IMMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA

Southland Times, Issue 23393, 28 December 1937, Page 6

IMMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA

Revival Of Interest Expected NORDIC RACES WELCOME IN COMMONWEALTH (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, December 27. The opinion that immigration was necessary for the defence and development of Australia was expressed by Sir Arthur Rickard, of Sydney, who arrived in Auckland by the Niagara. Well known in Sydney as a business man, Sir Arthur is president of the Millions Club in Sydney, which he founded about 26 years ago. He is also chairman of the New South Wales Committee of the Barnado Homes and for many years has been keenly interested in the immigration question. He will remain in Auckland for about 10 days before returning to Sydney. Sir Arthur said that although there had been little activity in immigration in recent years, the Millions Club was very virile, with a membership pf 1150. He inaugurated the Barnardo movement in Sydney and had been chairman since its inception. They had been responsible for bringing nearly 2000 boys and girls into the country. Many boys had been brought to the Commonwealth under the Big Brother Movement, of which Sir .Arthur was the first chairman. Citizens became responsible for one of the immigrants and the movement was highly successful, being regarded favourably by responsible people in England. There seemed to be a revival of immigration in view and there were at present 100 Barnado boys in training in Australia. The British Government was anxious to assist, but it had been found that Labour Governments in Australia were I not favourable to immigration. LABOUR NOT FAVOURABLE “Labour Governments have been distinctly unfavourable,” he added. “They have taken a narrow outlook and have failed to see that these immigrants will need clothes and food and will bring other requirements which, instead of creating unemployment, will bring more work. The United States was never more prosperous than when immigrants were pouring in. It is necessary for our own development and defence. We must get more people.” Sir Arthur said that Australia would be prepared to welcome foreigners who were members of the Nordic races as they were very industrious. They went to the country and were willing to engage in the primary industries. They were also prepared to uphold British standards. There was strong objection to Italian immigrants from some quarters for various reasons, and that resentment was increasing as numbers of their immigrants increased. It was only a drop in the ocean in a large country like Australia and it must be said that the Italians did show the Australians how to work There also were some German colonies, the members obviously enjoying their liberty in Australia and they were making excellent settlers. Immigration organizations experienced difficulties in the depression, he added, because of the unemployment which existed. There was now a shortage of skilled labour and it could not be obtained from England. The position was made more acute by the refusal of some of the unions to allow men to work overtime. There was a bad system of apprenticeship. Only one apprentice was allowed to so many journeymen and the unions, were always opposed to any extension of the number of apprentices. There was now insufficient skilled labour, because there were not enough apprentices coming on.