IMMIGRATION

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 51, 28 August 1925, Page 6

IMMIGRATION

GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ATTACKED OPPOSITION URGES CAUTION REPORT "TALKED OUT." The presentation of the annual report of the Immigration Department in the House of Kepresentatives yesterday afternoon by the Minister-in-charge, (the Hon. W. Nosworthy) gave members an opportunity of ' airing their views on the subject generally, and they found the topic so interesting that they "talked out" the report. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. G. •W. Forbes) asked the Minister, if he could give the HousS any information regarding the number of immigranta coming into the country, and also what steps were taken as to encouraging people to come out to New Zealand. He thought that the Government should be very careful about inducing people to come, for as far as he could see very^ little provision was being made for increases in population. Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Chriatchurch East) said that people were being brought into New Zealand by the thousand under direct misrepresentation. New Zealand could carry six times more people than the country was carrying .to-day, but that could only be done .under a sane form of Government. It was no use painting false pictures of New Zealand's prosperity. There was no land available to New Zealand people at a reasonable price, and that being so it was impossible to imagine that land was available for' people in' the Old Country. Unemployment was rife in New Zealand this winter, as it had been for several winters past. At tha State luncheon that day the Prime Minister had painted a glowing picture of New Zealand's prosperity, but he failed to mention the fact that there wera many people begging for a crust, "GROSS EXAGGERATION' 1 The Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. M'Leod) said that they had listened to a characteristic speech by the last speaker, wlio had exaggerated the position very grossly. The only, possible sane settlement they could have m New Zealand was a gradual settlement. How could they expect to double and treble their population in a year' or so ? The Leader of the Opposition had criticised the Government -for its lack of provision for immigrants, but how much had.the Liberal Government done in that direction during its term of office? A picture had been painied of people starving, but all he could Bay was that people who starved in this country were not very anxious for a job. Mr. J. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn): "Don't talk nonsense." Immigrants were not coming to New Zealand in 'ignorance. Seventy-five per cent, came out under the nomination system. Surely it was not suggested that the friends of these people had deliberately mislead them. If immigrants were encouraged to come to New Zealand at all they were encouraged by their own friends, who told them of tha •conditions which existed in this country. •

"COUNTRY'S PROBLEMS NEGLECTED" Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) regretted the attitude, that had been adopted by the Minister in regard to the | last speaker. The reply of the Minister had been far from constructive, but he had gone back to ancient history to show that the Liberals had done nothing for immigration. The only thing that a party could do was to administer the country according to its needs, and the Minister would find that the Liberals hud done that. Could the present Government make the same claim? The problems of the country were not being solved as they should be. With wise administration they could absorb not thousands, but hundreds of thousands of people from the Old Country. The fattening of financial interests and land aggregation were two factors that were standing in the way of successful immigration. . The people of New Zealand were not crowding into the towns; they were being forced into the towns by land aggregation, which was not being resisted by the Reform Govern-, ment as it had been by the Liberal Party. The Minister of Lands : "Bosh!" Mr. Veitch: "I thank the Minister for putting a suitable imprint on his own administration." (Laughter.) A BRIEF STIR Mr. W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei) rose in defence of the system. The Nationalists had found no weak links in the system, and had relied on the old cry of land aggregation. Mr. Glenn said that every member of the. Labour Party had been down to the office of the Un-der-Secretary of the Department, and had endeavoured to catch him in some' way or other, but they had all failed. There was 'considerable interruption at this stage from the Labour benches, and there wex'e. cries of, • "Who told you that?" ' ' ■ Mr. Glenn : "My friends don't like the truth, but they've got to listen to it." Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) : "Yes, unfortunately." There Were further interruptions, and the Speaker called the House to order. Mr. V. Langstone (Waimarino) said that New Zoaland wanted population, and could carry ten million people, but -they had to guard against increasing their population at the expense of the Ole Country. Vacancies at Home were being filled'by foreigners. No provision was made in New Zealand for immigrants, apart from those who canie out under the Flock House system. Mr. J. T. Horn (Wakatipu) was speak, inf. at the adjournment, and the report was "talked out."