Must Have Population – Foreign, If Not British

Northern Advocate, 9 July 1938, Page 2

Must Have Population - Foreign, If Not British

-SIR A. RUSSELL [Per Press Association. Copyrights HASTINGS, This Day. “I think that it is quite cut c-f the question to think we can exclude fit and proper immigrants to New Zealand and Australia for ever, and I say wo must face up to the position and do so as quickly as possible," said Sir Andrew Russell, at a meeting of the Hastings Rotary Club, in speaking on immigration. When visiting Australia recently, Sir Andrew said that he made inquiries in various parts of the Commonwealth. and in a particular part where irrigation schemes were very prominent there were complaints made that there wore 100 many Italians coming into the country. The objection was that they were buying out Australian settlers, for they lived cheaper, worked longer hours, and worked harder. They knew more

about irrigation than the A-ustralian settlers, for in their homeland they had studied close settlement. In another area, where the dairy industry was paramount, there was a similar complaint among the men on returned soldiers’ settlements. With their lower standard of living the Italians were acquiring a foothold. “We in New Zealand represent one of the outposts of the British Empire, and Australia is another, and, if we are to hold on to what wo have then we will have to fill up cur country, if not with our own people or from the Motherland, then from European countries.” said Sir Andrew. “Wo must do it. and we must make up our minds about it, too. Also, we must make them welcome to this country, and give up any idea of class and racial feeling. We must not growl if they work harder than wo do. Rather, we must work harder ourselves. and strive to beat them at working harder.”