A BURNING QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1918, Page 3

A BURNING QUESTION.

ALIENS MOPPING UP TAKANAKI ' I/AND.

Mr. Mills moved, at Thursday's meeting of the Tarana'ki executive of the Farmers' Union: —'That this meeting desires to express its concern at tho continued acquisition by lease and purchase, of the lands of the Dominion by aliens—many of them pro-German—while our own men arc leaving their homes to fight for those who are left behind, in; eluding those aliens. In our opinion, the Government should seriously consider whether it is not possible and desirable thy.t such aliens as cannot be sent to the front should be employed at a remun- | eration approximately equal to that of our soldiers, at some work of national [ importance, namely, in helping to mainj tain the production of necessities on the I farm of our soldiers fct the front."

Mr- Mills said that this question exercised the minds of members of the Hawera (branch of the union a good deal at their last meeting, and it had caused a good deal of feeling from time to time. He believed that aliens had possession, and were still getting possession, of a good deal of our land, and it wa3 felt that our protest should be added to those raised in other places and urge that something should be done to check it. Aliens who, in the opinion of the authorities, were not fit to go to the front, whose loyalty possibly was open to question, should not be allowed to remain here and reap a rich harvest, as many of them were doing, whilst our own flesh and blood were away at the front fighting our battles, and, incidentally, the ibattles of those aliens also. It was not right that that should continue, and some steps should be taken to remedy the evil. There might be difficulties in regard to naturalised aliens, but, even so, a grave injustice was being done in allowing it to continue. The president pointed out that when an alien becomes naturalised he enjoys all the privileges of a British subject, and he then could not be prevented from acquiring land. With regard to the unnaturalised aliens, something should be done to prevent them from acquiring land Tho whole question was a difficult one to deal with. The Government had got their hands pretty fully occupied in looking after the Germans already interned, and it would be a pretty costly business to intern all the unnaturalised aliens in the DomiimiO' As he had said, they could not inter', fere with the naturalised alien-

Mr. Washer: If that is so, he should go and fight, too.

The president: He would (be willing, tut the Government won't have him.

Mr. Astbury: A great many of them have gone. The president said he had sent a remit dealing with the alien question to Wellington, but it was thrown out. He knew that there were*many naturalised aliens who had proved themselves to b.« good colonists and good citizens. He agreed that there were some point? in the resolution read by Mr. Mills, which should be (brought before the Prime Minister

Mr Astbury: Do any members of the Executive know whether there is any considerable immigration of alien neutrak into the Dominion at present? The president: I don't think so. They are not allowed to leave their own country.

Mr Astbury mentionedj that there were a good many Swiss in Taranaki, who had leased property and who had proved themselves good tenants, and also that they were really loyal to the British Crown The question was an extremely difficult one to deal with. Mr Owen contended that it was not always easy to tell whether an alien was loval-

I Mr. Astbury pointed out that tlio Government "had been utilising some of ! the Austrians in the north of Auckland. Mr Swindlehurst said that some of the Swiss were not half as bad as some of the pro-Germans. Mr. Maxwell: I was almost going to rise to a point of order. I thought we had done with this question of noxiou3 weeds. (Laughter). Mr. Owen: This is a fresh one. (Renewed laughter). Mr Maxwell: This is a more unsolveable noxious weed problem than any other one. He sympathised with Mr. Milk, but he did not think they would get the Government to alter the law to take away the rights and privileges of the naturalised alien. His advice was that they should put tbeir own house in order before they went further with this matter. He despaired of any hope of reform in this direction, so long as the people kept high officials of German blood in office.

Mr. Mills pointed out, in reply, that if Canada could denaturalise aliens whom' it considered undesirable, New Zealand could do likewise. If there werfe naturalised aliens who had proved unworthy of tile possessipns of British Tights and liberty, they should be deprived of those rights.

The motion was carried, and copies were ordered to be sent to the Minister and members for the adjoining districts.