IMMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1680, 11 May 1904, Page 69

IMMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON March 25. People in this country habitually confuse the immigration policy of New Zealand with that of Australia, but .one might have expected the Prime Minister of Great Britain to realise the difference between the two. Yet his reference to the colonies during the debate on Chinese labour in the Hbuse last Monday seems to indicate the usual confusion of ideas with regard to coSonial immigration “I sympathise,” said Mr Balfour “with the Australians and with the New Zealanders, not indeed when they promulgate purely protective views abou British labour and the immigration of British workmen, but when they say that they will not tolerate the unilimit ed immigration of Chinese and other adieus, I entirely sympathise with that view.” These remarks suggest that the Prime Minister regards New Zealand’s immigration policy as one which aims at ex eluding British workmen. The sugges"iion has been vigorously refuted in the “Times” by the Agent-General for New Zealand, the Hon W. P. Beeves. “As far as New Zealand is concerned,” he ■writes, “there is not even a shadow of justification for such a suggestion, fn-ere is not, there never has been, a New Zealand law throwing any obstacle in the way of the free entry intio. the colony of head thy, non-criminal British workpeople. While immigrants of other nations may be made to pass a reading and writing test before landring, the*, New Zealand Parliament has been at pains especially to exempt from this test af l incomers of British or Irish birth. There is no other test. Moreover, the well-known labour clause which is fouud in American and Australian Immigration Acts is not law in New Zealand.” ' Mr Reeves continues: “I may go further, and point out that, so far from shutting out desirable British workmen, my Government offer’s facilities to them to settle in the colony. Cheap passages from England to New Zealand are provided for persons of small means by arrangement between the Government and the New Zealand shipping companies. Hundreds of persons, many of whom are work-people, or members of their families, take advantage of this system every year. In its last session the Parliament of the colony voted a sum of money stall further to expand and cheapen this arrangement ; and I anticipate that the number of passengers to avail tbemaeJvesof it milk in oohsieqneinoe, he much larger this year than before. Generally speaking, the attitude of the Government and people of New Zealand is one of friendly welcome to Britons like*

ly to make capable and useful colonists. Inefficients and wastrels are not wanted.” In conclusion, Mir Reeves observes that with regard to the immigration laws of the Commonwealth he is personally of opinion that most of what has been written against these laws has been grossly overstated. April 1. The Colonial! Secretary had some interesting remarks to make concerning emigration at tlie annual meeting of the British Women V Emigration Association the other day. Mi 1 Lyttelton drew attention to the letter recently sent to “The Times” by Mr W. P. Reeves, in which this subject was dealt with in reference to New Zealand. The AgentGeneral for New Zealand had. dwelt on ,ne objection of the colony to an invasion of foreigners, (but had warmly welcomed and invited all emigrants of British stock. Commenting on this, Mr Lyttelton remarked that it was the Mother Country's duty and responsibility, in response to so cordial an invitation—a duty which that association had so splendidly performed for many years —to seind out emigrants of that stock and character whom the colonies would be glad to receive. There was one great advantage which we possessed in, the United Kingdom, and he might say without 'offence, a superiority. They might depend upon it that a country tended to be dull unless there were a great many women in it. (Laughter.) We had in the United Kingdom a predominance of women in the population, with the result that we had a readier docility, greater sympathy, and far more grace than many of the countries which were deficient in that respect. (Hear, hear.) The association had organised itself, elaborately and with great ability, in order to make continuous the stream of emigration into tlie colonies from this kingdom. It looked after emigrants in its establishments, both in this country and when they reached their destinations. He was certain that no work that was being accomplished at present for the Empire could be more sure of good, and, as far as he could, judge, no work had been, and was being, more ably performed than that of the association. (Hear; hear). Mr I>. de R. Walker then proposed, “That tlie work of the association in introducing women from the United Kingdom to the British dominions beyond the seas is deserving of a larger measure of pub lie support.” He said that at present the association was living a hand-to-mouth existence, and earnestly appealed for further funds. The resolution was seconded by the Master of Elibank, and carried.