PASSPORTS REFUSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20075, 16 April 1927, Page 9

PASSPORTS REFUSED.

AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION. TO CHINESE CONFERENCE MR GARDEN’S TROUBLES. (FSOU OUB OWH COBBESPONDEHr.) SYDNEY, April 7. Mr “Jock” Garden is Australia’s stormy petrel. Around him more industrial storms have gathered and broken than about any other industrial leader in this country. Recognised leader of the Commonwealth’s coterie of “Reds,” Mr Garden never seems happier than when he is in the midst of trade disputes. Through him, elections have been won and lost by the Labour Party. Now when there was no cloud on Australia’s industrial skyline, another storm has broken. Mr Garden organised a small delegation of Australians to go to the PanPacific Congress of trade unions at Canton, the main object of the congress being apparently to congratulate the Chinese Nationalists on their successful campaign of ousting the foreigner. Mr Garden has been a consistent ’’barrackcr” for the Nationalists, and he is in close touch with the Sydney branch of the Kuomintang, or Chinese National Party. His decision to take the delegation to China was widely advertised, and everything was ready for its departure when a bombshell fell. When the members of the delegation went to the Customs House to secure their passports they were informed that under the instructions of the Minister for Home and Territories the passports would be refused on account of the unsettled conditions in China. Mr Garden immediately proceeded to make himself a martyr, claiming that an insult had been offered the trade union movement by preventing its representatives from attending the congress. But hints were given forth that reprisals would be exacted in the form of bringing about a strike at Canberra in order to interrupt the preparations for the opening of Federal Parliament by the Duke of York. The Communists even suggested that attempts would be made to prevent the Duke of York from leaving Australia, but they were not taken seriously. _ Nor is it likely that members of the building trades unions employed at Canberra will refuse to work overtime, and thereby throw themselves out of work in what they consider a “vain effort” to persuade the Federal authorities to reverse their decision. The Minister for Home Territories (Mr Marr) said that the Government had carefully considered the question of granting Mr Garden and his friends passports, and decided that in the circumstances it would be unwise to grant them at the present time, particularly to a person like Mr Garden, who held very pronounced views and might convey to the Chinese people a wrong impression of the view of Australia to the Chinese in their present trouble. Mr Garden had said that neither the Ministry nor any other body would be allowed to interfere in China’s trouble, which was a family one which she should be left to settle by herself. For once the Ministry was in agreement with Mr Garden, but if the latter on some future date made application for a passport to leave Australia and added to it a statement that ho would not return to this country, the Government would be willing to grant the request. "With reference to Mr Garden’s alleged remarks concerning the Royal guests at present with us,” continued Mr Marr, “may I remind him that the people of New South Wales have shown in no uncertain manner their enthusiasm for and loyalty to our visitors and the Empire of which wo are very proud to form a part. Surely Mr Garden does not desire to bring the Duke and Duchess into the matter. I regret that he should have made such discourteous remarks about our welcome guests. The people of the Commonwealth, which is the most British part of the Empire, will not much longer stand the vapourings of Mr Garden and his kind.” The Government law authorities, on whoso advice the Ministry refused to grant Mr Garden and his colleagues passports, state that it is provided that only “fit and proper” persons shall be issued passports, and the passport office has been constituted the authority to determine who is a fit and proper person to receive a passport, subject to the views of the Ministry. A traveller who leaves Australia without a passport will probably be in difficulties if be wishes to return, as the Immigration Act provides that a person endeavouring to enter the Commonwealth without a passport might be regarded as a prohibited immigrant;.