CARE FOR THE FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 117, 20 May 1939, Page 8

CARE FOR THE FUTURE

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Three items in Thursday's "Post" give rise to the following train of thought:— 1. The year's immigration return of 6493 new residents.

2. Australia's announcement of the tightening up of her immigration laws to ensure that "guarantees are provided for compliance with industrial award conditions." 3. The Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand very reasonably; desire the help in industry of skilled technicians who are European refugees. In the same breath they would like a National Safety Council.. Safety for what? For democracy? I do not doubt that we all agree on the question of a bigger population. One has only to compare the North with the South Island. (I wonder what the immigration figures from South to North have amounted to in the last two years?) I am sure that we all agree, too, that New Zealand is, and will be, primarily an agricultural country for as long as we need to worry about it. At the present moment the publicity barrage for secondary industries may obscure the view, but the working minority of farmers, their wives, and children see this -quite clearly. No one seems to have suggested training some of these able-bodied Public Works employees for work on the land. I wonder how they would vote at the next election if they were compelled to do this instead of going into industry? . But to return to these "technicians from Europe." I am going to ask a very pertinent, or impertinent, question. It depends on your point of view. Are these men to be of the Czech nation? Impossible! They have no organisation to help them even if they wanted to emigrate. That is to say no organisation compared with, that of some other classes of refugeesAfter all they are only the crushed remnants of a little democracy, something like our own. They have no friends like the others, that is to say no active friends. _ I wonder if the people who care for the future- of this country (apart from its material development) have considered that the percentage of unassLilable aliens in New Zealandis on the upgrade? Are these the people who will "guarantee" compliance with industrial award conditions" under a more "sympathetic" Government? ■> Build a nation! You can't stop us! That old cry of "but we are so isolated from world affairs" is as dead |as the dodo. The refugees of the Old World are beating longingly at our doors. I should like the assurance that 'those whose cry is answered will be people bf the same heart and mind with ourselves.—l am, etc., THIRD-GENERATION NEW ZEALANDER.