IMMIGRATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 97, 28 August 1942, Page 5

IMMIGRATION

AFTER THE WAR A KNOTTY PROBLEM That a new era for the Dominion may be invisaged after the Avar was the general trend of a discussion at last executive meeting of the Auckland Farmers' Union when Mr K. S. Cox (Lichfield), brought up the subject of provision of the largescale immigration that might be expected. In doing so he claimed that it. was one of the matters .demanding the immediate attention of the farmers' representatives, as a tremendous amount of organisation would be necessary to deal with a task of such magnitude. He invited fellow-members to> envisage the problem that would arise if the Dominion AAcre called upon to make room for 20,000 farmer immigrants a year. If they had not a plan| ready they Avould have to put up with some scheme that Avould be foisted, on to them. As an instance of Avhat should be done he suggested that enquiries should be mad.e«-from farmers throughout the Dominion as to Avhat Avere the possibilities fo'i sub-division and close settlemoni in their particular areas. Our people, he said, must, realise that never again Avill New Zonlanders be allowed to hold this country with a population of from lVs to two millions. The chairman pointed, out some of the difficulties inherent in the I (Continued in next column)

subject. "After wc win," he said, "it will be difficult to exclude our allies, the Chinese. If we lose it wilt be the Japanese." They must not lose sight of the fact that the Asiaties were accustomed to an extrar ordinarily loav standard of living, \ which New Zealanders would find it extremely difficult and unpleasant to meet. In 1937 an enquiry had. been made as to the possibility of accepting, European immigrants totalling l/,~ 000, and it was considered that the. greatest possible number the Dominion could absorb was 10,00,0 year.; Mr Heath Mason suggested that the American* have a voice in the post-war settlement and the question of. immigration. After ther discussion it was agreed the subject should be brought fore tVic Dominion Executive,