The Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1913. FOREIGNERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10924, 13 November 1913, Page 4

The Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1913. FOREIGNERS.

"This dispute," eaid IMfr Massoy in tho House on Tuesday night, "is not between tho waterside workers and tfteir employers, but betweon a Federation, tlio leaders of which are foreigners. Governmen# members: Hear, hear. Mr Webb: What about yourself? Mr Master; I am a Now Zrainndor in every sense of the word. Mr Wobb: Tlon God help Now Uealand. (Cries of " Order, and " Behavo yourself.") Tlio Prime Minister: If v.-e had all New Zealanders on lx>f-h sides of the House we should have had it settled days ajo, Tho .sooner those shako the dust of New Zealand off tiheir feet the better for New Zealand. Poor blundering Mr Mareey 1 Ho has stumbled over those largo feet of his again. In his anxiety to prejudice the strike leaders (whom his Cabinet had already ordered to be arrested) ho placed the stigma of "foreigner" against'tho name of every individual in the community who has been so unfortunate as . to have been, born under other stars than ours. Of course, he did not mean to give offence; did not mean dishonour to the silver thread of kinship"; did not moan to imply that an Australian, a Britisher, an Anglo-Saxon of any kind, or even a loyalist of foreign nationality long resident in " the Fortunate Isles" was necessarily an inferior man or a less reputable citizen than the humblest creature born upon the spot. But there it is. He was off his guard, attacked by one of those cerebral spasms of his, seized with a frantic desiro to shillelagh tho nearest cranium, and away he vvent full tilt like the veriest Don Quixote of them all. And now he is being reminded in a score of places that he himself shares with Mr Semple the opprobious title " foreigner " (of Londonderry), that Mr Allen, Sir Fraser, Mr Herries, and nearly ail the higher civil servants, prelates, judges, magistrates, lawyers and teachers in the country aro " imports" ; that 80 per cent of the population arc aliens according to the Massey standard; and that there is no specific virtue in being " a New Zealander in every sense of tho word" unless you can act up to that credential, and prove to demonstration that you are worthy of the title. The Prime Minister's actions and attitude during the strike, have not been so antipathetio to all ideas of wisdom and statesmanship that it is pertinent, new that ho himself has raised the issue, to. suggest that the sooner he is asked to vacate and give place to a genuine New Zealander the better it will be for the country. Under a born-in-New-Zealand administration it has always been found possible to settle strikes without riot and bloodshed, without < a dislocation of the' entire trade of the dominion, and without patriotic farmers at a cost of, say, £4OOO or £SOOO a day to keep " the foreigners " -n order.