IMMIGRATION!

Evening Star, Issue 26030, 19 February 1947, Page 9

IMMIGRATION!

N.Z.'S NEGATIVE POLICY ITS FUTURE HAZARDED ■ "v " • (P.A.). WELLINGTON Feb/ 18. “ About two years',ago the Dominion Settlement and Population Association waited on the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, to place before him its view that there was need for a policy on immigration. The association has again revived the subject with an open letter to the Prime Minister. In this letter the association states: — “ While other dominions are actively putting their immigration plans into practice, New Zealand maintains a sphinx-like silence. We would again emphasise the fact that the great majority of thinking people 'in this dangerously under-populated land feel that the future of their country is hanging in the balance. Meantime, our sister dominions are. contracting to absorb the suitable immigrants who are available and unless we act promptly, the supply will dry up. Australia, which has larger problems than ourselves, both in settling her returned servicemen and in coping with a greater housing shortage, is chartering liners in an endeavour to reach its objective of 70,000 new settlers per annum., . • ' “The position in this country, can .best be summed up in the recent declaration of the Minister of Employment, Mr McLagan—“ 214 persons seeking work and 24,000 jobs unfilled.” The result of this is disastrously affecting our whole economic life. Insufficient coal, due to lack of , sufficient miners, is causing a shortage of cement. Shortages of labour are seriously affecting and limiting timber supplies. We are over 7,000 carpenters short as well as a host of other building artisans and this results in a housing shortage which is causing the gravest hardship and being avoidable, is a position not creditable to our country. , “ We are confident that there are no insuperable difficulties in connection with housing. An ample supply of labour of various types is the essential requirement and the labour available in New Zealand can he supplemented to the. full complement necessary by immigrants from abroad.” GOVERNMENT NOT IDLE. “The Government concurs in the need expressed for adopting a policy of immigration,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerec, Mr Sullivan, addressing the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation conference to-day. Mr Sullivan said he thought the Minister of Labour, Mr ' McLagan, would shortly be making a general statement on the question indicating the steps the Government was taking and proposing to take in regard to the securing of immigrants, particularly from Britain. i “ The Government - has seriously decided to implement a policy of immigration,” he said. “ In applying that policy, we must . take note of the housing problem and not add to the burden Of our existing problems by proceeding in an unbalanced way.” Immigration, however, did not seem to 1 be a practical proposition in sufficient numbers to make a substantial difference in industry until the shipping situation improved. Mr Sullivan, added that an improvement of the output of the available labour force was the only possible immediate solution, as he saw it, to the production problem. Higher production'per man-hour in many industries seemed to. be the- vital heed of the moment. From conversations he had had'with; several manufacturers, he considered that a Well-devised system of incentive payment offered the best prospects of securing higher manhour production.