IMMIGRATION SHOULD CEASE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 412, 22 January 1909, Page 7

IMMIGRATION SHOULD CEASE.

• ■■:'-'. ,; '- : '.''' "■<>.,'. ...'' :■-":: : :--:' :v : : " [■< LABOUR ;1; : : ■''. A clipping . from. the.': Qlasgow';"Weekly News" drew thei'attention 'of th;e'Trade's and Labour Council last, higlit to -tte':.question, of, assisted ;immigrationv; ; ; v : ,The' ■clippmg .stated that there were'/openings- in. New Zealand for, .workers iii'the-.tailoring; andriibotmaking trades, and delegates from these branches of labour, took. exception '■'■to ,, the .. : .' : - : A' miember of the hootinaking trade':. explained'that, in.tholaho.ui'.-jourrial there was a statonient that the trade was;.iri a: flourish-; ing condition. , .but'this yi6w,had been'arrived kt by the omci'als. : on accouritbf .the number of overtime permits' issued'; "chiefly to girls., . ; ■ At a later 3tage;iii ; the; meeting tho'matter received further when .a delegate suggested- av.inbtion 'to 'tho effect, that the Home papers'be' communicated with plaining the true state of. affairs.; ■:,•'■; > ,j . : ; : Mr' G: H. Lightfppt theii brought forward thefoUowmgmotio-.i: "That this council instruct the management, committee to draft a reply contradicting, the reports appearing in labour, papers: at Home regarding "the: conditions: of .labour,in New, Zealand.": Hβ/thought it was absolutely : wicked to .induce men -'to 1 come out here." Apart-from correspondence, there.were advertisements in.tbe papers making out New Zealand to be a little Heaven,' and, giving,- the idea, that;.any..man who : chooses.to come put .iind. take off .his coat ; panget work.''• A. : letter: cabled '.'out'' recently in. regard to labour.conditiohs -might have been' correct some years, ago, ibuf now all the work was;taken -up;.' iThere wasno employment to' be -had,' and' some. men. .who came but* not lontf ago had returned Home'disappointed. Something should-certainly ;be\done. '-;' : V. :■■; " .;..In-.'regard, t0..-a statement,-- attributed in the Home papers'to Mr.. ; Tregeaj, tlmt-any-man' could get: work; if he .-.asked-'for-- it, Mr. S. Brown said'.that that was ab'so'.utely inoprreot. ■ There were, ho-stated, men out of work all over the epuntry- /and he went on to enumerate .the .various trades in which there was lack .of employment.; ..,,';.-. : ■': ,': Mr. Young niOTed as; an. amendjnent that a-'deputation ..be : set. up to. 'wait upon th© Minister/in /charge of Immigration Departments with the object pi pointing out the desirability of ceasing the immigration scheme at presen fc carried on by the: Government. "Hβ thought that it was. alright to encourage immigration io : the country when the population was needed, but when there was,no work to be'had it ; was folly. He could, place his hand upon 200 men who could .get no employment on the wharves--at.' tho present time,: though they were seafaring men. ■ : .'•■' .'' - ■■)\ . Mr; Conchie was of opinion that they could 'do■■ with! all the. immigrants who! had been coming into the country.and more if they had the right Government, but' is long as they had a capitalistic Government.so Icing would they have a difficulty. ; The employer, always wanted to : have three or four men after onq man's.job. 'They had to get the Government out, and the only way or doing that was by anaking tho .workers realise their position. '•■ ''.-;!■ '■"...'." .?';''-'. V' ;V : ; ' -'.-.i ■-..' ..■'.' The amendment the- original motion being 1 lost. J : .- ■ ~ ..' ; ■'.-.. Mr J- Lighttoot said thai he thought that, if, the Government' fully, understood -the position, they .TOuld. ceasa to bring, eutassisted immigrants< ■'■■'. - i .'■■'. ■