New-York tribune., 1899-02-27
arSTRJlNS N NEW.ZEALAND.

This Is not the only country in which the
political astator has paugs because frugal i'm
migrants take the bread out Of the mouths of
his less nrovidcnt constituents. When we hear
complaint, against Italians or Hungarians not
that thov make bad citizens and cannot be as
similatcd to our civilizltion but that they
work harder than their neghbors of longer
residence want To- work. we may sometimes be
doludcd into thinking the habit OF every class
of immigrants - kick those in the position
from which they have just risen is peculiar to
this country. Bat the demagogic attempts
made in some Of our States, notably PennSyl-
yana. 10 fence in the labor market to suit local
prejudice are not unknown in the anipodcs
Ncw-Zcaand which Is 4 hOtbcd Of Socialism,
and as much given 10 crratc legislation as any
Populist state Of. America ever was. has been
listening TO the agitator with rather ludicrous
results.
For some wears Austrians have been going 10
Ncw-Zcaand to dig for kaur gum in the gum
fields Of North Auckland. They were peaceful
law-abldlng. hqrd-working people. They gave
small patronage To the saloonkoepcr. and the
loafcr had no use for them. But they made
money which others were too lazy To- make
There was no fun In digging gum in compct-
ton with The Austr.anS, 50 the agitatOr deter
mined 10 restrict the gum industry to his
friends. who would thus be nj liberty to carry
it on as improvidontly rs they wished. Ac-
cordngly he passed law requiring every per
son 10 have license before hc could dig for
gum. and allowing a license 10 be issued only
10 BrtouS by birth or naturalization or 10 per
sons resident in the colony for three months.
Nevertheless. Austrians continued 10 visit the
colony ana make themselves eligible for work
i'm gum fields. So the Government decided to
take more radical step. one day word
reached Wellington by cable from Sydney that
n cargo Of Ausirians was on its way from New
South Wales. and the authorities determined
with the herolSm Of Governor Tanner 10 pre-
vent the landing in the colony OF the new
comers The whole island was aroused, a cav
airy company was called out 10 prevent the
Austrian invasion. and the steamship from
Sydney was awaited with calmnoss but grim
determination What followed is thus report
ed by a Wellington writer:
In due course she arrived. and was promptly
boarded and searched by the officials. who found
that she had among her passengers no fewer
than-tWO Austri2ns, And even these were able
TO produce the necessary papers of indemnity
against their becoming a burden the state
within the statutory three months Thus ended
the great Austrian influx from Sydney.
SO the Austrians are better off than the
negroes who wanted 10 work in Illinois The
Ncw-Zcaland Government IS not. however so
fortunate rs Governor Tanner He was taken
seriously and denounced. while II is laughed at
aud has 10 make elaborate and awkward ox-
planaton. Meanwhile the TaSmanans are
aroused TO protest that NcwZealand must keep
It's own Austrian population and not let them
stray into their labor market. Yet all agree
that the Austrians are good citizens and hon
est people. Only the workers who arrived last
year from England or Ireland DO not think that