese ought to have left the country months before, what happened? Did the police do the obvious thing and institute one big round up settling the matter m one move? No, that would have been too ea»y and besides think of the ahock to the nerves of some hundreds o ( f Chinese toiling m the market gardens about Auckland. ; Two motor-lorries and a squad of police, customs officials with the necessary records of identification, and the whole bag of truants would have been under look and key the same night ,;■■■■■• That was six months Ago and the police are still bringing 'em m. There is only one sure remedy and that is the provision of a £ 500 forfeit by the guarantors m the event of deliberate contempt for the Act by overstaying the prescribed limit of time. In addition, some punishment Bhould be meted out to the offender as an aid towards helping others to make up their minds to get out when the time is up. '' The system m Vogue for identifying and keeping m touch With the temporary foreign immigrantbadly , needs overhauling. The suggestion- has been made that every such immigrant on a temporary permit be known as a number after his finger-prints and general descriptive marks have been noted. " -• • It is a sound one and would save the country time and expense if adopted. Further, there is nothing m the wide world to prevent the Government making it compulsory for every temporary' immigrant to report himself once a month to the nearest police.