IMMIGRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1920, Page 5

IMMIGRATION.

DEBATE ON NEW BILL. INCREASE OF ARRIVALS. By felegTAPh.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. _ In the House of Piepresentatives this evening, Mr. Massey moved the second reading of the Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill. In doing so he quoted largely from immigration statistics, showing that 15,734 persons had arrived in New Zealand from the Britisli Empire during the last six months, compared with 19,0G0 during the whole of last year. During this six months 476 persons paid poll tax. He then proceeded to say that the Bill was the i-esult of a deep-seated sentiment on the part of the great majority qf the people that the Dominion should be a "White" New Zealand, and that so far as legislation could provide, new arrivals should be loyal to the country ami to the Empire. He quoted a resolution adopted by the Imperial War Council in 1918, declaring that it was the inherent function of the British Commonwealth, including India, that each should enjoy the control of the composition of its own population by means of restriction of immigration from any other countries.' He explained the details of the clauses, and concluded by saying that the whole purpose of the Bill was to keep the population pure and loyal.

Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) said the Bill was one of the most important brought before Parliament this session, and its necessity was shown by what had been going on here for some time past. He took exception to the definition of "British and Irish," which he thought an uncalled-for distinction. •Mr. Maasey said that was the official definition. Continuing, Mr. Sidey contended that some form of'affirmation should be allowed immigrants, instead of bems bound down to an oath of allegiance. He also thought some more secure cheek should he put upon the entry of Chinese. The education test was not secure enough. Mr. W. D. Stewart (Dimedin West), while affirming the desirability of having a '■White" New Zealand", thought the Government had not been very happy ni the way they were going about it. Some of the provisions! of the Bill, he thought, would be unnecessarily offensive to citizens of America or' France. Discussing the limitation of Chinese, he opposed the imposition of a poll tax. which the Chinese Government regarded as cruel and barbarous, and he advocated a friendly arrangement with the Chinese Government under which the total number of Chinese to be admitted should be fixed. Offence to the Chinese nation would thus be avoided. Mr. H. E. .Holland (Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party), while not favoring barriers against the people of other countries just because of the color of their skin, or the country in which they Mem born, said that at the same time he and the Labor Party would do all in their power to preserve our higher standards of living. He favored organising Indians into unions to prevent them entering into unfair competition with workers. He agreed with the abolition of the poll tax upon Chinese, and the substitution of a fixed number being admitted. He thought the form of oath stipulated would do no good, and would only be offensive to many people of deeply religious feeling, nameiv, members of the Society of Friends. " Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland West) objected to the power given in the Bill to the Minister of Customs, either to admit Asiatics or exclude them at his sweet will. ~ That was more power than Parliament should give to any Minister, Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) thought the Hindoo problem was much more serious, and more difficult to deal with, than the exclusion of Chinese.

■Air. G, Mitchell (Wellington South) thought that both Chinese and Hindoos should be kept out, but lie did not desire to see it done offensively. The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercarffill) supported the Bill. He favored the retention of the poll tax, and thought every immigrant coming- into the country should take an oath of allegiance. -Mr. E. Kellett (Dunedin North) would go further than the Bill, and he would not admit a single Asiatic into the Dominion. Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Ciisbome) supported the Bill absolutely, except that he thought the form of oath should be made more drastic to keep disloyalists At 12.15 a.m., Mr. Massey replied. He Said, referring to the plea put in for the use of diplomacy, that diplomacy took time, and he was thinking of the rate at which the Chinese had been pouring into the country. During the last eight months 739 hnd come into New Zealand. At the same time we did not want to do any injustice to the Chinese, hut it would be in our interests to treat them fairly and decently. He believed the time would" come when they would be a power in the w>>rld, but that time was not yet. The Bill was read a second time, and she House rose at 12.30 am.