THE ASIATIC MENACE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 3

THE ASIATIC MENACE.

INFLUX OF COOLIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.l

WELLINGTON, August 20. The Minister of Customs (the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) was asked this afternoon by Sir Walter Buchanan whether the Government would more effectually guard against the admission of Indian coolies into New Zealand from the South Seas Islands and Fiji. Mr Fisher replied that the matter was now being dealt with. Mr Wilkinson said he had been informed that in some parts of New Zealand Indian coolies were employed by the Public Works Department. He understood that there was a school in Suva where these coolies, for the sum of £lO (which included the cost of their passage to the dominion), were educated sufficiently to pass the New Zealand education test. As the rate of wages for coolies in Fiji was only Is per day, as against 8s in New Zealand, the importance of the question must be evident.

Mr Young said tho question was a serious one and one that must be grappled with. He also referred to the influx of Chinese, and said the £IOO poll-tax was not an effectual deterrent, as the Chinese immigrants were financed by syndicates which advanced the poll-tax on condition that it was repaid out of their wages. A severe educational tost was required.

Mr J. C. Thomson endorsed the remarks made by the other speakers. The Hon. Mr Fisher said ho was quite satisfied that legislation would have to be passed this session if they were going to deal effectually with the question of Asiatic immigration. The present restrictions were not" drastic enough.

Sir Walter Buchanan : Has not tho Public Works Department employed some of the coolies?

Mr Fisher: Not to my knowledge. Sir W. Buchanan : I have seen it stated n print.

Mr Fisher said that if Indian coolies or any other Asiatics became naturalised after complying with the conditions of entry into the country’ they could not be refused tire right to work and to live. Mr M'Callum : On public contracts? Mr Fisher: You cannot take a £IOO polltax from a man and then refuse him the right to live. The point is that we want to stop them from coming here. He hoped that Parliament would agree to an altera tion of tlyi law in this direction. The Prime Minister said it had been stated that some of the coolies were employed on public works. He bad reason to believe that the statement was not correct. Hon. members would realise that there was some serious difficulty in the way of dealing with these men,'' not the least difficulty arising from tho fact fhat they were British subjects. Legislation would be required to exclude them, and when that legislation had been passed ho believed it would bo necessary to send it Home to obtain the Imperial assent. His attention had been called a fortnight or three weeks’ previously to tho fact that six coolies had been employed by tho State Forestry Department at Rotorua, and on making inquiries he found that tho statement was correct. The head of tho department informed him that being unable to obtain European labour he had employed the coolies. lie (the Prime Minister) gave instructions that the services of the coolies should bo dispensed with as soon as possible, and they had since been dispensed with. He was of opinion that the Indian coolie was not the class of person who ought to be allowed to come into this country. Mr MacDonald said the Prime Minister had stated that several Indian coolies had been employed on tho forestry reserves at Whakarewarewa. Was tho Minister aware that they were now employed on road works near Tauranga, and, if so, was it the intention to employ these men in preference to other men? Mr Massey said he could not say for the Public Works Department, but, speaking generally, he could only say that the

Government had no intention of employing Indian coolies. He would bring the matter under the notice of the Minister of Public Works (who was out of the Chamber), and ask him to take action at once.