UTILISING ENEMY ALIENS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1917, Page 4

UTILISING ENEMY ALIENS.

It is to be hoped the Prime Minister will give effect to his declaration in Parliament on Tuesday evening that if tin! Austrian gum-diggers cannot be sent to Use front, their services should be freely used in carrying on farms in the Dominion, and so help to keep up the production of the country. There is in Nortn Auckland a considerable body of so-call-ed Austrians. who ar« imnrovintr the

shining hour because of the absence of so many men at the Front. Naturally the I settlers have no very kindly feeling for the aliens, who, they hold—and rightly so—should not be allowed to profit from tlic necessities of the country but should be niado to perform some form of war work. The average North Auckland Austrian is a harmless sort of individual, animated more by a lust of gain than by a desire to serve or return to his own country. To him New Zealand is a regular El Dorado, and he is well satisfied with his lot. He lives very economically and works like a beaver, and it is not surprising that he soon amasses a fair amount of money. At first much of thif was remitted to his people in Austria, but of late years he lias brought out his women folk, and in many instances has forsaken gum-digging for agricultural and pastoral pursuits. The north agrees with him, and no doubt he would be sorry to leave it., Now that so many men are away fighting labor is at a premium and the services of the Aus-

nan are in keeir demand. Knowing this he exacts the best terms he can. Probably he cannot be blamed for tha;. but a country that even gives an enemy alien the opportunity of bargaining for the use of his services is an exceedingly foolish 'U'.ntrj - . When so large a section ot the community is called upon to make sacrifices, surely the enemy alien should be obliged to assist the country that is giving him refuge and been so kind to him in the past. Ever since the war arted the northern settlers have been clamoring to have action taken by the Government in this direction, but the Government has in this, as in other matters, been too preoccupied to give it any attention. Now, however, Mr. Massey says the services of the aliens should he freely used. ILefc him translate the statement into action without any further loss of time, and thus do something to assist the carrying on of production. And whilst atiout it, why not employ on similar useful work the Tuetons who are lotus-eating on Somes' Island at the country's expense and the dozens of complacent enemy subjects that are roaming about Wellington and Auckland and other parts of Jfew Zealand?