ALIENS IN THE NORTH.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15954, 16 July 1917, Page 4

ALIENS IN THE NORTH.

PROTESTS BY PUBLIC MEETINGS. The proscnce of thousands of oueniyborn subjects in the* .North, uicst of whom are of military age, and nearly all of whom aro single, has created discontent locally (says the Ivawakawa correspondent ol the Auckland ' : llc-rakl"), which is finding expression in public meetings of -protest and in the form of resolutions by public bodies demanding that the Government should mobilise these aliens for national -work of some sort, preferably industrial service in the IJominion under military discipline at soldiers' pay, without keep or clothing. -t— <i i A pub Li? meeting was hcid in Jvaikohe recently. There was a large gathering of townspeople and settlers. A petition asking that all enemy aliens should be conscripted, either tor sen-ice at the front or service on public works at war rates of pay, was largelv signed. 'A public meeting held in Jvakakaiva on Jhiesday evening passed a resolution expressing alarm at the fact that there is still "at largo a considerable number of alien enemy subjects in the north of Auckland, and expressing the opinion that such persons are, or will be, a menaco to society, since, when the Second Division, has been called, up, such aliens will be in a majority in the North. The meeting asked that immediate steps should be taken to deal with such aliens.

Tho Bay of Islands County Council unanimously adopted a resolution, recently, aifirming that, nil naturalised aliens in Now Zealand should bo trented as British subjects as regards military service, but if it is found impracticable. to send aliens to the front-, that they, together with other aliors who are ineligible for miiitaiy .service, should be. conipulrsorily employed in roadmaking or other public works under proper supervision, and at pro-war rates of wages.