MISREPRESENTATION

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 111, 11 May 1923, Page 8

MISREPRESENTATION

CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND.

An instance of misrepresentation in a British paper, "The Empire News," regarding alleged conditions existing in New Zealand, has been forwarded to the Prime Minister by a ChristchurcH resident, who himself came to this country from England twelve years ago. This gentleman has sent Mr. Massey a clipping from "The Empire News," which "is as follows :—"'The Empire News' correspondence, regarding the conditions that had to be faced by British' ex-service emigrants to Australia, prompts a Belfast correspondent to send us his recent experience in New Zealand. He was in ehai'ge of a marquee of the Salvation Army at -Lome street, Auckland, New Zealand, and he says; 'I think it is fair for the people at Home to hear about the starvation that is in New Zealand, and to, stop emigrants from going there when there is little work, and Englishmen are not wanted.'" "The Empire News" then goes on to quote extracts from a New Zealand paper of exaggerated statement* of the unemployment relief work carried out by the Salvation Army in Auckland. In his letter to the Prime Minister, the Christchurch resident roundly denounces the unfair remarks about this cfjntry. "I have been out from the Old Country for the last twelve years," he wrote, "and I think it is a crying shame that New Zealand papers should report such thing* as these to exaggerate the local conditions. I, of course, do not know if it is correct what is reported, but personally I do not believe it, ac I have been up and down both the islands of New Zealand, and I have never seen what is reported. So far as I am concerned, New Zealand will do me. I would have replied to 'The Empire News' myself, but I am merely a 'poor' working man. I thought perhaps your pen would be better than mine, and cer. tamly would carry more weight." The Prime Minister stated that steps had been taken to send a suitable communication to the newspaper in question.