The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1908. WORK FOR IMMIGRANTS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 247, 17 October 1908, Page 4

The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1908. WORK FOR IMMIGRANTS.

In recent issues this journal has commented upon the necessity for improving the system of immigration under which men and women are landed in the country without any definite means being provided for properly utilising their services. There is an absence of method in this which will eventually cause trouble. Fortunately the new arrivals have been rapidly absorbed so far, but immigrants are now coming in greater numbers, and unless some plan is devised by the Government of opening up avenues of employment for them we shall erelong have a large number of unemployed to deal witii. What we have frequently contended for is that special settlements should be established for the cultivation and preparation for tho market of many products in constant demand, such as fruits, tobacco, coffee, sugar, olive oil, table and wine grapes, and many other articles that may be readily suggested. Farms for these purposes under expert management, would readily .absorb all who come to the country, not only of the genuine. labouring and .farming classes, but even'the brokendown clerk, and the unfortunate "wastrel." The experience of an authority on the subject is that in addition to the farmer, or farm labourer, gardeners, stablemen, carters, navvies, and miners drop readily into farm work. An article recently published showing what is being done with desert lands in California, by means of irrigation,' the population profitably employed, and the general . prosperity arising from the operations, is a striking example of what may be achieved by systematic effort, as opposed to haphazard methods. The following information, which appeared in an exchange of recent date, shows how desirable it is to be able to deal properly with a. large influx of population: "The stream of immigrants from Great Britain to New Zealand shows no sign of falling off; rather the opposite.. In order to deal with the heavy traffic, the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company has specially put the Karamea on the run to New Zealand, the steamer leaving London direct for Port Chalmers on September 4th with a large number of passengers. Among them are one hundred and eight assisted immigrants, an unusually large proportion of whom (sixty,), have been nominated by friends at this end. The men include seventeen, farmers,, one dairyman, and six farm labourers. The children accompanying the assisted immigrants number twenty-six. One man is bringing a capital of £350, another one £200, while in other cases the sums range right down to £2. The total capital of the fortyeight immigrants who were not nominated at this end is £720. The Paparoa, which is expected to arrive about the end of next week, will bring another large contingent, as will also the Corinthic, due at Wellington early in October. The Labour Department has received intimation from quite a large number of intending immigrants of their decision to try their fortunes in New Zealand. As a matter of fact, several of them had previously been advised by the Department of the present slackness of trade- in many branches, but in their replies they stated that things could not well be worse with them than at present, and they felt sure that they would have a better chance in the new country than in the old. In such cases as these the people are coming out at their own risk, for the Department has done all it can to make the position perfectly clear." But there would be little or no risk for the newcomers if the plan we have more than once suggested were followed." The same problem has engaged the serious attention of the Salvation Army, and in a recent interview Colonel Hammond, the Army's immigration officer, said: 'We do not believe in sending people to a country where there is a possibility of their being stranded, and so we find employment for them before they arrive We feel it would be wicked to do otherwise. As an instance of the way in which we go to work I may mention that last year the Government of British Columbia arranged with us to send 1000 persons during the first four months of this year. Of all the thousands we

have sent out to Canada, we have never sent one who has not had employment there ready waiting, and if your Government will meet us we shall do the same here." .This is the point that we wish to emphasise. The employment should be ready ; waiting for the man, a system entirely the reverse of that which dumps him down on the wharf and leaves him to find work the best way he can.