District News

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 May 1914, Page 2

District News

EVENTS TN SHAjOO* [by our Resident .Representative)

Mr Murdoch is. ut present on a visit to Shannon, and will probably come to reside amongst us again about August next. DEBATING SOCIETY. The Shannon Debating Society mu on Tuesday evening. There was uyniii a good attendance,.notwHlistauding the coldness of the weather. .j£ :r r ;. r^ The president (Rlv. Kenzie) occupied the • .; A letter from the ing Society was read, stating ihat the subject for the comjaetilive debate would be "That an autocratic form of Government is preferable to a Democratic Government." Members of the Shannon Society were invited,to attend the debate at Levin on May 27th. The chairman announced that the subject for next Tuesday evening was "Readings from Favourite Authors." He hoped there would, be many contributors. Mrs Kean, Miss Thelma Howe, Mr Russell and George Day were elected members of the society. The question for the evening was "Should New Zealand encourage immigration?" Affirmative Mr Exall, negative Mr Logan. Mr Exall contended that New Zealand should encourage immigration, provided £Ee immigrants were of the right sort. We had land for occupation, and should encourage good farmers to come and settle on it. He.., made a comparison between Great Britain and New Zealand to show that the crowded shite of the former might be relieved by emigration to the latter. \

Mr. Logan did not want any statistics. They . were filling tho King -Country to-day with coolies. Tfc was said there was lots of room. He knew in Wellington that eight persons were living in a small room-. Tho . immigrants were crowding Auckland now, four and five families living in one "house, and they bought a shin of beef and that lasted them for a week. Of. course-the bi , ? farmers wanted, boys at 7s 6d a Tveek. India was called a. jewel of the British Crown. They brought Indians to South Africa and reduced them to living skeletons and sent them home again. They-brought men to New ZealandlAvho did not know . which end of a cow they should* ■ milk. If they put the inimi-, grants on the land at once there would be some sense in it. We* \ should look after our own boys and place them on the land and not flood the country with undesirable immigrants. The Rev. J. Crawford thought that Mr Logan, should join the optimist club. It did no. follow because there were faults in the present system of immigration .. that we should give it ,up. Mr Judd seconded Mr Logan. He doubted if there was any landr here for the occupation of immi-\ grants. There were 36 applica- \ tions for land on the hill tops \ very* recently. The conditions \ were so dreadful in the back ' blocks that no Government should ask any.person to live on it. It was no time for immigration when there was not enough land for the sons of the settlers here now.__ Air W. J. Law said there was, room for immigrants of the right . class. A man with £1000 could get land in any part of land if he waoited it. -';":;' Mr Hensman answered the question in the negative. .Wβ should first settle the land question.

Mr Sinclair considered that New Zealand was encouraging immigration. There was also some emigration to. Australia. "' Every country should encourage immigration, and we should get the right sort here. . .; Mr Trainer considered that immigration meant flooding the lab- •'. cur market and should not be encoiiraged. _: The Rev. J. A. McXenzie gave some experience in the back : blocks. In the past the hardships were cheerfully put up with. s , If they were willing to shoulder the burden to-day as the early settlers did in the past there was room in New Zealand for immi-. grants of the right class. / ' v A vote was taken with the result .'" : \' that five hands were'held up for \ the affirmative and sixteen for the ' negative. . , ! Residents of Shannon haye /a , strong inducement to buy their drapery, clothing and boots local- *;' ly when they have a. stock : Farglier and Co.'s to select froin. \ A good assortment of well bought goods, at a fair and reasonable price, niakes good every time. -••' Advt.