AUSTRIAN IMMIGRATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1404, 26 January 1899, Page 15

AUSTRIAN IMMIGRATION.

Hobart, January 18. The Premier (Sir Edward Braddon) cabled to the Austrian Consul in Auckland that there are hundreds of men out of employment in Tasmania, and wages are low. The steamship companies have been warned that they will be required to find a bond of £IOO for very person landed, Austrian or other, who is likely to becomo a charge upon the State. Auckland, January 19. A number of Austrians are leaving for Waipu, it is believed to dig gum on priate land. Information from the Kawakawa states that the Austrians are now leasing gumfields from private owners, entirely for themselves, and are turning off the Britishers. It is understood the Austrian Consul and the two Austrians who were forcibly detained on the Waihora by the Customs authorities have placed the case in the hands of Mr W. J. Napier, barrister, of this city, to endeavour to obtain redress. Auckland, January 20. The Austrian Consul states that he has nothing to do with any proceedings in connection with the forcible detention of two Austrians on board the Waihora.. He is not mixed up in the case in any way except that he introduced the me a at their special request to a solicitor. The Consul states that the remainder of the Austrians who arrived here by the Mokoia from Sydney have all found employment.

Hokitika, January 22. Newspapers have just reached here :cntaining telegraphed reports of the ro narks made by the Premier here on the 13th inst. with reference to the question of Austrian immigration. The Premier is alleged to have stated that the Imperial Government had requested the New Zealand Government to allow the Austrians on the way out to land. This is absolutely incorrect, for, according to Mr Seddon’s statement, the Imperial Government did nothing of the kind. All that the Secretary of State did was to send on a request made by the Austro-Hungarian Charge d’Affaires that permission be given to land the emigrants already arrived or now on their way to New Zealand. There was no request made by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and at the meeting here Mr Seddon read the message, art; claimed that the absence of any request or direction by the British Government was a proof that the course taken by the Government of New Zealand was well within the comity of nations, and that the colonial Government had a perfect right to prevent the landing of alien immigrants who might become a burden upon the State.