IMMIGRANTS MISLED?

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 7

IMMIGRANTS MISLED?

LABOUR ATTACKS Alleged Misrepresentation Denied A WEMBLEY PUBLICITY BOOK [ Special M Chronicle ” Service ] WELLINGTON, May 18. Allegations of the New Zealand Labour Party that immigrants from Great Britain have been misled, by propaganda issued with the Government imprint are deprecated by the Government Publicity Department. Quotations which have been freoly used by the Labour Party in justifying the recent attack were Taken from “New Zealand, the Brighter Brita.ii of the South," issued from the Publicity Department, which was originally prepared for distribution at the Wembley Exhibition. It is ocmplained that sentences have been torn from their context and that this, as a whole, does not misrepresent the position. For example, the Labour Party’s statement, issued by tho national secretary, Mr Walter Nash, complains that one page bears the words “Ample room for the immigrant." The full text of the passage relative to this is as follows: “Ample Room for the Immigrant.—New Zealand has a total area of 103,285 square miles, or about one-seventh more than Great Britain. The tremendous scope for future development is evident from tho fact, that this country, with its unrivalled agricultural and mineral resources, at present maintains a population of only 13 persons to the square xnile, com pared with England’s 700, Scotland’s 164, Germany’s 328, Belgium’s 642, Franco’s 181, the United States' 35, South Africa’s 15, Victoria's 19 and Canada’s 2.5. Is it to be wondered at that the Government of New Zealand, in the interests of the Dominion’s prosperity, is anxious to encourage British citizens to settle here The distance from great populations aids in a selective process which has resulted in a very fine type of immigrant. Consequently New Zealand welcomes the newcomers and it is not difficult to absorb them into the na’tional life."

Statements which arc now alleged to be misrepresentations were retained after Wembley because they were not important enough to warrant a resetting of tho book, which was in type. The Publicity Department, however, is determined to leave no room for any criticism whatever, and the whole volume will be carefully revised be-