ALIEN TEACHERS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 85, 8 October 1915, Page 4

ALIEN TEACHERS

— » BILL PASSED BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL "NOT AIMED AT ANY INDIVIDUAL." That the Government has adopted the right course in bringing in a measure to provide for the exclusion of alien enemy teachers from the .educational institutions of the Dominion, was the prevailing keynote of a debate in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon on the second reading of the Alien Enemy Teachers Bill. Sir Francis Bell, the Leader of the Council, appealed to the members to support the Bill. H«v explained that it did not aim at any particular individual, but was the result of an agitation in relation to a particular individual. The policy adopted by the Government with regard 'to the Public Service was that any alien not naturalised should not be permitted to continue in the service. 1 That rule had been adopted with one exception; and that exception was a Post Office official who had been in the Post Office service for a very long time, but who for some reason had not become naturalised. The circumstances in his case were very special, and he (the Leader) did not know what had happened to him. There were certain educational administrations in this country which were not controlled by the Government. The University teachers were appointed by the University Councils without interference from the State, but who were paid out -of moneys largely provided by the Sta'fce. It would be idle to say that the rule applicable to the Public Service would not in its .essence apply to these people. But that was not the point. It was for the Government in time of war, Imd not for any private administration^ to determine what should be the public policy of the Dominion. That was the attitude the Government had taken up. It was not correct to say that there wa6 any personal feeling against Professor yon Zedlitz. For a long time the professor has been an intimate friend of his amd had married an intimate personal friend. He believed most seriously that the professor had never failed to observe his parole. That was not the point, for a number of men who had been given parole had not been allowed to remain in. the Government service. Those who weije considered a danger were interned, and those whose word could be accepted were on parole. It had. been a most painful part of the Administration to say that some of the Public Servants could not remain in the Public Service, well knowing that they could get no private service. The reason that the Government claimed to be free from criticism in this respeot was that it was in possession of information — he did not say in regard to any individual — which it was impossible to commxmicate. The Hon. Sir W. Hall-Jones thought the Bill a very proper one. It seemed to him that some naturalised' Germans might have relatives fighting against us, and it would not be safe to pnt them in positions of trust. The Hon. J. G. W. Aitken said he was not going to oppose the Bill, but thought the Government would have been, better advised if it had inserted a clause in the Bill on the same lines as the clause in the English Bill, which gave alien enemies the privilege of declaring which side they were on. If a man became naturalised it was known which, side he was on, and the same thing appEed to the otj naturalised men. An_ hon. member : And breed a crop of spies ! v Mr. Aitken rep, !d that he did not think human nature was as black as it was painted. He believed there was not a university professor in New Zealand who had co many young men at the front whom he wrote to and who regularly wrote to him as Professor yon Zedlitz. It was a very poor reward after what the professor had done for the Dominion and his profession that he should be treated in this way. At the same time the responsibility was with the Government, and he (Mr. Aitken) wouH not vote against the Bill. The Hon. T. Mac Gibbon said he would not trust a German any more because of his allegiance to the British Crown. Professor yon Zedlitz had the duplicity of his people to blame lor the measure. The Hon. A. T. Maginnity said the measure was a very necessary one to deal, not with Professor yon Zedlitz, but with the whole question. Professor yon Zedlitz, as far as the College Council was concerned, had been a loyal and able servant. It was, however, necessary for the Government to have this power, but he was not going to admit that the measure dealt with Professor yon Zedlitz and him alone. The Bill was passed without amendment.