MIGRANTS TO CANADA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19833, 31 December 1927, Page 10

MIGRANTS TO CANADA.

BSG RATIO OF FOREIGNERS. PEOPLE FOR "ROUGH WORK." [from our own correspondent.] VANCOUVER. Dec. 1. "British and Canadians won't do rough work, and that is why it becomes necessary for us to introduce immigrants from Southern Europe." This serious admission was practically wrung from Canada's, Minister of Immigration, Hon. Robert Forke, for ho is a thorough Britisher and was born, and his father before him, in a border Scottish county. And it is made after Mr. Foike has paid a visit to Great Britain to study .the question of immigration at its natural source. The .statement has disturbed Canada. People from Great Britain and the Dominions often comment unfavourably on the fact that, whereas the British origin of Canada's population half a century ago was 72 per cent., it is now only 51 per cent., and the ratio is dwindling further. No one would like to seo the population of the Dominion of Canada recruited 100 per cent, from Great- Britain and British Dominions more than Mr. Forke would, ■ But Canada wants immigrants in far greater number.* than she is getting thera from Britain and must go elsewhere for them. "I am not trying to keep British peoplo out of Canada," said the Minister, in reply to criticism. "I believe that, if Britishers ol the right type come here, they will stamp their impression on the life of the country. But there is also a piece in Canada for the right typo of European. I shall keep my finger on the pulss of immigration from Southern and Central Europe and, if I think it is getting too great, I shall shut it off. But I have no intention of stopping immigration from those countries, They are the peoplo who are doing work our people will not do. When you want rough work done in this Dominion to-day you do not find our British peoplo doing it."