MR JORDAN IMPRESSED

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1929, Page 2

MR JORDAN IMPRESSED

RETURNS TO NEW. ZEALAND A SERIOUS MAN. AUCKLAND, February 11. “ A change of Government in New Zealand was undoubtedly necessary, as unemployment and hardship were increasing and land in occupation was decreasing. The party that has been installed in office has declared its ability and desire to restore the Dominion to a state of prosperity, and it is our duty to give it all possible support. If the Government fails reasonably to carry out its policy then we shall he as critical of it as the United Party was of the Reform Government.’. This statement was made by Mi' W. J. Jordan, Labour member for Manukau, when ho arrived hack in Auckland this morning by the Niagara after six months tour abroad. Mr Jordan was one of four New Zealand delegates to the Empire Parliamentary Associations Conference, held in Ottawa. He later proceeded to England to pay a visit to his aged mother. He was accompanied by his wife and small daughter.

Owing to the landslide at the general election Air Jordan is the only one of the Parliamentary party who will carry back to the House any experience gleaned from the conference. He said it was an education to meet members of Parliament from all parts of the Empire, and he appreciated the oppoi’tunity given him to attend the conference. Everywhere he went he had heard New Zealand, its produce, howlers, footballers, and cricketers highly spoken of. Commenting on the conference, lie explained that no resolutions were passed, but matters of interest to all parts of the Empire were freely discussed. Much good, he thought, would accrue from its deliberations.

He personally had raised the question of the need of a reciprocal pension arrangement, and he was gratified to notice that the subject had been mentioned in the House of Commons. Jhe position in New Zealand to-cTav was that an immigrant had to qualify for pension as if he were a foreignei. Mr Jordan was much impressed with Canada. “Itis a great country.” was his comment, “and it has a land settlement policy which enables a man with a limited amount of capital to make good. Applications for land under the family settlement scheme that is pursued are first classified and grouped and then taken in hand by agricultural experts, who instruct them in farming. Not only is land t made available lor the new settlers, but the British Government advances them £SOO for stock. The Canadian Government furnishes houses for them, and when they ani\e fires are actually burning in the grates and kettles boiling. In this way immigrants who take up land are immediately made to feel that someone cares for them.

Mr Jordan also had an opportunity of meeting some of the miner halve s ter s who were sent across from the Old Country to Canada to relieve the unemployment situation, and found that, in the main, the men were not only satisfied with their work, but the employers were also highly satisfied. There was no gainsaying the fact, however, that a proportion of the miners were neither temperamentally nor physically suited for their new work. “ I return to New Zealand a serious man, impressed with the necessity foi safeguarding our people and seeing that they are given an opportunity to maintain their homes and families,” he added. “I have striven faithfully to represent the people of the Dominion; irrespective of party, while abroad, and I hope my efforts have met uith approval.”