HARSH TREATMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12623, 7 December 1926, Page 6

HARSH TREATMENT

INTERNED IN CANADA UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY (By Telegraph.—Special to “Times.”) AUCKLAND, December 6. An extraordinary story of apparent harsh treatment by the Canadian immigration authorities was told to-day by F. Nancarrow, who returned to New Zealand with his wife and five children by the Niagara. Mr Nancarrow is an ex-service man. He wears decorations for service with the British Navy during the Great War, but according to his story that did not make him welcome to Canada, where he and liis family wbre interned. During the Niagara’s stay at Vancouver they were kept under lock and key in detention barracks among Chinese, Indians, and other coloured aliens, amid dirt and stjualor, ana were fed on rice and garlic. On their arrival at Vancouver the Nai\carrow family were interviewed by the immigration authorities. “We told them we were going through to the United .States,” said Mr Nancarrow. TRAPPED “They said they would see us through and we handed over our luggage for them to transport. Then we found that we were trapped for they took us to the immigration detention barracks and put us under lock and key. They absolutely refused to allow us to cross the border into the United States, although my wife’s father, to whom we had cabled from Honolulu came to Vancouver from Idaho to take us back with .him. I asked the reason Why British subjects were thus held up when Canadian papers said that there was work for thousands in Ontario and elsewhere, but got no satisfactory answer. My fatner-in-law saw the American Consul and he said he would place us on the quota and. allow us to cross into th© United States, but the Canadian authorities refused to liberate us, saying we had told lies in our immigration pa. pers. The American Consul tried his best and said that if we could even get out of barracks for a walk he would get us across into the United States, Dut we had no chance of getting out. We were told we were not wanted in Canada, and when we said we did not Want to stay there but wished to get to our people in Idaho yrhere I was going to work on a ranch owned by my wife’s father, the reply was that we could not cross the border as an agreement had been reached by the United States and Canada whereby there were fo be' no more immigrants allowed' ' across the line. “ALL BUNKUM" Of course this was all bunkum. We were kept for five days in barracks and the only / food givefl us for the first three days being stuff they threw to the Chinese and Indians. Klee tfiTd garlio with a bit of 'steak of some sort which we could not eat. We asked for something else so we had some eggs given us on the last two days. “The barracks, ” continued 5Tr Nancarrow, “were dirty and squalid, and no attempt was made to clean our quarters while wo were there. They told us that they made no provision there for whito people and what do you think the Canadian Immigration officer said to me When I reminded him that I whs an ex-service man, a British .subject who -had fought for England and the Empire and demanded to know why we were treated in this manner?” He said: “We run our own ‘Goddam’ country here, never mind England. England’s off the map.’ I, told him that if that was the way they dealt with Britishers Who had done their bit I would do no more. * LOCKED,IN CABIN From the barracks We were returned ortboard.the Niagara and we were placed under lock’ and key in our cabin until the ship I had left Victoria, British Columbia. *Tho next day the captain informed, me that this was by orders of the Canadian Government. Then when' we arrived at Honolulu I was, again locked Up in a cabin. My wife and ohildren were allowed on deck but uot permitted to go ashore. The excuse made by the Canadian authorities for our deportation was that we had stated •we were going to settle in Canada, whereas our intention was to cross into the United States, They took the ‘dog in the manger’ attitude. They didn’t want us and they would not let the United States have us.” The ages of the Nancarrow children range from 2 to 8 years, and they are now suffering from eye complaint alleged" to have been acquired from dirty towels in ike Vancouver immigration detention barracks. “The doctor of the Niagara told me that I would have to get the attention of a specialist or the children would go blinb,” said Mr Nancarrow, “therefore I will not be returning to Waihi but will have to stay in Auckland for a while.” The Waihi home of the family was sold to pay the passage to Canada, and every penny went. However, passengers on the Niagara on learning of the unhappy adventure of the wayfarers took up a collection, and over £Bo'was raised for their relief.