MATTERS FOR FULLER INFORMATION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 4, 30 September 1943, Page 4

MATTERS FOR FULLER INFORMATION

There has been a growing feeling that aliens in this country are enjoying a degree of indulgent treatment and a measure of privileges that place them, in reported instances, in a favoured position compared with the restrictions placed upon New Zealand people. Cases have been stated which suggest that this feeling has at least some basis of fact. Whatever may be the truth of the matter it is clear that the public in its present state of mind will not be satisfied with less than the fullest information concerning the number of aliens admitted into this country since the refugee movement from Europe began before the war, the present status of those who have been subject to police investigation and classified accordingly, and the decisions of the Aliens Appeal tribunals. When questions under this head have been pressed upon the Government on previous occasion, both in and out of Parliament, the Minister concerned has shown a curious diffidence about giving the precise information that in the public interest was clearly demanded. The wartime regulations governing the supervision and treatment of aliens vested large discretionary powers in the Minister of Justice. As one illustration, no alien could acquire real estate, unless with the Minister’s consent. This reservation prompts a question to which the public is entitled to have an answer. ' On how' many occasions, and to what extent as to acreage and values, has this consent. been given? Then there are other fields of alien activities in which essential facilities are subject to Government control and discretion, such as industries and commerce, the starting of new businesses, etc. In all such matters the overriding consideration should be the interest and future prospects of New Zealand people; are these likely to be adversely affected by granting, through short-sighted indulgences, facilities that might ultimately operate to the advantage of New Zealanders endeavouring to re-establish themselves in various civilian activities after the war? The feeling that appears to prevail is that this overriding consideration has not been given adequate attention. There has also been lacking a certain degree of candour on the part of the Government concerning the position of conscientious bbjectors and military defaulters. Some information, certainly, was given about these in the report of the National Service Department presented to the last session of the late Parliament. This was the subject of editorial comment at the time. In regard to military, defaulters, it has been a matter of common report that the conditions at the camps are far from strict and that the work planned, while it looks satisfactory enough in the official report, lias been far from satisfactory in actual performance and economic value to the country. In the case of the conscientious objectors, sacrificial payments were ordered to be made to ensure that they would not be better off financially than if they had joined the armed forces. According to the report referred to above, there had been very few cases of default, but it is not stated whether steps were taken to deal with such defaults, and whether the amounts due had been eventually collected. “The average estimated yield per order,” covering 373 cases, was stated to be £ 14/16/-, a statement that obviously must raise in the public mind some curiosity as to whether this “yield ’ represented anything approaching an adequate sacrifice. On the face of things it certainly does not. As in the case of the aliens the amount or detailed information to which people are entitled is lacking, conducing to a feeling that matters essential to an informed public opinion have been studiously withheld.