CHAP. III] THE CONFERENCE OF 1911 1543
(n) Reciprocal legislation as to destitute and deserted persons
The emigration discussion on June 9 was followed by a
discussion of the proposal of the New Zealand Government
for reciprocal legislation for the relief of destitute and
deserted persons.
The difficulty which the resolution was proposed to meet
was, as explained by Dr. Findlay, that arising from men
deserting their wives and going to other Dominions. Proceed-
ings under the Fugitive Offenders Act, 1881, when possible,
were extremely expensive, and in addition defeated their
object by depriving the offender of his means of livelihood.
Reciprocity already existed in this matter between England,
Ireland, and Scotland, and he desired there should be inter-
Imperial reciprocity. New Zealand and theStates in Australia
were prepared to make reciprocal arrangements by law
ander which orders obtained in either New Zealand or
Australia could be enforced by the Courts of the other.
Mr. Fisher ? supported this proposal, but Mr. Malan? saw
practical difficulty in extending it beyond the limits of any
Dominion, though he recognized that if one or two offenders
were brought to book something would be done in order to
obtain the desired result. He suggested, however, that the
matter might be simplified by making desertion an offence
for which deportation could take place. Mr. Burns,* while
agreeing in the principle, thought there would be difficulty
in applying it in practice. The English Local Government
Board ® thought that the cost of enforcing the principle would
be disproportionate to the benefit, and this view was shared
by the Irish Local Government Board and the Home Office,
but he would be prepared to consider with the Law Officers
of the Crown whether it might not be possible to meet the
situation by making desertion an offence to be punished by
deportation, and eventually, after a reply from Dr. Findlay,
who preferred the practice of simply enforcing desertion orders
in any part of the Empire, it was agreed to pass a resolution.
' Cd. 5745, pp. 206-8, 210, 211.
: Ibid., p. 208. s Thid., pp. 208-10.
' Ibid., p. 210. ¢ See Parl. Pap., Cd. 5746-1, pp. 223-9.
