UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19527, 9 July 1925, Page 6

UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS.

Written for the Otago Daily Times. By “B.” While some people arc loudly decrying the iniquitous autocracy of tho AttorneyGeneral who has seen lit to order lue deportation of an undesirable _ immigrant, others, more sane,' are quietly asking, “Why?” One has been greatly struck at tho ignorance of tho majority in connection with matters of immigration. the average man considers that to enter New Zealand all that is necessary is to get a steamer ticket, step on tho boat, and on arrival step oil, and from henceforth tti« arrival is a citizen of Now Zealand. A little quiet reilection will show how unwise such a system would be. bet ns suppose that a young man not wanted by his relatives in Australia is provided with a steamer ticket and shipped to Now Zealand. On arrival it is found that the young man is an imbecile. Some would then loudly affirm, “Ho has [laid _ his passage money. Why will you prohibit him from landing?” The reason in this case is apparent. Ho will immediately become a charge on the public of tho dominion, which from that time,will have to support him. , . This supposit itious case will explain one 01 the chief reasons why tho doctors board every foreign going boat on amval in New Zealand. The weary passenger imagines that the doctor wants to see if ho has tho plague and is annoyed at haying to na.lt in a line till the health officer looks lovingiy into his eyes and feels his quickly beating pulse. The doctor, besides being mere to detect any contagious disease, is on the look-out to see if any passenger is likely to become a charge on tho public institutions of tho dominion. A cose of this sort came under tho notice of tlie writer a year or two back. An immigrant ship bringing sonic domestics arrived m the stream. Tho patient passengers quict.y passed under the eye of the doctor, with no remarks from that official, till a young lassie came along with her arm in , a Tho doctor’s eye quickened. ‘What s wrong hero?” ho queried. “I broke my arm while skipping, doctor,” exclaimed the blushing lassie. She was asked to stand aside for a time. A iitlle later on a deputation of tho master, the doctor, and an immigration officer, approached the now frightened girl and informed her that unless she could produce a bond of £IOO stating that she would not be a charge on tho dominion, she would not bo permitted to land. This may seem hard, but the principle involved is good, and one for which I believe oven the extreme Labourite would fight. So much for the infirm or imbecile. Prior to tho war, the question of admittance or rejection of immigrants was determined under the provisions of the Immigration Restriction Act, 1908, wtiich provided, inter alia, that persons who come under tho heading of imbecile passengers—i.e., lunatic, idiotic, doaf, dumb, blind, or infirm, and likely to become a charge upon any public institution —or persons suffering from loathsome or dangerous contagious diseases, or criminals, should he prohibited from landing in tho dominion. Under this : Statuto aliens other than Chinese were allowed to land in tho minion provided they could satisfy an immigration officer that they could write a given form in any European language. Tho war, which overthrew many existing fonns of government and set at liberty forces which would overturn all existing forms of society, changed everything. During the war the matter of immigration was controlled under emergency legislation and the first move after the war in fW way of framing definite permanent legislation to deal with the problems left by the war was tho enactment of the Undesirable Immigrants Exclusions Act, 1919. The first provisions of this Act wore those which every patriotic citizen concurred in—namely, the exclusion of those aliens who were our enemies during tho war. The next section provided the now departure which is at the present time creating all tho controversy in Now Zealand. inis section will aland quoting in full: When the Attorney-General is satisfied that any person is not permanently resident in New Zealand and is disaffected or disloyal or of .such a character that his presence in Now Zealand would he injurious to the peace, order, and good government, of that dominion and that such [terson is about to arrive or land in New Zealand from parts beyond the seas, tho Attorney-General may, by order signed by him, prohibit that person from landing in New Zealand. Analysed, the section relates to persons 1. Who are not New Zealanders. 2. Who are disloyal. 3. And who are dangerous characters. The section thus analysed shows an honest attempt to deal with the problem of persons whose aim and objects are to overthrow all organised government and throw our happy country, into a state of turmoil such as'we see in other parts of the world. But perhaps the greatest outcry against this Act is the fact that tho power is in tho hands of the Attorney-General. They ask, Why should this one man have the power? Would they call together tho whole Parliament whenever there is a case to decide? Would they leave the matter in tho hands of the permanent head of tho Immigration Department or Customs Department? Would they allow the matter to bo finally disposed of by a magistrate? Any of those suggestions is preposterous, and the only solution to the difficult question is tho one which tho Government haa seen fit to adopt—namely, place tho matter in tho hands of the country’s highest legal authority—the 'Attorney-General. It will thus be seen that, in tho case which is at present before the public eye, the Attorney-General has merely acted within his powers. There is no doubt to the. honest mind that the person whoso case has most lately claimed the attention of that official comes within the scope of tho section which has been emoted. If reports arc true—and wo have no cause to doubt them—he advocates the overthrow by force of all existing institnliqna and the replacing of them by a system' which tho average citizen contemplates with dread. The above provisions regarding immigration were enlarged by tne Immigration Restriction Amendment Act, 1980, which provides that before aliens of any race can land in New Zealand they must bo in possession of a permit under tho Act, Before this permit is granted an application supported by certificates from tho police of the district where tile immigrant lives must bo forwarded to New Zealand. Under the provisions of the Undesirable Immigrants’ Exclusion Act, it is provided that, every person arriving in tho dominion must make a declaration which contains particulars as to tho private history of the immigrant and also requires him to state his-reason for coming to tho colony. In the case of aliens this declaration must bo supported by an oath of allegiance to tho laws of the dominion. Tlie foregoing resume of tho provisions as to immigration in New Zealand may help to clear up much of tho misunderstanding which at present exists on this subject.