THE POINT MISSED.

Southland Times, Issue 19357, 24 September 1924, Page 4

THE POINT MISSED.

Although the United States authorities have produced some explanations of the detention of New Zealand visitors at Angel Island, the immigration station at San Francisco, the statement utterly fails to clear the American authorities from the charge that the conditions at the Island were intolerable for any person of finer feelings. It will be remembered that a year or so ago the British Ambassador at Washington brought a storm of criticism about his ears when he drew attention to the conditions obtaining at Ellis Island, the immigration station at New York. His report on Ellis Island was more severe than that which has been made about Angel Island, but the numbers which use Ellis Island offer some excuse for the terrible hardships endured by the immigrants who have to wait there. At Angel Island, however, the position seems to have been only slightly less irksome, though the fact that their detention was really unwarranted must have increased the irritation caused by the methods of officialdom. The account of the brief stay made by these New Zealanders at Angel Island may be met by the assurance that detention in the future will not be ordered in similar circumstances, but there remains for disposal the horrible fact that the conditions at these stations, where unfortunate immigrants are herded like something a little better than cattle, are a disgrace to a great nation.