HINDU CONTRACTORS

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 241, 8 October 1920, Page 7

HINDU CONTRACTORS

IX PUBLIC WORKS (JANGS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The employment of 38 Hindua in two gangs on co-operative reading contracts near Miiaterton was the subject of a question put by Mr. A. D. McLeod (Wairarapa) to-day. The member wanted to know if the employment of these men was a settled policy of the Department. It was admitted that the overseer carried a revolver, but this was said to be quite unnecessary. The Hon. J. G. Coatea replied that the point to be rempmbered was that these men were British He wag responsible for the Public Works policy, and it had not been their policy to employ any so-called foreigner. The position, was eimply that no tenders could be obtained for this work, and these men offered to do it for a reasonable price, and were engagedLocal objection had been raieed to having these men in the vicinity, and he wae prepared to consider the question of removing , them altogether. Legislation was in hand, as members knew, to rsgulate the number of these people coming into the country. HINDU STREET HAWKERS. Another phase of the Hindu influx npneare in Wellington, where the Corporation inspector put. up for auction sixteen street stands for three months' tenancy. It wae noticeable that Hindus were more concerned in bidding a.eainst one another for lease of the more attractive locations than in endeavouring to beat Europeans for a nlace. The result was that a cum of £239 15/ was realised, and that the highest price paid by n' Hindu for a stand was £30 5/, and by a European £13. It is interesting to note that before the City Council went in for the stand system the highest revenue collected for a hawkers' license was £20.