EPISTLES TO THE EDITOR

NZ Truth, Issue 850, 4 March 1922, Page 3

EPISTLES TO THE EDITOR

IMMIGRATION.

Dear "Truth,"— Thousands of workers m this Dominion must often wonder, is not "Truth" really the official Labor paper? Because of the assistance it is rendering the workers m every issue, it is to-day looked upon by them as the unofficial official Labor paper, if I may put it that way. I refer more particularly to immigration and unemployment matters. By means of the publicity which you give such cases as the Orr case you are giving Labor Union officials and Labor Parliamentarians m this country a lead which they don't wish, or are too slow, to take up. Until recently I was a commercial traveller, calling on farmers, over a considerable, portion of the South Island. If I am not unduly intruding upon your valuable space I will cite a couple of cases concerning assisted strangers from the Homeland. In a town near Dunedin a re-cently-arrived immigrant accosted a young Civil Service worker on his way home after, work, and/ asked for a couple of shillings to buy bread for his wife and family. Probably if a policeman had happened along this immigrant would have got a stretch m gaol for soliciting alms. The young fellow asked, '-How many children have you got"? "Four children and my wife," was the reply. "We have only had three half -loaves of bread this last five days. I can't get work anywhere; my references are no good out here. I have tramped town and country but everywhere I am turned down. But don't believe me unless you wish to. Come with me and you can hear the wife, and see the wee ones for yourself." "That's all right," the young chap replied, "you come with me." The new arrival was taken along, given a good meal, food to take home, and a few shillings to go on with. After learning the facts of the case, the young fellow's father, who is foreman of a large concern, told the marl if he came along to the works ,m the morning he could give him a Job for a few days doing odd work. Next morning the stranger went to the works, but by some mischance met the owner, who inquired what he wanted, to which the -stranger replied, "I was told, sir, if I called here I could get a few days' work. I am an immigrant;.! arrived here six weeks ago. ' I have a wife and four children and find it Impossible to get work, and am broke." "No good; I don't .want any men here lust now. In fact I am putting off men. You working men have far too many children, you know. Good morning." Next day this captain of industry put on a single man doing the odd jobs at seven bob a day.. "You working men have far too many children, you know." Ye gods! and parsons, hyppocrites and Jingoes are screaming themselves hoarse about race suicide. The following week, about six o'clock m the evening, I called •upon a wealthy farmer. We were chatting m the yard when m came a power-fully-built man, and inquired m that pleasant accent with which Scots people are endowed, if he could get. a few days' work. Anything at all, and he did not mind long hours. "I have nothing for you," was the reply. "But 1 was told you wanted a man for a few days." "Well, if I do there's a Chinaman ( over m the gully, and I can get him." "Could I get a billy of hot water then? I am not long m this country and I walked twenty miles to-day looking for work." "]£e, you can't; the womenfolk are out. There's the pump over there; take some water out of it, and go 'down the road and boil it." "I'll no be troublin' you; the Loard sends the water and maybe there's a crick along the track. Ouch, ay! and they told me you were a Scotsman." The Scottie picked up his swag and trudged wearily away. Shortly afterwards a young fellow rode up on horseback. "Hi, Jack," said this beautiful cockie, "go and tell the Chow to come over m the morning. I want him to! clean out the ditch. Take the dogs with you, and ride through the plantation coming back, and see that fellow just gone down the road doesn't camp there to-night." For business reasons I could not say what I thought. I contented myself with quietly inquiring: "Do you get many men calling for work here?" "Three or four nearly every day," he replied, "mostly Immigrants. Of course more go down the main road; this is only a by-road. It's a grand thing this immigration scheme. Mr. Nosworthy is the right man m the right place. I don't know how Massey would get on without him. He is the life and soul of the immigration movement. It's the only thing that will make those

damned unionists sit vp — them and their living wage." Now; sir, these are but two instances. I presume any amount more happens every day, which go to show that the ' capitalistic Tory-cum-cockle Government aro m league to flood the country with cheap labor at starvation rates. I would Like it clearly understood I am ' not alluding to the small farmer. lam m a position to know some of them are having a hard time of it at present. But for every poor cockie m this country to-day there are nineteen ! who are either wealthy, or comfortably well off. It is part of their stock-in-trade to continuously howl and wail. Again, I am not out to decry immigration. In normal times it would be quite all right. But for the next few years, until work is more plentiful, dti means untold torture m mind and body, for the workers m this country and those arriving here, probably, ending up m one of the greatest industrial upheavals this . country has ever known. What are Labor members and Union leaders doing about it? I venture to say your paper has done more for the workers dn this country concerning immigra-/ tion and other matters, than many paid Labor officials and some Labor members of Parliament. Do some of the latter think out-rof-work and discontented workers mean more votes for them at election time. If so, it's a penny wise arid pound foolish theory. Probably there will be a variety of Labor and LiberalLabor candidates standing next election, and the man who can show intelligence and ability m handling immigration, unemployment and kindred questions will get the majority of the workers' votes. Your paper has often given them an excellent lead, but they have been slow to take dt. What's the matter with them starting a thoroughly businesslike publicity campaign m the Homeland to counteract the misstatements and false dope that are laid before prospective immigrants concerning employment m this country. Thousands of pounds have been given by the workers here for far- less worthy objects. If the Union bosses and some Labor members of Parliament don't get out of that comatose state they seem to be m, and formulate some scheme to deal with the immigration, problem, they will become as politically dead as Julius Caesar after next election. — Yours, etc., "OBSERVER." Mataura.