ALIENS ON FARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24011, 8 July 1941, Page 9

ALIENS ON FARMS

AUSTRALIAN PROBLEM INFLUX SINCE THE WAR BANANA GROWERS' CONCERN SYDNEY, July 2 Australia with a population of 95 per cent British stock is having alien trouble. The problem has arisen from the influx of foreigners driven out of Europe by Nazism and who sought sanctity here. With their own standards of business and bargainings, the aliens bccamo conspicuous first in the cities, where they amazed Australians by tho rapidity with which they established themselves. Many now have flourishing businesses. Some are hard at work on Government contracts.

Now they have spread to rural districts and with the same powers of acquisitiveness are occupying farm properties. Delegates to the Australian Agricultural Council expressed consternation, at the annual conference, at the "invasion" of foreigners into the banana industry in particular. Many aliens, who were share-farming, it was stated, were in reality purchasing properties, and had adopted this subterfuge to evade regulations restricting them in ownership.

The infiltration of aliens has caused a real problem of excess planting in the banana industry. Growers fear that curtailed markets will injure them, and they cannot afford too great an increase in production.

The New South Wales Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Dunn, agreed with the council that the proolem should be tackled immediately, but foresaw many difficulties. "I think we should not allow the transfer of property in Australia to any alien from a coifntry with which we are at war," he said.' "The whole matter needs tp be very carefully reviewed. The problem has bristles."