UNDESIRABLES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13838, 25 February 1909, Page 5

UNDESIRABLES.

CHARGES AGAINST JAPANESE

Press Assockt ion-By I Telegraph-Copyright SYDNEY, .Feb. 24.' Mr Lovien, the Victorian Commercial Agentm the East, < statqs that he has made inquiries on behalf of the Federal authorities into the bona fides of a certain Japanese■".'firm doing Inisiness in Sydney. ,' His: investigations prove that the business is a blind, kept going by Government money to cover the operations of i partners',who are engaged m the Japanese' Government secret service under consular supervision. The Japanese Consul ridicules the story, and emphatically denies its truth. STATEMENTS, BY CHDn Received 0,30 : p-.m., Feb. 24th. : SYDNEY, Feb. 24. The Chinese • merchants characterise Mr Levien's * statements ' regarding smuggling of Chinese into Australia as wild and moonshine, and point out that if coolies were, .permitted to come'to Australia indiscriminately it would simply mean taxing heavily . those already here. The newcomers would not be able to obtain work, and the Chinese merchants would have to keep them, or subscribe money to send them back to China. 'The■■merchants are prepared, if Mr Levieh can prove that organisations for smuggling Chinese to Australia exist,. to render every assistance to the Government in suppressing them. ■" _ . '■, ■ '