PLENTY OF WORK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 27 February 1939, Page 8

PLENTY OF WORK

TRADESMEN FROM AUSTRALIA MR SAVAGE REPLIES TO WARNINGS (United Press Association! WELLINGTON. 25th February.

“They will not be out of a job when twelve months are up.” declared the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), in reply to the warning given by Mr E. F. Ryall, president of ! the Victorian Employers’ Association, ito building tradesmen contemplating ; work in New Zealand. , “We do not want to indulge in blan- ' dishments.’ he continued. “It was bei cause of that that we modestly menj tioned twelve months’ work, but we t have years of work to catch up so far i as housing alone is concerned. That , fails to take into account public build- ; ings, which have been neglected by : previous Governments. In round figures. we are at least £18,000,000 behind ' requirements, and if workmen can see j the end of that in our day I cannot.” ! Mr Savage said it was not intended I to charter a steamer to bring the men over. It was best that they should come in batches as arrangements were made for the absorption here. UNDER CONTRACT FOR STATE HOUSING SCHEME CHRISTCHURCH. 26th February. A reminder to prospective employers that skilled workers now being recruited in Australia would be under contract to take service for at least 12 months with contractors and sub-con-tractors under the State housing scheme was given by the Minister in Charge of Housing. Mr Armstrong. He said '.hat the broad purpose of the present immigration of artisans was to give relief generally to the building trade throughout the Dominion, but as the Government was undertaking the expense of bringing the men here it 1 naturally required to have first call on i their services. This was provided for Jin a form of agreement which each man would sign before receiving an asj sisted passage The Minister said all the men would !be engaged in Wellington and Auckj land, where the housing shortage was I specially acute. J “This particular scheme, which is restricted to the immigration of parsons skilled in certain specified occupations, marks the first assisted immigration venture undertaken since the Labour Government came into power,” said Mr Armstrong. “It differs from ! the assisted passage scheme which j operated under an earlier Administration in that the nomination method has been dropped in favour of individual selection on the grounds of industrial and medical fitness, and in other ways is novel to recent New Zealand experience.”