INDIANS ON PUBLIC WORKS

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 86, 8 October 1920, Page 7

INDIANS ON PUBLIC WORKS

A WAIRARAPA OBJECTION 1.

The employment of Indians on publto v.orks in,the Wairarapa was again the subject of question in the House of Representatives yesterday, when Mr. A. D. AffLeod (Wairarapa) asked the 'Minister of Public Works if he had seen a statement made by an officer of his Department and published in one'of' the Wairarapa papers. In this statement the officer testified to the- cleanliness and good conduct of the Indians. Mx. M'Leod said there appeared to be a great Mfrai of. dissatisfaction in the district over the matter, and the local branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association had written to him protesting against the employment of Asiatics. Ha ■wished to know if the Minister favoured the employment of Indians, and if he proposed to continue it.

Tha Hon. J. 6. Coates said that in the first place the Indian was here and was a British subject. That made the question very difficult. He did not -want to do an injustice to a British subject. It -was not the policy of the Department to employ any so-called foreigners. In this case tenders had been called for the roadwork. and no offers had been received, then the Indians came and offered to do the work at a. reasonably. figure. As it was impossible to get other labour, their offer was accepted. There was no competition, and the men were working on a co-operative contract. If the people in the district who objected to tho employment of the men were prepared tc allow the work to remain at al standstill he was quite prepared to have the men removed. Legislation had been passed which he believed would restrict the immigration of Indians; hut these men were here, and' were prepared to do the work which no one else was prepared to tackle. He had asked for certain reports and would consider the matter fart her when he received them." Mr. Parry: "Are the rates of pay tha same as for whites?" The Minister: "Exactly-the-same;'l