The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1920. INFLUX OF ASIATICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1920. INFLUX OF ASIATICS.

The arrival at Auckland last week of a large number of Asiatics has drawn attention to what may become a serious menace to the Dominion unless steps are taken to control the influx. The Atua had on board sixteen Hindoos from Fiji, seven of these for Auckland and the remainder for Sydney, While the Niagara brought fiftyone Hindoos and twenty-four Chinese, the largest number of Asiatics that has reached Auckland for some time past. The Hindoos arriving by the Niagara were of the usual type of vendors of fruit at city street corners, and they all passed the writing test, while among the party on the Atua was Dr. Manilal, a barrister, who is said to have been the leader in the recent strike at Fiji. Though not deported from Fiji, he was prohibited from entering certain prescribed areas, and left there, with his wife and child, for Auckland, but was detained on the ship pending the decision of the Attorney General. The other four Hindoo passengers passed the test and disembarked. This influx of Asiatics to the Dominion was advisedly brought to the Premier's notice, and his pronouncement on the matter indicates that steps will be taken to cope with the evil. The difficulty mentioned by Mr. Massey—that of Indians being British subjects—is one that was the subject of discussion by the Imperial conference, and it is a delicate problem to solve. It will be noted that the Premier has undertaken to submit the question to the Crown Law Officers with a view to ascertain whether there is sufficient power at present to check this invasion of the Dominion by Asiatics, and that if such power does not exist, Parliament will be asked to legislate on the subject early in the coming session. It may be assumed that in the interval the Premier will communicate .with the Imperial Government, as the matter is'one that concerns the Empire, and there may be a question of policy involved that will not be easy to deal with. At the same time it is hardly likely that the Home Government will venture to do more than define the position from an Imperial point of view, leaving the Dominion to take what course it thinks fit. Color questions are always surrounded by more or less sentiment, and the leaders of the extremists in India are very hostile to any policy that bars Indians from any part of the Empire. Moreover the principle involved must include the Japanese and all other colored people, and New Zealand has to consider what attitude it would adopt if Maoris were placed under a ban in other countries. The ideal of a " white'' New Zealand can never be attained so long as the Maoris form part of the population. The. fact of the matter is that restriction of immigration is not so much a question of color as of Keeping undesirables out of the country. The number of aliens on the Dominion register at July 1,1919, was 8335, of which 1930 were born in China, nine in Japan, 63 in the South Sen Islands, but the census returns of 1916 showed there were resident in

the Dominion 2147 Chinese, 59 Japanese, 181 Hindoos, 12 Cingalese, 459 Syrians, 10 Arabs, 95 Negroes, 49 Fi'jians, and 151 of undefined nationality, besides small numbers of other races. More than fortyfive per cent, of these race aliens reside in Auckland Province, but over one-third of the Chinese an at Wellington. Hindoos and other natives of India have, of late years, arrived in considerable numbers, the only stipulation of entry being that all aliens must pass the prescribed education test. The arriyy" al at Auckland of 58 Hindus afaj 24 Chinese in one week cannjgft be viewed with complacency J , / e Specially in view of the unregt that is seething in the Bast. Xwo of the Hindus by the Atua/ w ho were bound for Sydney, -tyere deportees owing to their activities in connection wrflHte'reeent strike of Hindoos ifi Fiji, and though they are n<jks n tering the Dominion, emplM'sis is given to the necessity of restrictions being made on 1 alien immigration. Their room is much preferred to their company, and, from a purely New Zealand point of view, Asiatics might well be barred from the Dominion, but from an Imperial standpoint there may be reasons why British subjects, irrespective of race, creed and color, should not be treated as aliens. The whole position with regard to alien immigration needs carefully reviewing on a broad basis. It will be very invidious to discriminate between one race and another. Britain has for long past adopted the open door policy, but Australia is more particular. The question the Dominion Government has now to decide is not free from difficulties, but it is one that should be dealt with justly, fairly, and without prejudice, the welfare of the coun : try being the dominant factor.