THE COLOUR LINE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 140, 15 June 1908, Page 5

THE COLOUR LINE.

CASE OF HARNUM SINGH, EFFECT OF COMMONWEALTH \ ; laws. [ TO INDIA VIA ENGLAND. I Particulars have come to light in Wellington during the last few days ', ; showing how very peculiarly, if not i arbitrarily, the alien restriction legislation works in the Commonwealth. A few days ago the local manager of Messrs Thomas Cook and Co. received a letter from Spring Creek, Blenheim, written by one who- signed himself "Harry Singh," asking that a passage be booked for him to Colombo. SHIPPING COMPANY'S REFUSAL. Arrangements were being made to that end, when it transpired that Harry Singh was in reality Harnum Singh, a Sikh, and, of course, a coloured man. This information was cabled to the Orient. Company's office in Sydney, that being the line by which it was most convenient for the intending passenger to travel to Colombo, when an answer was received to the effect that there was no accommodation available for Singh. The local manager (Mr Crammond) at once drew the conclusion that under the alien restriction legislation an Asiatic who could not pass a certain educational test could not land on Australian soil under certain penalties. One of these restrictions was that a certain writing test in a European language should be passedl, and this Singh was certain to fail in, as he could not write. Mr Crammond was not quite certain that this was the real reason until Wednes--day's. Sydney mail came to hand completely .Justifying the conclusion he had arrived at. The trouble at the bottom of this business is really the safe custody of the Asiatic during the few days between the arrival of the New Zealand boat in Sydney and the departure of the Orient mail-boat, and again ati other Australian ports to be called at en route from Sydney to Colombo. There was", no real unwillingness on the part of the steamship company authorities to carry the man, but they absolutely declined to take the risk of his disappearing at one of the way ports, and so leaving the company to, be penalised for such remissness. What has been stated above is pretty generally known po- those interested in such matters, but there are circumstance!? in connection with the case that make it very interesting. SIXTEEN YEARS IN NEW ZEALAND. Harnum Singh says that he arrived in New South Wales twenty-one years ago, and that after living a year in that State he went to Victoria, where he resided for a period of four years. After that he came across to New Zealand, and has been a resident of this Dominion for no less a period than sixteen years, finally marrying a Victorian lady in Blenheim, where he has been settled for some time past. He has never been to India or elsewhere outside of Australia for the whole of the period mentioned, yet he is not permitted to travel to India by the nearest route because the steamer in which he must journey to do so stops at Australian ports. It can hardly be wondered at that the procedure is to the party principally affected, somewhat incomprehensible, to say the least. ' . _ ; As a matter of fact, Singh would not be leaving the Dominion but that he 'has received advice of his father's death, and some property has been left him which he must see to before returning to New Zealand. On his side there might be, too, something to be said from a patriotic point or view —the Sikhs have rendered valuable services to the Empire in troublous times, and he is a British subject. So really essential was it for Harnum Singh to reach India as soon as' possible—and not to escape from the steamer in Australia—that he has been forced to travel to his .country by way of England, and left for London from Lyttellon by the Turakina last Tuesday, an itinerary which entails great , delay, expense, and inconvenience.—• > Tlip Dnminimi. i .