THE IMMIGRATION TIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13970, 28 January 1909, Page 6

THE IMMIGRATION TIDE.

LABOUR CONDITIONS.

ACTION BY TRADES UNIONS.

[by TELEGRAPH. own" conßESroxr>i;N"r.]

Wellington, Wednesday. Among the crowd on the wharf when the lonic arrived yesterday with immigrants were local representatives of various trades unions. They were Messrs. Lightfoot (Carpenter;-, and Joiner*}, Bodell (Bricklayers). Beard on (General Labourers), R-eyling (Painters), Muir (Tailors), and D. McLaren, M.P. (Wharf Labourens). They were unanimous in expressing their strong disapproval of any action on the part of the Government calculated to induce immigrants to come to New Zealand/ insufficiently informed of the actual .state of the labour market. " They should know to what they are coming; they should have the fullest trustworthy information of how we stand with regard to work," said Mr. McLaren.

Mr. Lightfoob had twenty unemployed carpenters with him. "They are all good tradesmen," lie said to a Post reporter. "We are going to do our best to let immigrant fellow-tradesmen know what the actual trade conditions are. It is difficult to get the immigrants together when they arrive, but they certainly should be fully informed by the High Commissioner of the actual state of the labour market, and then, if they elect to come out. they do so at their own risk."' Mr. Lightfoot and the carpenters went in and out among their fellow-tradesmen newly arrived, and told them all thov knew.

When asked why they had com© out, all the new arrivals said things were so bad at Home that they could not be worse in New Zealand. It was a venture, and they were prepared to face it. Mr. Reardon was down to eec the immigrants who came out " prepared to take on anything." "You .see, - ' he explained to the Post representative, "when a man finds he can do nothing at his hade he is prepared to do anything. Now. anything means general labourer. It is therefore of the utmost importance that these men should know the actual state of the labour market. There are some of these men now tramping the South Island, but they cannot find anything to do. The Government must take steps to see the immigrants to this country are not officially dazzled with the prospects of abundant, highly-paid employment, which does not exist."

WHAKATANE'S IMMIGRANTS

FARM LABOURERS FROM IRELAND

[BY telegraph. —OWN pox dust.]

Dcnedix, Wednesday

.The Whakatane. which arrived at Port Chalmers on. Monday night, brought out over 400 passengers, the majority of whom were in the third-class division. The immigrants, among whom are some who paid their own passages to New Zealand, hail from all parts of the British Islands, and their occupations are various. There are farm labourers from Ireland, match girls from London, and tailors from Scotland; but they are .ill hopeful of getting work, and as they appear healthy and energetic, it if probable that their hopes will be realised.

A Daily Times reporter had a chat with some of the newcomers yesterday. One young fellow, from Fife, left the land of his birth because "tr.ide is dull." He could get little wo-k if any kind, and he made up his mind to come to New Zealand. The match girls are going to Wellington. The wages were to low at Home that they determined to leave, and possibly "make matches in New Zealand.

There are a few carpenters, who are nearly all going North. Most of the farm labourers hail from Ireland, and fine strapping young fellows they are. One man with a family of 10 is bound for the coalfields on the West Coast. Two shepherds from .Scotland will leave to-day for Queenstown under engagement to a stationholdor there.

ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS.

AN IMPORTANT MISSION,

[3Y TELEGTtAPII. — VRESS ASSOCIATION-.]

Aiiuiu,, Wednesday. The Rev. Dr. Guiseppe Capra, doctor in natural and agricultural science, who is on an official scientific mission from Italy, arrived by the Melbourne boat at the Bluff yesterday, and is just now in Invcrcargill. He has spent over four months in Australia, and Tasmania, and proposes to tour New Zealand. His special object is to study the agricultural resources of the colonics for immigration purposes. He himself is strongfy opposed to contract immigration, such as was proposed in West Australia not long ago, and anything in tho nature of the formation of Italian villages in the States he is against, His idea is to take back to Italy information that may be of use in directing free settlers to "lands so that they may go abroad and become citizens of their adopted country.