POLITICAL

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 13 September 1917, Page 3

POLITICAL

REGISTRATION OF ALIENS. BILL BEFORE PARLIAMENT/ WELLINGTON, Sept 11. In the House of Representatives tonight, the Hon. Russell moved the second reading of the Registration or Aliens Bill. He stated that it was proposed to set up a system of registration of aliens. An alien was defined as a person of either sex j not les s than fifteen years of age, who is not a British subjhtrt either by birth or by naturalisation 1 In New Zealand. The Act would be adminstered by" a Minister of the Crown, aided by the police force. He explained the machinery clauses, penalties for evasions, and provision for making regulations under the Act. He quoted figures from the 1911 Census, showing that aliens at present resident in the Dominion were:' Austrian, 2131; German Empire, 4015; 2262; Chinese, 2611 (approximate); and other foreigners, 8552; Total, 19,571. Mr Poole supported the Bill, and hoped there w'buTd Be no weakness in the administration of the measure. Dr Newman thought the Bill did not go far enough. Every alien shorn " be interned, or made to work. They certainly should not be allowed to participate in the Liberty when they refused to subscribe to patriotic funds. Messrs Pearce, Harris and Brown supported the Bill, but agreed that it did not go far enough.

. Mr Reed contended that naturalised aliens should be brought within the scope of the Bill. Sir James Allen explained that there was no power to conscript Dalmatians in North Auckland, and the power could not be taken. The Government had endeavoured to attach them to the Serbian a£my, but the men refused to go except at the New Zealand rafg of pay, wnich could not be given them. It would be a mistake to intern these people, because many of them were engaged in producing food for the Dominion.

Messrs Witty, Yoifng i Thacker and Wright commented on the cost of keeping German pTisdnhrfT i'h frr?'T)ominion. They were receiving better treatment than our own people. They ought to be made to wOrk, or drummed out of the country.

The Hon. Russell, in the course of his reply, said that undue severity on our part to German prisoners might lead to retaliation against British prisoners in German hands. The Government had been advised to take the greate"§t*Ta’re in this respect. The Bill was read a second time on the voices.