THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1915 FOREIGNERS AND SHIRKERS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 121, 15 December 1915, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times

PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1915 FOREIGNERS AND SHIRKERS.

"We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice."

The Official Organ of . The Franklin County Council. The Fukekohe Borough Council. The Tuakau Town Board. The Karaka Road Board. Th 6 Pokeno Road Board. The Wairoa Road Board. The Papakura Town Board. The Waikato' River Board. The Mercer Town Board.

In another column in this issue we give an explanation vouchsafed by an official of the ;Railway Department for the employment of the foreigners on the grade easement works, which formed the subject of a protest made in this paper last week by a railway employee, who was vacating his job as a "navvy" to serve with the Eleventh Reinforcements. The complaint, it will be remembered, was to the effect that not only were enemy subjects (single men) now styling themselves Dalmatians but possibly pure Austrians, which latter nationality they claimed prior to the outbreak of the war, being freely employed by the Kailway Department, but that married "Britishers" had been refused engagement and further that out of tour vacancies created d little time back by "Britishers" proceeding to the training camp three had been tilled by these aliens. The impeachment, it will be seen, is practically admitted by the spokesman on behalf of the Railway Department but the excuse tendered is that married Britishers are given the first preference, then single Britishers, and only as a last resource foreigners are taken on, it being [also added " If enough Britishers were available no foreigners would be employed, but at present the farmers are 'skimming the cream' from the railway gangr." On the face of it the explanation appears to be reasonable, but the point is that the practice of employing these foreigners is not of recent origin, as would seem to be suggested by farmers being supposed to be responsible for a dearth ot labour at present. These aliens have for some considerable time past been in strong numbers in the railway gangs, and it was certainly before harvest operations commenced, and at a time when farmers were under the stress of war claims cheerfully accepting the situation by going short ot labour, that the three loreigners particularly referred to secured positions in succession to the men who had answered their country's call, furthermore, our informant furnished us with the names of three married Britishers, who to his knowledge applied lor and were refused employment on the railway works. The Public Works Department, it is understood, are carrying on construction of new lines in a manner that is to be commended, namely, no foreigners are wanted and only married men or single men not eligible for active service are being given employment. On the other hand, it is a tact that in addition to foreigners the Railway Department, in the labour taking part in the grade easement works, has in its ranks a fairly large proportion of eligible single men, who have of late emigrated to the Dominion onJ who actually are "shirkers" since they neglect to offer to light for the Empire. In sonic cases, it is said, they left the

Old Country to escape tbe call, and the Government of New Zealand, through its Railway Department, avails itself of their services without rtghtd to their lack of patriotism. We have particularly referred to tbe position ot affairs in the railway works in progress between Fukekohe and Drury, but at the meeting of the Manukau County Council yesterday our indictment was corroborated by the remarks of a Councillor who stated that quite 20 foreigners were to be found in tbe Uanurewa railway gangs. As tbe head of the Government and moreover the member fur the district, Mr Maesey should not hesitate to interfere and to put a stop to acts which cannot ftiil to belittle the Government in the estimation of all those who are tiue loyalists and have the best interests ot the Dominion at heart. We dc not deny that these tirei gners, whether they be Austrians or Dalmatians, are not good worksrs, but we claim that under existing circumstances departmental employment should be restricted to British subject?, and also that even Britishers, whose place it i* to be in the trenches, should be "turned down" in company with the aliens,