IMMIGRATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13865, 30 March 1909, Page 6

IMMIGRATION.

SOME LOCAL OPINIONS. Last evening the Timaru Literary and Debating Society held a debate on the question as to whether the Government should or should not encourage immigration. There was a large attendance, and the debate revealed the fact that Timaru is possessed of a number of able speakers. Messrs W. Black and J. Wallace were the principal speakers for the affirmative, while Messrs G. Wilson and A. M. Paterson championed the negative. Mr G. Koller presided. Mr Black contended that New Zealand, with its large resources, stood in great need of more population, in order that its exports and consequently its wealth, might be increased, and in support of this argument' he quoted the great good that had resulted to America, Australia and New Zealand, through the work of the sturdy settlers from the Mother Country. Not only did the emigrants do good in a new home, but tffey also bettered their own positions, and lived far freer and happier lives than they could possibly hope for in the congested home land. The New Zealand Government should follow- the example of the Victorian Government, when, in order to find work for the workless, it had vast tracts of previously unproductive country converted into veritable gardens of Eden, and then settled the landless on them. , There were six million acres still undeveloped in New Zealand; and the Government should set to work to. settle them all. It could not be denied that immigration had so far done immense good to New Zealand. If this were not so she could hardly be called the gem of the British Empire to-day. The fact that we had men out of employment here in the winter only proved one thing, namely, that we required better legislators—men with brain power enough to put to good use the labour that was awaiting employment. Mr Wilson made sport o£ the spirit of cheery optimism which permitted Mr Black to advocate a larger population when New Zealand already had more than she could find employment for, and contended that the time had come when the Dominion should put the brake hard on so far as immigration was concerned, and we should step from the high pedestal from which we had been standing for so long, that "everything is lovely in the garden.' It was not so; a period of depression was upon us, and it was utterly wrong in such circumstances to entice people oiit under false pretences from the Old Country, for them only to find when they got hero a lack of employment and dear living. It .was insane and wicked to on bringing people out here in the face of the present position. He reminded his hearers that in July 1908 Mr Witty M.P., for Riccarton had asked in the House if the Government proposed to do anything for the unemployed, and the Hon. AY. HallJones had.replied that the Government would do all it could for our: own unemployed but could not undertake to find work for the overflow from other countries. Yet that same Government went on enticing more people to come here. The immigrants wore led to believe that this was a land where sovereigns were to. be" picked up on the streets, and one recent arrival finding a sovereign on the wharf when he landed was not at'all surprised, as it was what he had been led to expect. A few yards further on, however, he saw a'blind organ grinder and gave the sovereign to him, thinking that he would be able to pick up-plenty'more, while-, the- poor blind organ grinder was unable to see them. (Great laughter). He gave this story for what it was worth, but ventured to say that this deluded immigrant had not found many sovereigns since. It was nonsense for the Government to import farm labourers when the towns were already overrun with men out of work; and as for the cry for domestic servants he, considered that _a lot of silly talk was being engaged in by the would-be employers of these. What w.as required was not more domestic servants, but a willingness on the part of the mistresses to treat their servants properly. The desires of the. employers was to get an over supply of labour, so that they would be able to dictate their own terms, but it was not in the best interests of the country that this should be allowed. In conclusion I'" said all th-'t was wanted to solve the labour problem was a system of distribution whereby those out of work could be sent where work was waiting for them. Mr J. Wallace spoke strongly in favour of immigration, pointing out that JScw Zealand with its salubrious climate and undeveloped lands could support a much larger population. There would always be a certain number of unemployed at certain periods of the year by reason of the tact that we had a nomadic army of workers travelling between Australia and New Zealand, and while sometimes there was a plethora of labourers, there was at other times, an insufficiency. The better class of farm labourer was very hard to get and it was right that the Government should assist such labourers to come out here and help us to develop this country which was yet capable of great development. Under a suitable scheme of immigration the revenue of the Dominion could be doubled in a few years. Mr Paterson denied that immigration had been beneficial either to America or New Zealand, as Mr Black had tried to make out. They had it on,the best authority that 99 per cent, of the wealth of America was in the hands of 1 per cent, of the people, and how, ho would ask, did that benefit the people. What did it benefit New Zealanders that people should bo brought out hero to create wealth for the few? As to the facilities offered to people to get on the land iu Australia, that argument was useless, because it was impossible lor those without money to get on the land in New Zealand. Moreover, there was any amount of land in England lor those who needed it. There could be no sense in bringing people out from Home to settle them on the land in New Zealand, when there were millions of acres of cheaper land awaiting development in England. And as lor ploughmen, it was no use sending Homo for them, for there were none there to spare. . , , In the general discussion a. number of those present also spoke. Mr Black summed up in a vigorous speech, and on a vote beinf taken immigration just won the day—For 17, against 10.

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