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Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 66, 17 March 1908, Page 5

The "Italc-Austrariana" reproduces an article from a Rome paper, from which the following is an extract: "Australia and Sew Zealand represent the most datestable type of civilisation. Their Oavernments, which style themselves socialistic, their so-called Labour democracy, are merely empty names. The most recent phases of civilisation, which we so much admire, are with them but means of exploitation; forms of selfishness and jjreed of the most ponderoun description. Civilisation without tha light of thought, without ideality, only one thing they desire, to one end aloiai they tend —money. With immense traeia of land lying fallow, calling for cultivation, they impede or limit immigratioa that they may keep their wages up to a high standard; with enormous riches to develop they decrease the birth-rate by egoistic and immoral malthusianisnu New Zealand, situated at the antipodes of Italy, with more or less the same climate, with an almost equal area, arid, with fewer inhabitants than the province of Florence, would look upon Italian immigration as a misfortune. With a territory that rrrigfit perhaps sustain a population equal to that of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand have no more inhabitants than the provinces of Venetia and Emilia tog-ether. If a day should come when England be involved in a European war, not only could she not defend Australia, but probably might find it convenient to abandon it. In any case, it -will be by v.-ay of the Philippines, after a probable conflict with the United States, that Japan, followed and urged on by China, will push towards its dominion of the futufs, the dominion over a new continent, reserved, sooner or later, to conquest by the Mongol race." The report of the Auckland bureau o* the Department of Labour for March states that business is steadily moving' on, and there are no complaints of slack" ness in any branch of trade. There has been a steady demand for labour, and very few good men are out of work. Unskilled labour is in an equally satisfactory condition, and there is very little difficulty in placing good men. burin" February 82 married men and' 100 single men were sent to employment. Of this number 207 were unskilled labourers. A conference of English clergy was held at London recently to consider the means by which clergymen could assist and advise emigrants leaving Great Britain to make a home in the colonies. It is rather significant to note (says the "Age") that the discussion practically centred round Canada and emigrants to that country. Nearly all the speakers dealt exhaustively with the emigration work done by the Colonial and Continental Church Society on behalf of emigrants proceeding to Canada. The society had, it appears, chaplains stationed at all the principal Canadian ports of entry such as Quebec, St. John, New Brunswick Halifax, and Nova Scotia. The only reference to the Commonwealth as a destination for desirable emigrants was made by the Rev. H. E. Elwell, who vaguely spoke of "Australia and other parts of the world." In view of the fact that most of the leading Australian Anglican clergymen are now on their way or about to depart to England to taio part in the pan-Anglican Cangress, it is to be hoped they will take advantage of the opportunity to dispel the ignorance of their clerical brethren in the old country regarding Australia and Australians.