IMMIGRATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 61, 26 October 1911, Page 5

IMMIGRATION.

il’or Press Association.') Christchurch, October 25. Dealing with tiio question of immigration, Mr A. W. Rutherford, exM.P. for Hnrunui, and one of the largest landowners in New Zealand, who recently returned from a visit to the Old Country, told members of the North Canterbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union today that the Government limited immigration to three months in each year, and to a certain number. There were largo numbers of people in England and Scotland eager to emigrate to the colonies. They were welcomed to Canada, and so were the capitalists, but capitalists were not welcomed to New Zealand. The Commonwealth Government—a Labont Government—was encouraging immigration. , , , In Mr T. E. Donne tire country had an excellent man, and an agricultural labourer passed by him was an agricultural labourer, not a Lancashire cotton weaver as had happened under Mr W. Pern her Reeves. It had been the fault of the Government which had stipulated for farm labourers. The country was hungry for good men. If more use wore made of the immigration facilities there would bo. more men working on the farms, and if that weye so there would be far more work' for the townspeople. Ho could understand the city people* objecting to the importation of artisans. The country should not be fooled, but more farm labourers could lie atti acted, and the wages question would not bo affected. There was no doubt that in labour matters the Labour element dominated the Government, but there should be no objection to the importation of more farm workers in the summer months. What was the use of advertising the Dominion so extensively if immigrants were not wanted.