IMMIGRATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17133, 21 June 1927, Page 2

IMMIGRATION.

MUST HAVE RIGHT TYPE. PLEA FOR DISCRIMINATION. A plea to members to nominate only skilled farm workers, with capital at their disposal, as immigrants to the Dominion was made by the chief, Mr R. Hamilton Nimmo, at the annual meting of the Wellington Caledonian Society. “Wc ceriainly want Scots in New Zealand,” said Mr Nimmo. “The Dominion can carry a much larger population than it docs, hut if we don’t get the right class of immigrant —and wc owe a duty to the country to sec that we do—then we are not going to improve matters. What we want are skilled farm labourers, with some capital, who arc able to go on to the land. It is absolutely useless encouraging unskilled men to come here.”

. Mr Nimmo added that his office, by reason of his being Chief of the society, became a sort of “glorified labour bureau" every time an immigrant sliip arrived at Wellington. He was besieged by men looking for work, and when he asked them what their occupation was the almost invariable reply was: “Oh, labourer.” “A farm labourer?” Mr Nimmo would inquire, and the answer would nearly always be: “Well, yes . . . but I would rather get a job in the town.” The arrival of this class of worker, said Mr Nimmo, tended to give rise to a spirit of antagonism, for in some cases young men from the Homeland might displace older labouring men who had spent all their lives in this country. Then, again, quite a number of machinists, ironmoulders, and such men came out here, but only In isolated cases were they likely to obtain work of the kind to which they were used. “I want you to be very careful whom you recommend to come to New Zealand,” continued Mr Nimmo. “Don’t advise men to come out here unless they are skilled land workers

I hope you will take this advice in the spirit in which it is given.” (Applause.)

He added that unemployment was inevitable at any time of depression, and that he would like to express his appreciation of the genuine effort made by the Government, ihc municipal bodies, and the commercial and farming community to cope with, the problems