PROPAGANDA NET FOR IMMIGRANTS

NZ Truth, Issue 1128, 14 July 1927, Page 1

PROPAGANDA NET FOR IMMIGRANTS

Shipping Companies' Boosting Hinders Rather Than Helps The Dominion To Prosperity BOOMERANG EFFECT MISREPRESENTATION

NEVERTHELESS, the immigration tide rolls ominously on. It can no longer be denied by the Government that propaganda-SMvell thought-out, nicely worded catchphrases — has been, and probably still is being spread out for the benefit of readers at Home. The /questions are: (1) Who is paying for this propaganda? (2) Who is paying for the lectures (?) (3) Why? F. A. Bartram, M.P. for Grey Lynn, who returned from England the other day, said he could absplve the High Commissioner's office "as far as the wild and insane misrepresentation of facts to intending immigrants is concerned.- The guilty individuals are the shipping agents." If so ardent an observer can "absolve the High Commissioner's office and the propaganda is still being put over, who is to blame? Here is some informative material from "The Aberdeen Press and Journal": " NEW ZEALAND, 'The Wonderland of the Sunny South.' AN ADDRESS, Illustrated with CINEMA FILMS and Beautiful Lantern Slides, By Mr J. BALFOUR (of the New Zealand High Commissioner's Office, London), ■""■ ' ''At' tlie' ' " '""'"' TOWN HALL, INVERURIE, On FRIDAY, the 18th March, 1927, at 7.45 p.m. ADMISSION FREE. Further information from local Shipping Agents. ]V[EW ZEALAND LECTURE at TOWN HALL, INVERURIE, 18th March. Tickets of Admission Free and full particulars, apply PATON'S SHIPPING OFFICES, LTD., 74 Union Street, Aberdeen (Official Agents all lines to New Zealand)."

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And m addition to this attractive advertisement, the paper had a "write up" thrown m on its main feature page. Wonder In Wonderland Of course, the High Commissioner's office has been absolved. J. Balfour comes from the High Commissioner's office, but presumably this was purely an act of love, this journeying to Aberdeen to tell the Scots about "The Wonderland of the Sunny South." However, if one can go so far as to absolve the H.C. office, it would surely be a rash thing to absolve the shipping agents. Not only does this advertisement state, "admission free . . . further information from local shipping agents," but, m a further little advertisement astutely fenced off, appears more follow-up "dope." " . . ."Tickets of admission free, and full particulars apply Paton's Shipping Offices, Ltd., 74 Union Street (official agents to all lines to New Zealntticr) -."-*" - ;- : -^ 7 ■^■■■t^^^^ ■ - Chilled Hearts ? The : reason, of course, why the "agents" loom so largely m these see-New-Zealand-First campaigns, is r.hat the breeze at least blows the shipping agents a little good. Like handling frozen mutton carcases, or chilled beef, these shipping agents quote "freight" rates for immigrants, and the more they can crowd, squeeze and pack on to steamers for "the wonderland of the Sunny South," the better. . But the consequences of insidious propaganda designed m the interests of £ s. d., first, second

and always, are sometimes distressing. Following no moral, or economic law, this dumping down of humans ten thousand miles away from their homeland, is very disturbing. Times are hard m New Zealand now, for New Zealanders,' and the unemployed are rightly demanding the mere "right" to work. Some of them, admittedly, are looking for work hoping they will never find it; fortunately,, they represent a very slender minority. Boomerang , Many immigrants themselves, openly state that they have been tricked, misled, and deceived by boosters at Home. Some of them have returned disgusted; some have gone back at Government expense, but surely this is a bad investment for any country. Of course, whichever way >the tide flows — whether immigrants, come and remain or come and return — the shipping companies have their freight rate charges. „-^Take -.-.-the*- -.present ,;_ adyertisemeTit, culled' from "The -Aberdeen .Press!' and let us look at just One of probably numerous sorry sequel's. Interested first by the attractive advertisement on "The Wonderland," and fired still further by the magnetic personality arid elocutionary- effort of the lecturer, George Stephen, of Aberdeen, was led to chase the New Zealand gold bricks. Ho is a cautious man, well-read and an industrious kind of plodder. v He decided that New Zealand, as represented, or as he was led to believe, was more than a wonderland — a Utopia, a magic country. He brought a little of his Caledonian caution to aid him m making a dcci-

-3 . ~_ — . sion and, after knocking off fifty per cent, as sheer "guff," still thought the country was bound to be worth trying. And now — . — ? Well, he doesn't say anything against New Zealand because he doesn't speak about it. He likes New Zealanders, but he is strong m his denunciation of the methods which 1 were used to induce him to these shores. The first thing 'he encountered at Wellington was an unemployed deputation; so he moved on to Christchurch where, he ran into an unemployed demonstration. He kept moving — and spending and' learning and observing until — cash ran out and he was unable to strike a position. Dawn I This gentleman was not by any means a quitter. ■* He has a working knowledge of economics but, m spite of this, he claims that nothing but sheer common horse-sense has driven him to the conclusion that New Zealand at the. present time, is hot the Mecca for immigrants nor the Utopia that he was certainly led to believe at this wonderful lecture way back v m Aberdeen. He claims that it was nothing but the grossest misrepresentation and distortion of facts and that he is a considerable loser thereby. He sailed for Aberdeen last week with very fixed intentions as to advising -people at Home of- the true'^ositiori. ' '■".- ' ' *:',-"■ " /; So, whether the High Commissioner's office can •• be entirely "absolved," or whether the greedy shipping agents can be entirely blamed, there is the sorry fact that New Zealand is actually going to suffer very seriously as a result of these "freight" first tricks. It is clue to New Zealanders themselves as it is due to prospective migrants from the Old Land, that the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, be given them. Otherwise it is well-known that one dissatisfied or disillusioned venturer to these shores, may re-, turn and kill the ambition of a hundred potential investors m this country.