A VITAL OMISSION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 74, 24 September 1938, Page 8

A VITAL OMISSION

Migration on which to such a degree the future of New Zealand depends does not figure prominently in the political platforms presented to electors. In the Nationalist platform there is a brief paragraph under the heading "Immigration":

We realise that our first duty is to our own people. We realise also the urgent need of increased population. We will encourage and assist suitable immigrants of British and European stock.

This is at least a promise to do something, though expressed in general terms. In the Labour Parly's platform there is no mention whatever of the subject. The Prime Minister (Mr. Savage) in his policy .speech at the Town Hall made one slight passing reference to the subject much on tire lines of his previous remarks to the effect that immigrants would be welcome when there were jobs for them. If there are no,t jobs for them in these times of prosperity on^ which the party spokesmen so pride themselves, when will there be jobs? One

would have thought that a survey of the "Situations Vacant" columns of ' the newspapers would be at least one ample piece of evidence of the demand for labour of all kinds. There are others in the admitted shortage of building labour which is holding up the progress of housing and in the shortage of farm labour which is making it difficult for farmers to carry on and tends to force up the guaranteed price beyond safe levels. It should have been perfectly clear to the politician and the public by now that without a substantial increase in population, which only immigration can provide in the near future, the outlook for New Zealand is dark.