The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1920. THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16805, 31 July 1920, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. DAILY EVENING SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1920. THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

A certain section of Labour in Wellington is doing all it can'to dissuade intending immigrants from coming to tiie Dominion bj paintin'- woeful pictures of the conditions liere, especially with regard to housing. The Labour Representative Committee has recently senit Home to the leading papers a highly-coloured account of the awful conditions of the workers, which must raise a smile on the face of anyone who knows the facts of the situation here as compared with that prevailing in Britain. Food, clothing, boots, and other necessities it is said are all .dear and rising all the time, so that prices are going up beyond the reach of the average worker and his family. The one" thing that- the writers of this document have failed to do is to produce any facts to justify their statement. If they had given the prices paid at present for meat, butter, sugar, bread, milk and other necessaries as well as the ordinary rates of pay, hours worked and a brief description of the climatic conditions, they would have, so far from dissuading workers from coming here, have actually given the Dominion the best advertisement it could have had as a paradise for the worker. The writers know the position well enough and are anxious to prevent anyone else coming to share in this prosperity. They still hold to the old silly idea that there is only a certain amount of work to bet done in the world and if there are three workers to do it instead of two one will he unemployed. Everyone in the, Dominion knows that there is work and good wages here awaiting anyone who likes to take them. It is true that in some cases there is not a tram-car passing the door and no picture theatre within five minutes’ walk, but these are not essential to a happy life. In an article recently . reference was made to a propaganda pamphlet issued by ArmoUr and Co. dealing with the facts about the Meat Trust. It is wise to learn even from our enemies and the Gbvernment might well produce a booklet giving a brief statement of the facts as to wages, employment, and prices in Few Zealand. All this information may be found in The Tear Book and similar publications, but nobody reads these, whereas the same facta pu.i JW-

ward in an attractive way would ~be eagerly read. There is no need for any embroidery or exaggeration, the figures, if displayed so that they can be easily followed, will speak for themselves. It is due to the country that a little money should be spent in preserving its good name from the aspersions of those who would foul their own nest. _ A good pai’t of the warning to immigrants consists of the story pf housing difficulties in Wellington—“we could fill pages of matter relating to the hardships of citizens, as overcrowding is rampant.” This stuff is really waste of time, first, because no one wishes immigrants to remain in Wellington and, second, because the conditions in the towns of Britain are infinitely worse than here. People who talk of slums in New Zealand are either ignorant as to what a slum really is, or wilfully attempting to 'deceive. There are undoubtedly places in New Zealand, even in New Plymouth, where people should not be allowed to live, but an hour spent in certain parts of London, Glasgow, New York, or Dublin would soon lead the visitor to thank heaven that such sights could not be found in the Dominion. “Country workers are especially advised to beware of rose-coloured pictures of conditions in New Zealand. It is impossible to take up land without substantial capital, as good dairying land is selling at £1!20 per acre, and even higher, and Government work is to he specially avoided.” This is purely malicious and its only justification is that the writers are absolutely ignorant of the conditions of country life. It makes one feel ashamed that there are men in this_ country who can deliberately sit down and write such nonsense, and the only consolation is that the people it will detor from coming here are poor stuff and would not make good settlers. The men we want are pot so easily gulled as the Wellington Labour men think and wo shall get plenty of them if the Government lets the facts about the country he published far and wide.