The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1908. UNDESIRABLE ALIENS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12602, 4 March 1903, Page 4

The Otago Daily Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1908. UNDESIRABLE ALIENS.

From time immemorial England lias given asylum to all sorts and conditions of me!), irrespective of nationality or j social status. The feeling is now, how- j ever, rapidly gaining ground that the f time lias arrived when the Government ought to differentiate between desirable j and undesirable alien immigrants. Sir ~ C. E. Howard Vincent brought the j matter up in the Imperial Parliament the j other day by moving an amendment to c the Address-iii-Reply urging the Govern- j ment to legislate for the exclusion of c destitute aliens. The Government, j under some pressure, the cable informs t ns, agreed to consider a remedy when c the report of the Alien Immigration c Commission is received. That the sub- { ject is attracting public attention the } institution of a commission to take evi- i dence relating to alien immigration at T least shows, and probably when the j report of the commission is made the s Government will find it advisable to do 1 something in the way of regulating the influx from abroad. The matter c of distinguishing between undesirable t immigrants and those who are likely to j prove acceptable citizens is not easy of n accomplishment; but the rule of differ- e entiating between paupers and those who t have some means is usually a safe one. 1 Persons who have failed from one cause I and another to succeed in their own c' country are not likely to improve their y sooial status amid foreign surroundings, a Such people, therefore, usually gravitate j to the lowest sooial level and populate t the slums of largo cities with inhabitants i: whose presence is a constant menace to t the law-abiding section of the com- 4 munity. It never will bo known what v

Great Britain has suffered from the contact of undesirable aliens; tut grievous and permanent results must liavo accrued from the fact that England has novcr douied asylum to foreigners of all sorts and conditions. Now, however, there are indications that past procedure in that direction will be subject to revision, and the hands of the Government bo forced to take action in common with other countries. The United States Government has long been alert in the matter of pauper alien immigration, and no one of foreign nationality is permitted a foothold on American soil unless he can show that ho possesses means sufficient for his subsistence for a reasonable time to enable him to secure employment. The amount, as far as we can remember, that an intending foreign immigrant must possess before ho is allowed to land in the United States is 100 dollars. In Australia and New Zealand a considerably larger sum is demanded with a view to the restriction of the immigration of certain classes of undesirable aliens. The new British colonies in South Africa are also safeguarded in a liko fashion, so that the question is rapidly assuming the dimensions of an Imperial project. It is difficult to see how the Home Authorities can avoid following the leaa of the colonies in this matter, which is of prime importance to the future of the Empire. The march of the British race is onward and upward, and no undesirable foreign contamination isiV/antcd to hinder that progress. We db not wish to be misunderstood in this matter. We have no objection to a foreign influx of population, provided the immigrants be of a class that does us no discredit. It is to the undesirable class of pauper aliens that we take exception.