ALIENS COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 169, 17 July 1916, Page 11

ALIENS COMMISSION.

sutesG ax EAmn. .. s s t tin<T of the Aliens' CommSsion WS£ held at Kaihu on Saturday Peter Burke, manager of the Araorrga ramfields where, during the past yeaT fnn aliens have been domiciled, stated >w Tip knew nothing <if aliens poeses6foT.Su. or being drilled. They were exceptionally industrious and sober, and tleir proposed removal would be detrimental to the district. Their average Lung's vrere £3 weekly, and they ™ re exceptionally honest. He had never heard complaint* that they had interfered with British settlors, and he contidered their internment was an unreadable proposition. To his knowledge they bad even been antagonistic to Austrian rule, as they wore all Croatians or Dalmatians. At the public meeting at Kaihu no evidence had been adduced of the charges contained in the resolutions. Edmund Trounson stated he was one of the conveners of the meeting, at which nothing detrimental was said rewarding individual aliens, but dissatisfaction existed owing to so many Britishers leaving on active service whilst the Austrians remained. The meeting passed resolutions that the Austrians were armed, and he was under the impression that that was so. He was not prepared to produce evidence that they were armed. There had been no case of •women being frightened, and no actual menace existed. He had never seen a rifle in the possession of the aliens, and lad never heard them utter anything disloyal. John Tuohey said he was an active mover in the Kaihu meeting. He did not think the aliens were hostile. He advocated closing the gumfields and utilising the men in preparing land for returned soldiers. He only knew of aliens possesing arras by hearsay. He knew nothing of their drilling. He had never heard "disloyal utterances from them, but he had heard them express loyalty to Britain. There had always been racial feeling against them, and he had been Under the impression that their numbers were greater than those proven. In his opinion the aliens were a menace only from the economic point of view. In answer to the chairman, Sergeant Griffiths said no report ha<l been made to the police regarding any shots being fired in Kaihu. Frederick Bullen, school teacher, said he had heard nothing against the character of the aliens. He was surprised to hear of the alarming reports circulated in the South as to the aliens being armed and menacing the community. He had never known of misbehaviour on their part. Frank Rapson, bushman, said although of military age he would be loth to leave his wife and family while aliens remained in the coutry. He did not think they were all hostile, but thought they should be interned. The gum trade was not necessary to the country. He had never seen rjfles in their possession, nor known of anyone being molested by them. He knew nothing of their being a menace. ' George Downey,, farmer, deposed that he knew of no alien menace. Owing to the flooded state of the country the commissioners decided to shandon the overiand trip to Whangarci, and this morning left for Auckland, via fietensrille. They will take" "evidence in Auckland on Tuesday, and probably leave for 'Wiiangaxei and the Far North on Wednesday.