IMMIGRATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 June 1913, Page 7

IMMIGRATION

THE MINISTER’S PROPOSALS. CRITICISED BY LABOUR LEADERS. UY TELEGIIAril —PER PRESS ASSOCIATIONWELLINGTON, June 24. The new immigration proposals put forward by the Hn. F. H. D. Bell, Minister of Immigration, do not meet with the approval of the leaders of the various Labur organisations in Wellington, A reporter made some inquiries as to the views held by the secretaries of various trade organisations, for these gentlemen are in close touch with tlie state of the labour market at all times and under all conditions. Mr M, J. Reardon, secretary of the Labourers’ Union, said that all new proposals would be the same as far as he could see until the Government took some steps to make proper room for immigrants. “As soon as the Government has the courage to impose a land tax which will be effective in the bursting up of large estates,” he dec fared, “there will be room for a greatly increased population.” The difficulty he saw with the immigrants of recent years was that they had followed occupations in England which did not exist in this conn try; the employers themselves admitted that. In many cases the imported man was not suitable for the trades of the Dominion. At Home a tradesman was a specialist, but in New Zealand, unless bis trade knowledge was general, there was no room for him. A great deal of the trouble was caused by tlie choice of the wrong type of immigrant, and this was why men came out here and found themselves idle owing to their lack of general trade know, ledge. Mr D. Moriarty, secretary of the Furniture Trades Federation, said that more men were not wanted in the furniture trade. In fact, tilings had been so bad for a number of years that it had been necessary to protect the workers by entering info an agreement with the Australian j Federation so that men would not go from one conntrv to another to find work.

Mr M. J. Larncy gave his opinion hrfeTTy. “It is no use discussing immigration while there are men out of work hero and being sent to the relief works all over the country. If the Government would only break up the large estates by a severe land lax there would be an opportunity for more rural workers. Until then it is useless.”