IMMIGRATION POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 55, 2 September 1926, Page 8

IMMIGRATION POLICY

. j—.— '''■.:'.. GOVERNMENT CRITICISED PRICE OF LAND HERE AND IN " CANADA. (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Pott.") AUCKLAND, Ist September. The -Dominion immigration policy; was discussed yesterday by Mr. G. A. Allen, of Canada, who is now on a world tour. He said: "During the past fortnight I have been, living on a farm at Matamata with two old. pioneers, Messrs. Bowler Bros., Englishmen, who believe that there' is plenty; of work.-in New Zealand for all immigrants, provided they adapt themselves to the principles of the people who'arrived from the Old Country forty and fifty years ago, but I told them the pioneer as he was fifty years ago is today unknown." Mr. "Allen criticised the policy of the Government in bringing immigrants to New Zealand during the winter. In Canada it was well known that newcomers during the winter probably starved. In his opinion the shipping companies were partly responsible for the overcrowding of immigrants. Ho had been told on1 good authority that if a ship was filled with steerage passengers, who were mostly immigrants, the fares would cover tha greater portion of the expenses of the voyage. The price of land in New Zealand was also adversq'to-successful immigration. In "Western Canada the best land* was priced at anything from &5 to £10 an acre. ■ Eoceutly an English builder had adi mitted in conversation, said Mr. Allen, that a New Zealand workman had been discharged to give him employment. It would be agreed, said Mr. Allen, that such a policy was totally unfair to New Zealanders.