MORE PEOPLE NEEDED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 113, 16 May 1939, Page 8

MORE PEOPLE NEEDED

By importing from Australia and Britain skilled workers in the building trades the Government has made a start —of a kind—in securing the population this country so greatly needs. But it is an exceedingly narrow type of immigration to meet an existing emergency, namely, the acute shortage of dwellings. To expedite the progress of houseconstruction, which has lagged for various reasons, principally the lack of qualified tradesmen, the Government may be fully justified in the steps it has taken to recruit labour from overseas for this special purpose. The question may arise later whether something like permanent employment in their trades will be i available for the new arrivals comIpatible with the training of New Zealanders in the building trades. The fullest opportunity should be given to young New Zealanders handicapped by the lapse of the apprenticeship system during the depression to qualify. The efforts already made in this direction do not appear to have been very successful. The case for the Government was put by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) yesterday, when he admitted to a deputation that in primary and secondary industries there was not nearly sufficient labour available, but declared that it would be wrong to ,say that the Government was not

making stout efforts —not without success —to relieve the position in many ways. But apart from the building trades what is the Government actually doing? Mr. Parry rightly placed the welfare of our own present population first, but how long is it going to take the Government to settle this aspect before embarking on a general immigration scheme? When, in the words of the Minister, the country needs experienced artisans and factory hands of the right type to cope with the expansion of industries and healthy ypung women to help lift the burdens in many city and country households, why does the Government postpone the preparation and introduction of a practical plan for getting more people into New Zealand to meet the country's needs? No such plan has yet been promulgated since the Government first took office. From all accounts there should be no difficulty in getting desirable settlers. "The Post's" London representative, in an article published yesterday, indicated the response there had been in Britain to the Government's offer to building, trade workers. In regard to the numerous inquiries from members of different European nationalities the Government is right in observing caution and reserve. Any considerable influx from Europe at the present time might cause difficulties in the absorption of alien elements. As Mr. Parry pointed out: "It is evident that we in New Zealand could very quickly have a very cosmopolitan population," which nobody desires.