NEED FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 259, 27 July 1920, Page 6

NEED FOR MEN

THE IMMIGRATION POLICY

LABOUR PARTY'S ATTACK DEPARTMENT IN REPLY The immigration policy of tho Government has been criticised in the Housra of Representatives and elsewhere recently. Tho Minister in charge of Immigration (Mr. W, Jvosworthy) gave the following statement yesterday in reply to criticisms.by the Labour people:— "The Wellington Labour liopresontntion Committee will do a very poor service to the workers of Britain if ita statement of tho alleged position, of affairs in New Zealand is taken seriously by those who wish to hotter their conditions by emigrating to a now country. By tho selection, and tho embellishment, of extreme examples, tho committee has drawn a gloomy picture of the conditions in New Zealand, but its 'facts' are all very general, and ure typical examples of the axiom that there is nothing more misleading than generalisations. "In ono instance, however, the committeo is right in stating that there is difficulty in finding suitablo housing accommodation in Wellington, tho capital city. But if there was any desire to bo fair to New Zealand, tho statement would have mentioned the undoubted fact that the housing scarcity is more aoute in "Wellington than in any other city, and that the Government, as well ns tho City Council, is building houses for workmen ns fast as the prevailing scarcity of artisans and material will allow. _ New Zealand, although possibly suffering lees from the effect of the war than any other portion of the Empire, is finding it difficult to provide sufficient houses for the people, and this problem is not confined to the Dominion, Tho committee would have been fairer to the Dominion had it also mentioned that there is legislation on tho Statute Book, and in active operation, which prevents the imposition of unduly high rents, or the eviction of tenants who have so other house available.

An Important Fact. "But tho important fact of irterest to the intending emigrant is that—except for a certain number of artisans who are urgently needed-he will do better if he avoids the large cities and goes into tho country, where work and houses are easier to obtain. At pre6entj the New Zealand Gi-veinment is confining its financial encouragement to emigrants who are nominated by friends or relatives in tho Dominion. Tho nominators 6ign an undertaking that they will provide suitable acccmmcdation an<r employment for tho immigrant upon arrival, and tho various State Departments co-opemte in the important duty of securing work for the 'assisted immigrant when he lands. An officer of the Immigrant Department meets all immigrant steamers, and gives advico and assistance to the passengers retarding employment and accommodation. Tho salvation Army has taken up this duty in regard to tho ex-scrvico men anil women -who are sent to New Zealand by the Overews Settlement Committee, and as the Salvation Army conducts largo private hotels in tho chiof centres, it is welt equipped for accommodating the new arrivals until they settlo down permanently. * A good deal is made of the high price of food and clothing in the Labour statement of the position,, but tho comimtteo is careful not to give the intending emigrant actual facts showing tho prevailing pricos. If it had aliownas is actually the case-that boots and clothing are cheaper in NoV Zealand than in England, that butter, ohceso, and meat aro extremely oheap compared with tho controlled prio® in England, and that the consumption of tlieso foods, which aro of the finest quality, is absolutely unrestricted, tho Laboiir statement would have indicated some desire to tell tho wholo story truthfully.

Government Work. '"Government work is to be specially avoided, ncoording to tho Labour Representation Committee. This is all that tho statement contains about eo serious a suggestion. The intending emigrant is given no opportunity of judging for himself on tho actual facts of the case.' Ho 16 not told that tho current rate of wages for unskilled labourers on road and railway construction and the largo hydroolectrio works now in progress is 13s. por (lay, and for artisans 15s. Gd. to 13s. Id. per day; that tools are found; that as tho workers aro usually omployed away from settlements, the Public Works Department provides them with froo hutments; ana that if the number y: men Is sufficient to warrant the employment of a cook, their cooking is done for them, and a dining hall erected, which is also available for social and recreation purposes. If tho employees on the most important publio works wish to lalto up small co-operative contracts, they are encouraged to do so by tho engineers, who mark out work which is done at a. rato designed to return to tho co-oporativo gang a wage slightly higher than could 1m earned by a normal day's work on day wages, which can, of course, be increased by oitra effort and good 'team work' in the gang. As New Zealand, in common with other parts of tho Empire, has a tremendous amount of leeway in development to bo made np now the war is over, there is a serious shortage of men for public works, and the present number of employees, about 4000, could be easily doubled if men were available. The Dominion is thus easily able to "absorb 4000 able-bodied men for ita public works immediately, to say nothing of itho demand for artisans—a demand which must be filled if tho housing ehortago complained of by tho Labour Representation Committee is to be speedily overtaken. "Tho Lnb.our Representation Committee specially advises country workers to beware of rose-coloured pictures of conditions in New Zealand. An extreme example of high-priced land' is quoted as the sole support for this warning. Although some extreme' prices have licen paid for good land, they have been paid by practical farmers, who know that tho return will bo commensurate with their capital. But it is not necessary to farm on land of tho prico quoted, viz., .£l2O per acre; if the immigrant has the pionoorimt spirit, and goes into itlie country, he will bo able to obtnin much cheaper land, and will eventually profit by tho increment when settlement grows closer in his own district. Farmers all over New Zealand are in want of workers. and there is no difficulty in finding places for experienced farm hands. For this reason Itho Governirient is prepared to find passages for farm workers and their wives on payment of JMO each, this involving a State subsidy of n.bout 4130 on oaeh third-class faro. Would the New Zealand Government spend money in this way if the result was to bo simply a wasteful journey for people who are not wanted?

Prices and Wages, "As to tho suggestion that prices aro out of all proportion to wages in Now Zealand, I have already pointed out that eoiup of the most important necessaries of life are cheaper in Now Zen* lniul than Uiey aro in England. It is also important lo the intending immigrant to know that ithe industrial awards and agreements have been constantly revised so as to provide for the increased cost of living, as ascertained by the Qorernmoivt Statistician. The Arbitration Uiurt is authorised, in fact directed, by a special etatuto to reconsider tho question of wages in connection with aijy of the awards or agreements, if cithor of the parties makes application on the ground that the existing rate of wages is not adcquato in view of tho officially compiled figures regarding tho cost of a number of commodities which are in con mon use.

"The real object of tho Labour Hepresentation Commitlco seems to be divulged in ito passing rcforonce to fear of a glut in flu* labour mr.rket. An extreme section of Labour is anxious lo maintain tho serious shortage, which lies at the root of the scarcity of houses, for the coal output for some months wns seriously minced by a. 'goslow* policy, and tho supply of bricks and cement consequently restricted. This short-sighted attempt to discourage workers in Britain from emigrating would if miccossfnl hamper tho efforts of tho people of New: Zealand to dflvolop lite un-

rivalled resources of tho Dominion in the way of hydro-electric power. The Government lias in hand a very extensive saheme for the supply of cheap electricity for lighting and power throughout the country, nnd when this is available, a great impetus will be given to the Dominion's manufacturing activity, thus enabling it to absorb a still greater number of workers. It will also mako farming easier hkl cheaper, and tho conditions of lifo in tho country moro attractive.

""i few official figures will bo more convincing than the extremo generalisations of a few partisans suoli as tho Labour Representation Committee. During tho five years 1910 to 1914 inclusive, New Zealand absorbed an additional population by way of immigration, totalling 35,894, or an average of over 7000 immigrants per annum. During the succeeding fivo years (1015 to 11119 inclusive) tho total gain in population by way of immigration waa only OS'JI. 'thus it is evident that the cessation of cn: juration from England owing to the war wtultcd in a total deficiency in New Eealand's usual accessions of population from overseas of .at least 22,109 persoils. To this deficiency must be added the loss of 10,000 gallant young New inlanders who gave their lives for tho Empire, and a still larger number who, by t.Mson of wounds and sicklies?, h-jvo nturned from tho war unable to render the economic sorvicc to ilicir country which tlicy wero able lo do tc ,f cro the war. Hero wo see proved, Iwjyond it doubt, a great curtailment of tho country's labour resources. It proves the urgent need for immigration, and the fact that tho work is here, awaiting the newcomer. Now Zealand lias a splendid climate, good land and mineral resources, and a luird->vorking and erterprising people. Put it lias only ten people to tho square mile compared with England's COD, ficonlnd's 156, and Ireland's 137. Wo want to liil rin the empty spaces, to d u ve'iop our tint' lesources. We are :u t lacking in financial resources, but it s obvi-113 that the Dominion's on'stnmlinir need is labour, honco the iiovernmdetermination to carry on a vigoio-is policy of encouraging the emigrant from ' Ihe Homeland, despite the stovl criticism of u few extremisvs who wish to nresorvo all thp benefit* nf a l'uvuircd land for n handful cf j.oople."