MORE MEN

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 23, 27 July 1920, Page 7

MORE MEN

IMMIGRATION POLICY

REPLY TO LABOUR CRITICISM

y FACTS, NOT GENERALISATIONS.

In reply to Labour criticism of the Government immigration policy, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, Minister of Immigration, has furnished a statement to the press ml which he deals in detail with the points raised, especially by the Wellington Labour Representative Committee.

"By the selection and the embellishment of extreme examples," the Minister states, "the committee has drawn a gloomy picture of the conditions in New Zealand, but its 'facts' are all very general, and are typical examples of the axiom that there is nothing more misleading than generalisations."

The committee is right in stating that there is difficulty in finding suitable housing accommodation in Wellington, the capital city. But if there was any desire to be fair to New Zealand 1, the statement would have mentioned the undoubted fact that the housing scarcity is more acute in Wellington than in any other city, and that the Government, as well as the City Council, is building houses for workmen as fast as the prgvailing scarcity of artisans and material will allow. This problem is not confined to the Dominion, and there is legislation on the Statute Book, and in' active operation, which prevents the imposition of unduly high rents, or the eviction of tenants who have no othei* house available. COUNTRY WORKERS WANTED. "But the important fact of interest to the intending emigrant is that—except for a certain number of artisans who are urgently needed—he will do better if he avoids the large cities, and goes into the country, where work and houses are easier to obtain. At present, the New Zealand Government is confining its financial encouragement to emigrants who' are nominated by friends or relatives in the Dominion. The nominators sign an undertaking. that they will provide suitable accommodation and employment for the, immigrant upon arrival, and the various' State. Departments co-operate in the important duty of securing work for the 'assisted immigrant' when heslands. An officer, of the Immigration Department meets all immigrant steamers, and gives advice and assistance to the passengers regarding .employment and accommodation. The Salvation Army- has taken up tin's duty in regard to the ex-service men and women who are sent to New Zealand by the Overseas Settlement Committee, and as the Salvation Army conducts large private hotels in the chief centres, it is well equipped for accommodating the new arrivals until they settle down, permanently.

"A good deal ia made of the high price of '■ food and clothing, but boots and clot'iine; are cheaper in New Zealand than in England. Butter, .cheese, and meat are extremely cheap compared with the 'controlled' price in England, and the consumption of these foods, is absolutely, unrestricted. The Labour statement would have indicated some desire to. tell the whole story truthfully. GOVERNMENT WORK. "Government work is to be (specially avoided, according to the Labour Repre- . sentation Committee. ■, The intending immigrant is not told ■ that the current i rate of •wages for unskilled labourers on road and jaalway construction and the large hydro-elertric worl« now'in progress is 13s per day, and for artisans 15s 6d to 18s Id per day; and that advantages are given in the way of accommodation. If the employees on the most important public works wish to take up small co-operative contracts they are encouraged to do so, and their earnings can be increased by extra effort and good team-work in the gang. The Dominion is easily able to absorb four thousand able-bodied men for its, publicworks immediately, 'to say nothing of the demand for artisans —a demand which must, be filled if the- housing shortage oompkined of by the Labour Representation Committee is to be'speed-, j ily overtaken. ! LAND SETTLEMENT. "The Labour Representation Committee specially advises country workers to beware of rose-coloured pictures of conditions in New Zealand. An extreme ex-, ample of high-priced land is quoted as J the sole support for this warning. Although some extreme prices have been paid for good land they have been paid by practical farmers who know that the return will be commensurate with their capital. But it is not necessary to farm on land of the price quoted, viz., £120 pel* acre; if the immigrant has the pioneering spirit and goes into tha country, he will be able to obtain much cheaper land, and will eventually profit by the increment when settlement grows closer in his own district. Farmers all over New Zealand are in want of workers, and there is no difficulty in finding places for experienced farmhands. For this reason the Government is prepared' to find passages for farm workers and their wives on payment of £10 each, this involving a State subsidy of about £30 on each third-class fare. Would the New Zealand Government spend money in this way if the result was to be simply a wasteful journey for people who are not wanted? *

"As to the suggestion that prices are out of all proportion to wages in New Zealand, industrial awards and agreements have been constantly revised so as to provide for the increased cost of living, as ascertained by the Government Statistician. .

"Thp real object of the Labour Representation Committee seems to be divulged in its passing reference to fear of a glut in the labour market. An extreme section of labour is anxious to maintain the serious' shortage, which lies at the root, of the scarcity of houses, for the coal output for some months was seriously reduced by a 'go-slow' policy, and the supply of bricks and cement consequently restricted. This short-sighted attempt to discourage workers in Britain from emigrating would, if successful, hamper the efforts of the,people of New Zealand to develop the unrivalled' resources of the Dominion in the way of hydro-electric power." LOSSES OF POPULATION. The cessation of immigration during the war has resulted in a 'deficiency of 22,109 persons in New Zealand's usual accession of population from overseas • to which must be added war losses of 16,000 killed and many incapacitated. New Zealand has splendid resources, but the population is only 10 to the square mile compared with England's 669. Scotland's IS6, and Ireland's 137. To develop the resources of the country more labour is essential.