THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

Bush Advocate, Volume XX, Issue 938, 4 February 1908, Page 4

THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

Tim number of immigrants being introduced to tho dominion now runs into a considerable number per month, and there is every appearance that tho present rate will b«> maintained in the future. Jn >onie comments on tho immigration policy of tho Government published -omo few weeks ago, wo urged that o degree of caution was nocossary, and that inducements to emigrate- should only bo held out to men who had some reserve of capital, excepting in the caso of domestic .servants. farm hands, and people of that class. For these, there is an unsatisfied demand, and large numbers could bo readily absorbed. Last week it was notified that the Canterbury Trades and Labor Council had been giving some attention to this subject, with th" result that that body had determined to urge tho Government to "go slow" in its policy of introducing immigrants to New Zealand, and had further resolved lo place its views upon the matter before some of the leading Home newspapers. The altitude of tho Tr.-'des Council in this connection has been very strongly criticised in certain quarters. The members of that body have been charged with selh'shnoss and with want of patriotism, and .some other unkind remarks havo been passed upon their action which in our opinion are not quite justified. We think that lhe Trades and Labor Council aro perfectly within their rights in making a presentation to the (Jovornment if they consider that a warning is desirable. Tho members of lhat body should bo able to iind out what the labor conditions ni the. dominion really are, and whether then* is sufficient vitality in the Stato under present conditions to absorb all tho people that may be brought or assisted to the dominion. Every. one agrees that tho dominion requires population, provided, it is ol" the kind that is calculated to iis^ist in developing its resources. Hut wo do not want to incur any r.i-k of the development of an imcui ployed difficulty, li

is urn d.'sinibie t Juit llio experiences <>i I lie early nun-tics should be- rclifwcd. ;\h<] i 7 ihc- Tnides and Labor fYiiinril Mf-s a danger ahead, they '■.n^ht. in our opinion, to be eom-nn'iidi-d for poiniin^ii out. UnforiunaU'ly. trade prospects are not (oo bright, just now. Mr Lloyd-George. n k-u days niso. in Knj^and, admitted iliist then.- were undoubted signs of a .sbriiik;i!4<\ nhieh, ho pointed out. had already been experienced in America and Germany. IT England is faced with a reversal of ill" prosperity jliat sho lias enjoyed now for somo year-, it must have a retlex action on this eoumry. The Mercantile (Gazette t-^ti tnat»s tlint tho drop in wool will moan o -hortajj,<> on previous years to X> \v Zealand of iwo miLlion.--, uliieh uium have a restrictive effect, oh irailn. A liir-^i; amount of )«-* )i. ; > b,.,., .-;,.,-,] ),v «!„. rJrongLt :iiid by i lie lii^li iire.- 1 . and here again tin.' pm'luciii^.- pnwer of the country has been levened. and these are all i actors that uiu^i b«> talsen into e<insid<rat ion in discussing this subject. It should also not be forgot ton that we aro within measureable distance, of i lie completion uf ilie- Main Trunk line, of railway. Iv is announced thai the rails will be linked up by the end oi ilic ye:!i\ Thero are about 1 000 men employed on this work, and in a i'ew mouths it should be possible, to dispense with n great many of ihom, as we do not for one moment suppose that the couniry will tolerate the- indiscriminate carrying x>n of public works merely to provide work iDr unemployed. If these workers, who havo some claim to our cbnsideration, can bo gradually absorbed in the dominion, and found suitable private employment, it will be a. matter for congratulation. It is all very well for leading journals on the Conservative, sido to decry tho action of tho Trades Couucil. but it must not bo forgotten that with an unemployed difficulty the position of tho Government would bo considerably prejudiced. Further, the Opposition leaders havo for years past persistently ventilated the idea that tho "loan years" must come. If they aro within hailing distance — and appearances suggest that prices for our products may not rule so high in the near future, as they have for years past— is it a. time for bringing large numbers of people to iho dominion of a class that may only add to its difficult ies should a period of depression bo experienced? Our Opposition friends, in their efforts to damage the- Government, should at least bo consistent .