ALIENS IN THE NORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 179, 28 July 1917, Page 10

ALIENS IN THE NORTH.

SOI.UT7.ON OF THE DUTICTJI/EY. SEND THEM TO SLAV REGDHNTS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. A strong protest against the Government's inaction in connection wath aliens in North Auckland was made in the House to-night by Mr. Vereon Reed. Two thousand of these men, all able-bodied, trained soldiers, were, he said, not interfered with in any possible way, though New Zealanders were going from some districts all the time to fight for us. He had also asked the Minister for Defence to take steps to deal with this position, but was told that the matter was under consideration, which was no answer after three years of war. The solution of the problem was to submit these men to the ballot, those selected to be sent to Salonika to join the Serbian army. He believed that 00 per cent were willing to go.

Mr. Massey: The whole lot of them have applied to join the British Army. Mr. Reed continued that if the Government had exhausted every means of putting these men into the Slav army they should be given some form of essential work. This would iueet their wishes, raise their status, allay the unrest prevailing in the whole North of Auckland on account of gaps among the New Zealanders, enabling the aliens to get the plums of the position. Because of the labour shortage these men demanded up to 15/- a day.

Mr. Massey remarked that some Waikato settlers told him these men were filling gaps on farms.

Mr. Reed replied that this was not the case in the North of Auckland.