ASSISTED IMMIGRATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11505, 10 February 1909, Page 5

ASSISTED IMMIGRATION.

LABOR COUNCIL'S PROTEST.

THE MINISTER'S REPLY

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Trades and Labor Council 'ast night Avaited on the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Immigration, >to protest against a continuance of the present system of assisted immigration. It was pointed out that unemployment Avas general throughout the •Dominion, and tbe prospects for the coming Avinter Avere bad. Hence the arrival pf people from abroad avus an-' embarrasment to the \vorkerß and the country generally, Mr FoAvlds, m reply, said a country Witb New Zealand's possibilities .be able to absorb a fair number of pttOpje under normal conditions. It Avas Avrong for the Government, to add to an overstocked labor market, -however, ibyo^Jfing for assisted immigration, and" wnere it was evident this was tbe result it Avould be ended. The demand for domestic servants was great and unsatisfied, and some time ago "tha fiigh Commissioner Avas instructed that only domestic servants and agricultural 'laborers should be assisted. Of 'the iniihlgranis arriving only about bne-thifd - were assisted last year. Out "of 6589 arrivals only 19?7 were approved by the High Comniisiopers, and 1103 obtained assisted passages on the nomination of friends m. the" Dominion. Certain shipping agents, had. been. if . making Avbichwere unWarrdn^j^|d-{t';^? 'cljfficuHTto know how this -^vas 'to be dealt with. It might however, be possible for the Gpyerhnient to minimise the misrepresentations bf some shipping agents. 'Anything that could..,bs.dQn§ tp. stop adding to an over-stocked labor market | wbidd be done. The Goyernment, however, could not advertise all oyer ? the I pnitedi Kingclom iinjai tbere-was rioj roopi m NeAV : Zefiland, and "it V/a'S. 'hot itise for an individual or a nation to cry (.stinking fish iti that way. The High Comthissidher would give a clear 'statement of the different industries as revealed by the figures, of the Labor Ce-. partuifent. ; LAND FOR; THE ASKING.

.Regarding the cutting' up of land for settlers, the Minister .said the Government * Avas doing as ftnich- as possible, and he pointed ■ out that' there was plehtjiV Of gbod land'ih Aiicklrthd' to be had for asking. *