WORK FOR IMMIGRANTS.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1586, 11 June 1920, Page 6

WORK FOR IMMIGRANTS.

ON THE LAND. FARMERS' UNION SCHEME. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Thursday. An appeal to all branches of the Farmers' Union to organise a canvass of their districts to ascertain the number of farmers willing to find employment for immigrants of both sexes forms part of a scheme to be launched by the Farmers' Union executive to encourage immigration to the Dominion. The decision was unanimously come to at a meeting of the executive after the pros and cons of the proposed scheme had been very fully discussed. Mr J. E. Makgill moved the resolution for the adoption of the scheme. He said the idea of the settlement scheme -was to provide for immigrants for whom no suitable work was available. The scheme would help to open up our unimproved lands, and would also be giving good training to the newcomers. There would be a great deal of initial expense before returns were obtainable from the land, but ultimately the scheme would provide much cheaper land in an improved state than was obtainable under present conditions. There is also provision in the scheme for the Government to be urged to at once provide blocks of unimproved land suitable for small farms, with the object of having the areas developed bj' gangs of men, including a large proportion of immigrants, under competent supervisors. It was suggested that such blocks, when ready for settlement, should be ballotted for, the men who had been engaged for at least a year in the development of them to have preference at the ballots. A suggestion was also put forward that the Immigration Department be requested to provide financial assistance for the canvass of the districts and the compilation of an employment register providing details of available situations.