AUSTRALIAN LEFTISTS AND IMMIGRATION

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1949, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN LEFTISTS AND IMMIGRATION

SYDNEY, May 1. That he had asked the Federal Government to ease its plans foi mass immigration was_staf,ed by Mr E. J, Ward, a member of the House of Representatives who, at his own request, had ben relievede of his duties as Minister of External Territories, pending the findings of the Royal Commission on the New Guinea timber deal. Mr Ward’s statement in a speech yesterday arcs? from the fact that some floats in the Sydney May Day procession earned protests against the inrush of migrants. Mr Ward said, he would request the Government to limit the number of migrants coming to Australia and he was seeking a elcs-'T method of selecting migrants. “I am not suggesting that-we buiffi a brick wall round this country,* said Mr Ward, “but I do think we can proceed too rapidly with th, quesetion. It is unfair to workers oi our country and to overseas workers to bring them here when we cannot house our own people. Many young couples in Australia would like to have families, but find it impossible because of the present housinr conditions. “I believe it is wrong to bring thousands of people into this country to accentuate our present difficulties.”' ___