WHITE AUSTRALIA

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11735, 24 January 1924, Page 6

WHITE AUSTRALIA

LEVERHULME’S REPLY COMMERCIAL PEER’S VIEWS ON COTTON INDUSTRY. COLOURED LABOUR NEEDED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. SYDNEY, January 23. Visoount Leverhulme, at a luncheon given by the National Club, replying to criticisms of his previous advocacy of coloured labour for the Northern Territory, reiterated his conviction that the Territory was the richest God ever bestowed upon man, but that there was no possibility of keeping it vacant and unoccupied. ‘ ‘UNDEMOCRATIC.” It would not be in the best interests of Australia, and it would be un-democratic-on the part of the working man, to refuse to cultivate cotton there in the only possible way, namely, by negro labour under the supervision of whites. He stressed the increasing employment of negroes in America in other than the cotton-growing industries. and the decline of cotton production. CROP INSUFFICIENT. The crop was insufficient to meet the world’s demand, and, if the black man ceased cotton-growing, they were within measurable distance of America becoming a cotton-importing country. A great opportunity was open to Australia in cotton production. He added that these convictions were reached after extensive travel and considerable experience, and he accepted full responsibility for bis statements, with no desire to retract or explain. CHAIRMAN DIFFERS. Mr H. E. Pratten, who presided, replied. He said that, (although they respected Viscount Leverhulme as a captain of industry and a prince of commerce, they did not agree with all his views. He had apparently overlooked the fact that the cotton industry of Australia was already a lusty infant. Next year they expected to export a million pounds’ worth of cotton grown by white labour. Even if they could produce the visionary £100,000,000 worth by black labour, the democracy of the country wouldprefer that they should go slow and stick to the white man. They preferred this to running the risk of having a recurrence of American racial troubles.