ABSORBING IMMIGRANTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18158, 2 August 1922, Page 6

ABSORBING IMMIGRANTS.

There has been a great deal of foolish exaggeration of the effect upon employment of immigration The Labour Party has been clamouring for months against any measure of immigration, and now the Liberal Opposition has joined hands with it. Mr. Wilford expressed a halfhearted acceptance of the principle, though he seems to regard immigration as a form of charitable relief for Britain instead of an urgent necessity for the strengthening of the Dominion. But he declared that at present our ports should be closed against immigrants because there is neither work nor housing for them. As a matter of fact, the extent of unemployment in this country is not nearly so great as it has been on former occasions—in 1908 for instance. Apart from that, Mr. Nosworthy was able to prove conclusively thai immigration has been an insignificant factor in the labour market. During the last year 7005 persons entered the country, but of them only 2436 were men, and allowing for tliOße who went 011 the land and for the coalminers, there were only 1681 men, representing practically every skilled trade, who need look for employment. Under the nomination system the majority of these had probably definite provision of employment, but ©ven if the whole number were seeking work, what effect would they have in a population of 1,250,000? The Government's immigration policy may be open to criticism on the ground that it is inadequate for the needs of the country, but to attack it on the ground that it is flooding the labour market is simply absurd.