GUMDIGGERS' LOYALTY.
DEFENDED BY PRIME MINISTER. [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington. Tuesday. When the Kauri Gum Industry Bill -was under discussion in the House yesterday, Dr. H. T. J. Thacker (Christchurch East), referring generally to the Northern gumdiggers, said that many of the men were subjects of Austria, and instead of being allowed to enlist in the New Zealand forces where they were a potential danger, they should be kept in an interned cajJJP until the conclusion of the war. . The Prime Minister stated emphatically in reply that this reflection upon the loyalty of the diggers was not justified. The attitude taken up by these Austrian diggers had surprised him. and many others. They were not really Austrian*, but were mostly Croatians and Dalmatians, and their sympathies were entirely with Britain and Russia, A meeting of diggers at Dargaville had telegraphed offering him 200 men for service abroad They had also contributed money most generously. They had subscribed, he thought, about £3000, and he had repeatedly received money for the war funds from one or other of them. Dr Thacker's statement was unfair and tmiusl tilled. '
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19151006.2.42
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16041, 6 October 1915, Page 5
Word Count
185GUMDIGGERS' LOYALTY. New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16041, 6 October 1915, Page 5
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the New Zealand Herald. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries and NZME.
Log in