Page 6 Advertisements Column 2

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18765, 19 January 1923, Page 6

"This infernal oath of allegiance! Why are British subjects insulted by having to take it? ’ exclaimed a New" Zealander to a Star reporter on arriving at Auckland after an absence of four years from the dominion. He had, he said, been compelled to take ‘‘the infernal oath of allegiance’’ ere he could go ashore. He had never been more insulted in his life. It was not as if the taking of the oath resulted to any good purpose, for a British subject was naturally loyal, and anyone who was not, and was keen to enter the country, would take the oath as a matter of course, irrespective of any Bolshevist or extremist ideas which they might harbour. “If there was only some system of examining one’s papers —where the whole pedigree of the passenger is shown —it surely would not he necessary to inflict this—this outrage! 'that’s what it is—an outrageous insult! You can’t imagine how it hurts a Britishborn subject, whose parents came out to New Zealand from England in 1843, to bo forced to take this oath. I can’t help complaining most bitterly.’’ he ended. As an example of the cheapness of Japanese labour. Mr William Cook, who recently returned from Japan, showed a Manawatu Times representative a wickerwork armchair, excellently finished and comfortable to the last degree, which cost only 2s. It was also pointed out that of this sum the middleman got his share, which was usually more than that of the manufacturer.