PRIME MINISTER FRANK, BUT FIRM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 13 June 1925, Page 6

PRIME MINISTER FRANK, BUT FIRM

LAW WILL BE UPHELD THE BAN ON LITERATURE “Lyons is advised to be a lamb and get out of the country quietly, but go lie must.” If the liberty may be taken of paraphrasing the Prime .Minister s remarks, this sentence, says the New Zealand Times, is the gist of his reply at- Wellington to the deputation representing Labour organisations which waited upon him to ask (1) that the deportation order against Lyons be withdrawn ; (2) the repeal of the Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Act, or failing its repeal an amendment of the Act giving persons against whom orders are made the right of appeal .and to produce evidence before a judge or magistrate; (3) to remove the ban on economic, social, and philosophic literature. The Prime Alinisler, Right Hon. J. (!. Coates, gave a dignified but firm refusal to concede the requests, advancing strong reasons for his decision. The delegates, through their speakers, avowed that they supported neither the principles of the I.W.W. nor of Communism, and at the close thanked the Prime Minister for his frank refusal, which was preferable to a promise that he would see what could be done in the matter.

The deputation comprised Alessrs Peter Fraser, ALP., A. L. Alonteith, M.P.. and R. AicKeen, ALP., Air W. T. Voting (Seamen’s Federation), L. Glover (Alliance of Labour), J. Glover and J. Thorn (Labour Representation Committee), T. Brindle (National Labour Party), and J. Johnson (Waterside Workers’ Federation).

Air W. T. Young outlined the case for the non-deportation of Lyons, but was quickly reminded by the AttorneyGeneral that although Lyons was allowed by the Customs authorities to land, it was conditional upon him returning to the boat. Air Voting proceeded to say they considered that the power conferred by section 6 of the Act was despotic power that should not be vested in any one Alinister. Sir Francis Bell: It does not.

Air Young urged that before an order was issued by the Attorney-General, any man should he able to put up a self-defence, not necessarily before a. jury, but at least before a Stipendiary Magistrate. They asked that- the Government would take into serious consideration the desirability of repealing that law altogether. it. might have been good in the war period and the few years subsequent to the war, but it. was out of place now when the country had returned to normal or pre-war conditions. Failing this, the law should be amended, to give the person concerned the right of trial. Lyons was not- the first man to be deported under that law, for about three years ago a man named Barras was deported from New Zealand. Air Young then proceeded to outline Lyons’s movements and conduct from his arrival in Wellington, and added that there were about four other I.W.W. men among the engine department crew of the Alauuka. He (the speaker) saw the I.W.W. literature which was taken from Lyons—not much—which he understood from the Customs belonged to four different men. The stickers were not in posssesion of Lyons. A DISCLAIMER “No one on the deputation supports the principles of the 1.W.W.; I don't personally, neither do I support the principles of Communism,” continued Air Young. The Act gave the Attor-ney-Geig?ral power to prohibit a man landingTn New Zealand, but that power was not exercised, for Lyons was given a permit to land. As to the meetings he addressed subsequently, his remarks were a denunciation of paid parasites. “I was one of the paid parasites,” laughingly remarked Air Young. ”No one is any good in the Labour movement except Lyons, but I don’t think anything was said at these meetings which would warrant the Attorney-Gen-' era! issuing an order for the man to be deported.” They had tried to induce the Attorney-General to withdraw the order, with what result they were not aware. They were not dealing with Lyons so much, as the principle contained in that particular Act. Mr Fraser said the deputation believed in the constitutional way of placing matters before the public, allowing them to vote on them and abide by the verdict. To do so, however, they must have the opportunity of forming an opinion, but the present law concerning certain types of social, economic and philosophic literature, they considered, was an insult- to the intelligence of tlie people. “In connection with Lyons, I have spoken to him, and no one would convince me that he is a danger to anything or anybody. I don’t think he would make a convert if lie were here for a hundred years.” Sir Francis Bell: I didn’t agree with you on that point the other day. Air Fraser : It is the frailty of human nature at times to suffer from an exaggerated idea of one’s importance. I have talked with Lyons and differ from him considerably, but he is no danger, and for that reason I regret that public attention has been drawn to the matter at all. If there is a belief that lie is a danger and a menace in the eyes of the Government, give him a chance to state his. side of the ease I.W.W. HIS RELIGION Sir Francis Bell, replying to Mr Young, said when the literature was found at Dunedin, Lyons was asked about it, and he said he brought it aboard the ship. Asked why, he said the ship was his home, the literature was his and it was his religion, and he was going to use it. Mr Young: He may have brought it aboard the ship, bui some belonged to a man named Brand, and another man named Hanson; 1 forget the name of the third man, and more of it belonged to Lyons. Sir Francis Bell: These men say they got it from Lyons, and that is how it came to belong to them. It had been said that a single Alinister had power to deport a man. That was n't the case, replied Sir Francis, for the Attorney-General had not that authority except by the direction of the Executive Council. It was quite a mistake to say that it was under the arbitrary decision of a single Minister.