EMIGRANTS ARE THEY MISINFORMED?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18452, 1 May 1928, Page 5

EMIGRANTS ARE THEY MISINFORMED?

To the Editor. Sir,—Perhaps Mr Brands's article will teach the authorities a lesson, for undoubtedly they paint New Zealand as a land of milk and honey in their endeavour to cajole “Homies” out to this country. Granting that Mr Brands has made many inaccuracies and misstatements, yet the fact remains that it was the Government which first indulged in making mis-statements concerning conditions in New Zealand, as many a disillusioned “Homie” will tell you. We tell a tissue of lies concerning conditions in this country and then “go crook” when immigrants complain and tell us a few home truths. Why have not the true facts been stated to the people in the Old Country ? Hundreds of “Homies” have landed here when there has not been sufficient work for our countrymen. No one can deny that statement, nor deny that

“Homies” are disliked here. They are disliked because they have usurped positions held by New Zealanders, but instead of blaming the Government, which is responsible for the invasion at a time when industrial conditions have not been of the brightest, wa turn on the victims themselves. And there is much truth in the statement that the Chinese have secured a monopoly of the fruit business in Wellington. How many straight-out fruit businesses, run by white people, are there in the city of Wellington? Not many. In fact I think they could be counted on the fingers of one hand. But what of the Chinese? The only two fruit shops in Willis Street are run by Chinese (I am not speaking of confectionery shops which sell fruit as a side-line). There are at least four Chinese fruit shops in Lambton Quay, three in Courtney Place, and eight in Cuba Street. These facts, plainly, show a Chinese monopoly of the fruit trade in Wellington.

Mr Brands’s statements concerning house rentals are certainly far-fetched. At the same time rents are exorbitant in Wellington. For instance; One furnished double-bed sitting room, if close to the city, realises at least 27s 6d per week. An unfurnished room about 10s or 12s 6d. An unfurnished flat of three rooms costs anything from 25s to 30s. Furnished houses range from £3 3s to £5 10s. Unfurnished houses (some of them hardly fit for human habitation) range from £2 10s a week. And invariably the cry of the owners is “no children.” Mr Brands is not altogether misrepresenting the housing problem in Wellington. Thousands of people live in flats for who can afford to pay £2 10s per week for a house? To pay that rental one has to sublet a portion of the house. I pity the poor “Homie” who,"primed up with the glorious opportunities and wonderful conditions in New Zealand as related by the Government’s agents, settled fn Wellington. Until the Government ceases its misrepresentations and mis-statements of conditions in New Zealand we cannot justifiably “hit the roof” whenever home-truths are levelled against us by disillusioned immigrants.—l am. etc., G.R.B.