IMMIGRATION

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3892, 21 April 1937, Page 6

IMMIGRATION

ADDRESS AT OHAUPO. At a combined meeting of members cf the Women’s Division and Women’s Institute at Ohaupo, a very interesting address on immigration was given by Mrs Irvine, of Otorohanga. “In New Zealand,” said Mrs Irvine, “we cf the farming community are not getting anywhere, and after careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the root cf the whole trouble is that we have not enough people. A larger population would enable us to overcome most of our present difficulties. “A larger population is> the only permanent cure for unemployment, for the greater number of people would create work. This was evident in the last slump,” continued the speaker, for had the' exti;a taxation been shared by a larger population, the overhead expenses would have been considerably reduced. “On returning from a trip to England, one is impressed more than ever with the isolated position of our country, and the urgent necessity of having adequate protection for defence. The various governments had tried their utmost to develop the resources of the country and had launched schemes of improvement and development. From the time af Sir Julius' Vogel, borrowing on a large scale to meet these Schemes of public works had placed a heavy burden on the people, and to find money for more development, there had beSTr still more taxation. There could be no relief from taxation while there was only a small population to carry the burden. The only way, was to bring more people into the country. “Great Britain took what she could from us. but the Home Land was ncc an expanding market. A larger population would absorb, not only primary goods, but secondary products, as well. Some one had said that no country could achieve greatness by agriculture alone, and they could not expect to reach a high standard in secondary industries without a large percentage of highly-trained and competent tradesmen. “It was a matter for regret that with very few exceptions, the clever young people had to leave these shores to get positions. It would be to the nation’s benefit to have more people to provide cultural and experimental occupations in order to keep its best brains in the country. The Mother Country was anxious to send people to, swell the population and thus solve some of the greatest difficulties. People here had independence and freedom under the British Flag and should safeguard this heritage so that they might pass these same facilities cn to their children.”