FROM OVERSEAS

Northern Advocate, 23 October 1935, Page 9

FROM OVERSEAS

IMMIGRANTS TO N.Z. BRITAIN NOT PRESSING. MINISTER’S STATEMENT. •. • \ ■ / ' LFrom Our . Parliamentary Special . 3 WELLINGTON, This Day. During the second reading debate on the Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives yesterday. Sir Alexander Young, Minister of Immigration, said that Great Britain had no intention of enforcing an immigration scheme on New Zealand, contrary to the wish of the Dominion. Mr Coates, Minister of Customs, said that New Zealand had a duty to its own people, and that was to see that they were first restored to industry before there was any revival of assisted immigration. When moving the second reading of the bill, Mr Coates said the legislation

had gone on from, time to time. The Government, would sooner not continue it, but, from a Departmental point of view, there were reasons for its continuance for another year. Mr F. Jones (Labour—Dunedin South) wanted to know what had taken place between the British Government and the New Zealand Government regarding immigration, and if there were any proposals for immigrants to be sent from Britain to New Zealand. He was sure that no one objected to immigrants, but, under the present unemployment 1 situation, a large number could not be absorbed in New Zealand. * Mr Coates gave his assurance that the question of immigration had not been raised at any of the discussions he had had with the British authorities. There were those who might want to come to New Zealand to make their own way, and he could not see any objection to that. The New Zealand Government, however, was not bringing any immigrants out. The bill was put through its remaining stages and passed without amendment.